I ran across this relic of Alabama politics in the little north Alabama town of Cullman a few weeks ago. It reminded me of my childhood and the little bulldog of a man who became synonymous with the State. He will likely always be remembered for his segregationist views, though I believe he was no different from most of the politicians of today. He said what he thought he needed to say to get votes.
Wallace started his career as a Circuit Judge in Alabama, where he gained a reputation for fairness. Although he upheld segregationist laws that were on the books in that day, there is no historical evidence of any personal racism in his rulings. In fact, quite the contrary. J.L. Chestnut, a black attorney, recalled that Wallace was the first judge ever to call him "Mister" in the courtroom.
Wallace's political views took a decided racial turn after he lost his first run for Alabama Governor in 1958. His opponent, John Patterson, ran with the backing of the Ku Klux Klan, while Wallace was endorsed by the NAACP.
His racial rhetoric began to increase in the 60's, and his popularity exploded. When questioned about the change in his political strategy, Wallace said "You know, I tried to talk about good roads and good schools and all these things that have been a part of my career, and nobody listened. And then I began talking about niggers, and they stomped the floor."
Wallace was elected as Alabama's governor several times and made a few runs at the White House. His most successful attempt was in 1972, when his bid was effectively ended in Maryland by an assassination attempt that left him paralyzed from the waist down. It's interesting to me that he had toned down his racial rhetoric in favor of a "law and order and state's rights" platform. These ideas have been a large part of the Republican party platform ever since, and have largely transformed the South from a Democratic to a Republican stronghold.
I remember the day he was shot very well. I was a child of desegregation, and I remember being surprised by the whole thing. I thought everyone loved George Wallace. I was at little league baseball practice when I heard the news that he had been shot. I recall asking one of my black friends if he had heard and he laughed and said "Yeah, my daddy said somebody bounced a bullet off his head."
I was confused about the reaction, so I asked my mom about it when I got home. She said, "Well you know son, a lot of black folks don't like George Wallace."
There were people who didn't like George Wallace. Who knew?
Kids watched a lot less T.V. back then.
