11/19/04: David Duke (1991)

Nov. 19, 2004 — -- This Nightline Moment comes from mid November 1991. David Duke, the former klansman, had announced that he was running for governor of Louisiana and he agreed to come on Nightline. He expected, I think, that I was going to come at him hammer and tongs but sometimes you get more out of someone like that when you just let 'em talk.

From Nightline Nov. 15, 1991:

TED KOPPEL: Talk to me for a moment about what differences, if any, you see between blacks and whites. Are there fundamental differences besides the obvious skin pigmentation?

DAVID DUKE, Candidate for governor: Well I think there are differences among all peoples. We all have different talents in certain areas, and I couldn't begin to be able to identify what those talents are. But certain races have certain proclivities in certain areas of music, or athletics or different pursuits. But I think the best way to determine who's the best qualified is through testing, is through your job record performance, and I object to these programs of racial discrimination. I don't like it when someone takes a test for a job and scores in 90's, if he's white, and has that score dropped 20 points, or if a person who is a minority takes the test and has the scored raised 20 points, I think you should have-

KOPPEL: You keep saying that as though somehow there were federal affirmative action program which does that...and they dont.

DUKE: : I guarantee you, there are many programs that foster...the current civil rights bill will foster that. Because what they do is they give minorities certain preference over whites.

Mr. Duke, needless to say, did not win the governorship of Louisiana.