Slow Burn (Slate Podcasts) — Season 4, Episode 4: "A Silent Army"
Date: July 8, 2020
Host: Josh Levin

Overview: The Main Theme

This episode explores the explosive rise of David Duke, former KKK Grand Wizard, within Louisiana politics during his 1990 U.S. Senate campaign. Against a backdrop of deep-seated racism and white grievance, the episode investigates how Duke harnessed discontent and covert support among white Louisianans, transforming his campaign into a mass movement complete with its own “silent army.” Through archival audio, first-person testimonies, and on-the-ground reporting, the episode probes how Duke’s candidacy threatened to upend institutional politics and revealed disturbing truths about the state's electorate and American political culture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Duke's Campaign: From Fringe to Mainstream

• Setting the Stage (00:15–02:25): Plato Robinson, reporting in 1990, describes a boat rally of Duke supporters heading to the Blind River Bar. This was a stark contrast from Duke’s earlier Klan-rallies with overt racist threats; by 1990, he had adapted to softer language but maintained the same underlying animus.
• Symbolism of Support (03:40–06:33): Bumper stickers and yard signs for Duke became territorial markers—more than political preferences, they were used to stake out racial territory and intimidate Black Louisianans. For example, a Black family moving into St. Bernard Parish was met with a flurry of Duke signs, vandalism, and threats.
• Personal Testimony: Tammy Barney (06:33–07:25), the first Black bureau chief of the Times-Picayune in St. Bernard, recounts racist vandalism and authorities’ indifference.

2. The "Silent Army” — Hidden Support & Social Costs

• Fear and Retaliation (03:40–04:49): Many Duke supporters were reluctant to show public allegiance due to fear of social and economic retaliation; some faced vandalism, while others hid their views.
• Duke as "Voice for the Discontented" (07:25–08:00): Duke’s rhetoric gave expression to secret prejudices; many supporters felt he said what they couldn’t admit openly.

3. The Mechanics of Populist Mobilization

• Stump Speeches and Crowd Dynamics (09:18–16:41): Duke’s campaign was extraordinary in turnout and emotional intensity. He used grievance politics, especially around “welfare,” as a rhetorical pivot in every debate—blaming Black Americans for economic woes regardless of the question.
  • Notable quote:
    “[Duke] would find a way to inject welfare recipients as being the problem that the state faced.” — Marc Morial, 15:46
• Rally Atmosphere & Cult of Personality
  • “He had a real cult-like following. They were transfixed…and would do whatever he told them to do.” — Bess Carrick, documentary filmmaker, 16:41
• Fundraising as Faith (18:37–22:05): Enthusiasts filled halls and gave money at rallies, buying Duke merchandise and contributing to campaign funds, reinforcing group identity.

4. Media Strategy & the Quest for Respectability

• Infomercials and Image Control (22:29–23:59): Duke elongated his reach through TV ads portraying him as a family man, attempting to attract more educated, wealthier white supporters who hesitated to attend rallies.
  • Quote:
    “I remember when criminals, not homeowners, lived behind bars...I remember when kids played ball on the streets till bedtime...” — David Duke (in infomercial), 23:06
• Financial Schemes (24:00–26:25): Duke’s campaign also enriched him personally, routing funds from political efforts to his own pockets. He remained unrepentant—even using phone hotlines as a money-raiser.

5. Reactions and Countermobilization

• Challenges from Within and Without (28:24–31:25): Democratic incumbent J. Bennett Johnston initially avoided criticizing Duke, but—at his son’s urging—shifted to a direct, angry approach, calling Duke a Nazi and bigot.
  • Notable quote:
    “He’s not standing up for anybody but himself.” — J. Bennett Johnston, 28:46
• Backfire Fears (29:57–30:20): Johnston’s campaign worried that attack ads may legitimize Duke for some supporters by validating his racist credentials:
  • “In some bizarre way, we might have helped him with some of his most racist supporters.” — Bob Mann, Johnston’s press secretary, 29:57
• Duke’s Nazi Past (31:10–31:40): New stories about Duke celebrating Hitler’s birthday emerge. For some, this was scandalous; others shrugged it off.

6. Election Dynamics & Fallout

• Baggart's Exit and Strategic Withdrawal (32:54–34:21): Republican candidate Ben Baggart withdrew days before the primary, hoping to consolidate opposition against Duke and avoid going down in history as the spoiler.
• Election Results (35:04–36:12): Johnston won with 54% to Duke’s 43.5%. Over 600,000 people voted for Duke, many more than polls had predicted. Duke’s “silent army” was larger and more respectable than many believed.
  • “It was the most depressing win I’ve ever been a part of…” — Bob Mann, 35:38

7. The Personal Toll for Black Louisianans

• The Weight of White Support for Duke (38:38–41:43): Michelle Belle Boissiere, a Black Creole doctoral student, describes the profound alienation and anxiety caused by knowing how many neighbors secretly (or openly) supported Duke.

