Would a white person get the same benefit of the doubt? Asian?
Yes and yes. Not only do white people get the benefit of the doubt, they've been enjoying the benefit of the doubt on matters like this for decades.
And also, it's not "benefit of the doubt". Again, any "doubt" is based entirely ignoring
literally everything else this person has said and done for the last 27 years. Does that sound reasonable, to you?
If the republicans had promoted a white person who had written something similar, the same people championing KC would be screaming about how it is a national disgrace that proves America is a fundamentally racist country.
False. Are you unaware that there was a former member of the KKK in the democratic party?
When assessing somebody's racism, you don't judge it solely by an anonymous letter they wrote 27 years ago. You look at their track record and their rhetoric throughout their life. In this case, you have one letter (which she claims doesn't represent her views), and a lifetime of work as a civil rights lawyer. Which carries more weight?
Perfectly good other than the racialism...
When the 'optics' are that you look like a massive hypocrite thus damage an important cause, just appoint one of the thousand other equally qualified and capable people who are perfectly good candidates rather than "perfectly good excusing the racialism"
Or, you could not play into the hands of disingenuous people and appoint the person you believe is right for the job.