Great Democrats Part un(I'd put it in Arabic if I could)

[whottt]

George Wallace


George Corley Wallace (August 25, 1919–September 13, 1998) was an American politician who was elected Governor of Alabama (as a Democrat) four times (1962, 1970, 1974 and 1982) and ran for U.S. President (in 1964, 1968, 1972 and 1976).

In his high school days he was a regionally successful boxer before moving on to law school in the late 1930s. After receiving his law degree in 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, flying combat missions over Japan during World War II.

In 1946 he won his first election as a representative to the Alabama state legislature. At the time he was considered somewhat of a progressive liberal on racial issues. As a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1948 he refused to join in on the Southern walkout at the Convention, despite being opposed to President Harry Truman's proposed civil rights program due to what he viewed as infringements on states' rights. In his 1963 gubernatorial inauguration, he excused this action on political grounds.

In 1953 he was elected judge in the Third Judicial Circuit Court. Here he became known as "the little fightin' judge," a reference to his boxing days. In 1958 he was defeated by John Patterson in Alabama's Democratic gubernatorial primary election, which at this point in Alabama history still was the decisive election, the general election still almost always being a mere formality. This was a political crossroads for Wallace; Patterson had run with the support of the Ku Klux Klan, an organisation Wallace had spoken out against, while Wallace had been endorsed by the NAACP. After the election Wallace vowed "I'll never be outn*****ed again." In the wake of his defeat, Wallace adopted a hard-line segregationist style, and used this stand to court the white vote in the next gubernatorial election. In 1962, he was elected governor on a pro-segregation, pro-states' rights platform in a landslide victory. In his inaugural speech he declared "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, and segregation forever."

On June 11, 1963 he stood in front of a schoolhouse door at the University of Alabama in an attempt to stop desegregation of that ins ution by the enrollment of two black students, Vivian Malone and James Hood; when confronted by federal marshals, Wallace stepped aside. Later in life he apologised for his opposition at that time to racial integration. When reporters asked Wallace how he thought his actions were being received in Third World nations that America hoped to win to its side in the Cold War, Wallace responded: "those people don't know where their own countries are, let alone Alabama."...Sounds a lot like the, "let's get the F out of the mideast they are savages" credo of todays elitist liberals -whottt

Using the infamous public image created by the University of Alabama controversy, he mounted his first presidential campaign in 1964, showing surprising strength as a national candidate in Democratic primaries in Wisconsin, Maryland and Indiana, winning as much as a third of the vote. His "outsider" image and message of states' rights appeared to have national appeal.

Alabama's state cons ution prevented him from seeking a second term in 1966, a restriction that was later repealed, largely due to the work of his backers. Wallace found a way around this by having his wife, Lurleen Wallace, run for office. She won the election. It was widely known at the time of the election that George Wallace would actually run the state. His wife, however, passed away in 1968, when she was succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Albert Brewer, leaving Wallace somewhat out of power until he could mount a new bid for election in his own right in 1970. When Wallace ran for President in 1968, it was not as a Democrat but as a candidate of the American Independent Party. He had hoped to receive enough electoral votes to force the House of Representatives to decide the election, presumably giving him the role of a power broker. Wallace's hoped that Southern states could use their clout to extract concessions to end federal efforts at desegregation. This did not occur. Wallace ran a "law and order" campaign similar to that of Republican Candidate, former Vice President Richard Nixon (see Southern strategy), worrying Nixon that Wallace might steal enough votes to give the election to Democratic candidate Vice President Hubert Humphrey. Wallace's "outsider" status was once again popular with voters, particularly in the rural South, and he carried five Southern states, gaining almost enough electoral votes to throw the election to the House of Representatives, and making him the last person to date to win electoral votes who was not the nominee of one of the two major parties. Additionally, he received the vote of one North Carolina elector who was pledged to Nixon.

Despite his views, Wallace was an entertaining campaigner. To hippies who said he was a Nazi, he replied, "I was killing fascists when you punks were in diapers." To other hippies, he said, "You shout four letter words at me, well, I have two for you: S-O-A-P and W-O-R-K." Another memorable quote to liberals was: "They're building a bridge over the Potomac for all the white liberals fleeing to Virginia."

Wallace said he agreed with Abraham Lincoln that blacks shouldn't be able to vote, serve on juries, or hold public office.—(Abraham Lincoln)

In 1968 Wallace rode white fury at the 1967 Detroit riots (see Jerome Cavanagh) and won the Democratic primary there.

In 1970 he was elected governor of Alabama for a second term. In an effort to weaken the prospects of another presidential campaign in 1972, President Nixon had backed the in bent governor Albert Brewer in the Democratic primary, while at the same time launching an IRS investigation of possible illegalities in the Wallace campaign. A Gallup poll at the time showed Wallace to be the seventh most admired man in America, just ahead of the Pope.