  • Quote:
    “I had to wonder, well, of the 50 white people that I talked to tomorrow, which 30 of them voted for David Duke?...that was really, really hard to accept.” — Michelle Belle Boissiere, 40:03
  • “It made me realize I had to be more expressive in who I am as a Black woman...that was warranted, it was really needed.” — 41:25

• Enduring Legacy (42:18–43:58): Today, as a biology professor, Boissiere reflects that her success and mentorship of Black students stands as rebuke to Duke’s vision:

  • “I know that the work that I do and the way that I conduct myself is a source of pain for people like David Duke.” — 42:18

Notable Quotes by Timestamp

• “It would have if I didn't hear his explanation and believe it….Oh yes, yes, it's fair.” — Unemployed boiler repairman, explaining why he supports Duke despite Nazi past, 02:01–02:12

• “Duke wasn’t running away from his association with the Klan…He presented his Klan days as an asset.” — Narrator on Duke’s campaign rhetoric, 02:34–03:02

• “Those signs and bumper stickers…were a way to mark territory, to show who was welcome in certain parts of Louisiana and who wasn’t.” — Narrator, 04:49

• “I've talked to some guys who say, ‘I can’t put a bumper sticker on my car. I might get a flat tire, might get a window knocked out.’” — Duke supporter, 04:23–04:31

• “He’s standing up for us. Standing up. Bull. He’s not standing up for anybody but himself.” — J. Bennett Johnston, 28:46

• “It just defied reason to me that someone who was that open—this guy wore a hood, he celebrated Hitler’s birthday…there’s just no way that people are going to embrace that….I now realize Duke’s embrace of that persona was exactly the thing that drew people to him.” — Bob Mann, 36:59

• “I have been haunted by the fact that 60% of the Caucasians in Louisiana supported David Duke. I have spent the last few weeks in a state of paranoia unlike any I have ever experienced.” — Michelle Belle Boissiere, reading her 1990 letter, 39:38

Important Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:15 | Plato Robinson reports from a Duke rally in Louisiana swamps | | 03:02 | Duke reframes Klan association as proof of "authenticity" | | 04:49 | Stories of sign vandalism, intimidation, and territoriality | | 06:33 | Tammy Barney recounts racist vandalism as a Black journalist | | 13:14 | Duke’s versions of the “welfare queen” stereotype | | 16:41 | Bess Carrick on the cult-like mentality at Duke rallies | | 19:34 | Bob Mann on the intimidating size of Duke’s crowds | | 23:06 | Excerpt from Duke's infomercial, appeals to nostalgia | | 26:40 | Stephanie Riegel describes Duke's ego and financial opportunism | | 28:46 | J. Bennett Johnston's new, confrontational campaign speech | | 29:57 | Reflection on potential backfire of anti-Duke ads | | 31:10 | Duke's Nazi celebrations come to light via journalistic probes | | 34:21 | Baggart on dropping out to prevent a Duke win/runoff | | 35:04 | Election night: shock at Duke’s vote tally | | 38:38 | Michelle Belle Boissiere on feeling threatened and isolated | | 42:18 | Boissiere on living meaningfully in opposition to Duke's values |

Memorable Moments

• The Blind River Bar rally as both a spectacle of white grievance and a marker of shifting racist codes in public life (00:15–04:49).
• Tammy Barney’s personal testimony as both target and observer of white supremacy (06:33–07:25).
• The growing realization, recounted by Johnston’s press secretary, that Duke’s mass appeal was undercounted by polls and that even well-to-do whites supported Duke (35:04–36:12).
• Michelle Belle Boissiere's heartfelt letter (39:38) and reflection (42:18) on how to live with the knowledge of so much hidden hatred in her community.

Tone and Language

The episode strikes a tone of urgent historical inquiry—somber, sharply observant, and deeply empathetic to those harmed or appalled by Duke’s rise. There’s a persistent undertone of disbelief at the scale of his support, countered by personal stories that ground the history in lived experience. When quoting supporters or Duke, the show maintains a journalistic detachment but does not shy away from calling out the reality of explicit and coded racism.

Summary prepared for listeners seeking a thorough understanding of "A Silent Army," Slow Burn Season 4, Episode 4.