However things might have looked at the time, Reagan was smart not to reopen century-old wounds when we still had the Soviets to worry about.
“Given some of the things Bradford wrote, his confirmation could well have set off a major reaction against Reagan.”
Nonsense. Only the South hating neocons were making a stink. Even the Democrats weren’t. And no one was tearing down Battle Flags and Confederate statues in 1980.
That didn’t start until recent years as GOPe opportunists like Nikki Haley began holding hands with Antifa while happily eradicating Politically Incorrect American history. Party on, statue smashers!