In early 1972 he once again declared himself a candidate for president, this time as a Democrat. When running in Florida against the liberal George McGovern, 1968 nominee Hubert H. Humphrey, and nine other Democratic opponents, Wallace won by an overwhelming majority, carrying every county in the state.

While campaigning in Laurel, Maryland in May 1972, Wallace was shot four times by a would-be assassin named Arthur Herman Bremer. Three other people were wounded in the shooting; all survived. Bremer's diary, published after his arrest as "An Assassin's Diary," showed that Bremer's assassination attempt was not motivated by politics, but by a desire to become famous, and that President Nixon had also been a possible target. The assassination attempt left Wallace paralyzed, as one of the bullets that hit him had lodged in his spinal column. Following the shooting, Wallace won primaries in Maryland, Michigan, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Confined to a wheelchair, Wallace spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Miami in the summer of 1972. The eventual Democratic nominee, Senator George McGovern of South Dakota would go on to be defeated by President Nixon in an overwhelming landslide.

While Wallace was recovering in a Maryland hospital, he was out of the state for more than 20 days, so the state cons ution required the lieutenant governor, Jere Beasley, to serve as acting governor from June 5 until Wallace returned to Alabama on July 7. In November, 1975 Wallace announced his fourth and final bid for the presidency. The following campaign was plagued by voters' concerns with his health problems, as well as the media's constant use of images of his apparent "helplessness". After losing several Southern primaries to former Georgia governor Jimmy Carter, Wallace dropped out of the race in June, 1976, eventually endorsing Carter while boasting that he had made it possible for a Southerner to be nominated for president.




Don't miss tomorrows exciting edition of Great Democrat Heroes when we'll have a look back on the career of KKK founder Nathan Bedford Forest.

We'll also have a detailed discussion on how the most racist political party in history managed to get a near voters monopoly of the minority rights groups...it could just be that liberals are ing stupid suckers for a smooth talker, then again it might be something else.

[IcemanCometh]

After a long spell in hospital Wallace was able to return to politics. He apologized for his previous stance of civil rights and during the 1982 won the governorship with substantial support from African American voters.

Ill-health forced Wallace to retire from politics in 1987. He continued his support of integration and in March, 1995, Wallace attended the re-enactment of the Selma to Montgomery civil rights march. George Wallace died on 13th September, 1998.

just in case you wanted to know the rest of the story

[Duff McCartney]

Why don't we talk about some great Republicans like Joseph McCarthy...who ruined the lives of countless people without providing a single shred of evidence that they were communist.

[IcemanCometh]

As for Forrest, the guy was your basic southern gentry asshole, and a great cavalry commander besides. But you might want to do your research.

And while his wartime activities deserve considerable merit, it is his perceived post-war actions which give Forrest a more lasting negative impression on many southerners. While there is disagreement about his involvement, Forrest’s name is linked to the Ku Klux Klan, the hate group which punished and murdered former slaves and free blacks after the war.

Forrest reportedly lent his name to the KKK which had formed to exact discipline on certain segments of the society, particularly black Americans. Again, reportedly disenchanted with the Klan’s activities, Forrest asked the group to disband and removed his association with the group in 1869.

A do ented speech he made to a group of former slaves after the war contains rhetoric which shows Forrest’s disdain for racial discrimination, and that all Americans, black and white, should get along for the nation’s good. Regardless, the story persists that Forrest is the founder and revered figure of the Klan.

[whottt]

Ahh, so basically, no matter how many blacks you opress to get in office it's all good as long as you apologize when your career is over. Gotcha.

You know there's one pretty interesting thing the demographics show...nearly all minority groups have a fairly decent split between political parties..granted they are mostly democrat...but the PCT's of African Americans that vote Democrat is very skewed(although Bush did make inroads).

I guess the chains of the mind are the hardest to throw off...can't figure out why people would support a party that essentially sees them as welfare cases incapable of advancing in American Society at the level whites can, if given a fair chance...history shows they can...Yet to this day the Democrats believe they are little more than charity cases...that belong in a social special ed class.

Reverend Jesse leads his people to social chains...not change.

[whottt]

Why don't we talk about some great Republicans like Joseph McCarthy...who ruined the lives of countless people without providing a single shred of evidence that they were communist.

LMAO, you really want to talk about McCarthy?

Ok...let's talk about the fact that:

A.He was originally a democrat and switched parties out of opportunism, not ideology.

B.If you doubt this, just know that he was gay. So there's no doubt which party he'd be affiliated with in this day and age.

C.He came to power and was allowed to start his witch hunts under a democrat president and congress and he tapped into the fear first given form in the Truman doctrine. The Democrats were too afraid to take him on.

D.The only high ranking politician that took him on was Republican President Eisenhower.

