I really do think you're under-estimating them. It's the same thing the Christian democrats did in Germany when they gave Hitler the position of prime minister: "give him enough rope to hang himself".

They thought he was an idiot. Saying "racists don't think their actions through" is under-estimating in my book. There were scientists, doctors, and other intellectuals that spear-headed the third reich. They though their actions through pretty well and were humungous racists and enemies of humanity.