E.His top two supporters were J. Edgar Hoover(who appointed that guy head of the FBI again?) and Joseph Kennedy(yes that Joseph Kennedy).

McCarthyism at worst was social ostracization...not terrorism or racial bigotry. And he was mainly concerned with gaining political power moreso than actually chasing communists.

But I will say that his list of communists was actually pretty accurate since it was a list compiled by the Truman Administration and all of the people on the list addmitted membership in the American Communist Party.

[whottt]

Forest.

Ice, you're a true dumbass...Forrest was a ing slave trader...he was the biggest slave trader in history, and one of the few people to become a millionaire just off the buying and selling of slaves. Yes he was a great calvary officer...for the ing confederacy you idiot. You must not know about the great military battle where he massacred a garrison of black soldiers. And he didn't disband the KKK because of the acts they were commiting...he left it because he couldn't control which acts they were commiting and when and where they were commiting them.

[dcole50]

George Wallace is one of the most shameful figures in my state's history. He is in no way, shape, or form a representative of today's Democratic party, however.

[IcemanCometh]

I know all about Fort Pillow, I never said Forrest was a great man or that I even admired him. But like most men in history hes a complicated man, its seldom a matter of black and white.

[Duff McCartney]

B.If you doubt this, just know that he was gay. So there's no doubt which party he'd be affiliated with in this day and age.

That means now whottt....you seem to bring up what he could have been now...the man was a product of his time...as was Wallace. It's a moot point to argue either one of them....they are men of their times.

[whottt]

Wallace a man of his time? It wasn't that long ago...and I brought up what McCarthy was originally.

[ChumpDumper]

Waiting for your Strom Thurmond treatise.

The part of Wallace's life that hootie left out like the biased turd he is -- the one of true redemption -- is the most important. I can see why he was afraid to say anything about it.

[whottt]

Not going to touch Strom...it'd be McCarthy redux..


But anyway, sorry if I pissed on the moment where Wallace realized he needed the black vote...er I mean was redeemed. Should have figured he actually would be a liberal hero...just like NBF and osama

And I've decided my next Crat hero will be the former leader of the weathermen...now a proud Kerry supporter(as well as an unrepentant terrorist)

[ChumpDumper]

Of course you wouldn't touch Strom because you'd expose yourself, just like omitting the most important part of the Wallace story.

Cowardly.

As usual.

We are not surprised.

[whottt]

Um Strom was a Democrat originally...dump . If you want to talk about him then talk about him, but this is my gimmick .

[ChumpDumper]

Gee wad, why'd he switch?

Why did the south turn Republican?

You know this one, but of course won't say it.

Coward.

[whottt]

Gee wad, why'd he switch?

I don't know he should have just said he was sorry like all the other bigoted dixiecrats that didn't switch. It's not like he ever hid that he was a segregationist when he was a democrat either.

Why did the south turn Republican?

It didn't, the Republicans just started rigging the elections...been reading the forum lately?

You know this one, but of course won't say it.

Coward.

Too funny, you're the one that sits there and asks ambiguous questions...say what you want to say, lazy er. You are making the accusation so say it.

[ChumpDumper]

Still playing the coward? Not surprised.

Or maybe you're completely ignorant on this one.

I'd believe either one at this point.

[SpursWoman]

Why did the south turn Republican?

It didn't, the Republicans just started rigging the elections...been reading the forum lately?

[whottt]

Still playing the coward? Not surprised.

Or maybe you're completely ignorant on this one.

I'd believe either one at this point.

LMAO...I'm afraid to answer a question on a message board, you figured me out. Ooh terrifying thought.

Why don't you just get a set of balls and make you accusation rather than expecting me to answer a vague question and make your statement for you. Say it , don't make statements in question form, just accuse like a normal person. You get no style points for doing what you are doing.

If you want your childish attempts to put me on the defensive to be somewhat succesful, then you need to do half the work.

[ChumpDumper]

Already succeeded. Just admit you don't want to answer or simply don't know what the you are talking about.

[Duff McCartney]

Wallace a man of his time? It wasn't that long ago...and I brought up what McCarthy was originally.

It was long enough dumbass...when he was alive segregation and civil rights were the norm.

It wasn't until the times started changing that he actually apologised.

[whottt]

It was long enough dumbass...when he was alive segregation and civil rights were the norm.

It wasn't until the times started changing that he actually apologised.

Geez sorry I insulted a liberal hero. No moe badmouthing McCarthy from whottt, the man was a saint.

[whottt]

Already succeeded. Just admit you don't want to answer or simply don't know what the you are talking about.

I do want to answer, I'm itching to do so can't you tell? But I don't want to defend an accusation you made in question form, I'll answer when you make an accusation the correct and direct way. Quid pro quo Clarise.

[ChumpDumper]

Calling you a coward is quite direct enough, thank you.

Go quid yourself.