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Mar. 22, 1969
March 22, 1969

Muskie nominates George Wallace as Vice President

Speaking from the White House East Room, President Muskie today nominated former Alabama Governor George Wallace to be Vice President of the United States. [1] Both men were present at a visibly awkward press conference at the White House. Under the 25th amendment, the President must nominate a Vice President when there is a vacancy, which in this case occurred when Muskie became President upon the death of Hubert Humphrey. While the differences between Muskie and Wallace make Lemmon and Matthau look like identical twins, [2] Muskie’s choice is strategic. According to Muskie, Wallace’s nomination is an attempt to unite and heal the deep divisions in the Democratic Party. Wallace, meanwhile, read from a prepared speech apologizing for his prior support of segregation, and asked forgiveness from Black Americans. [3]

The choice of Wallace has outraged many in the Black community, who object to the idea of an avowed segregationist as Vice President. Several protests are being planned to block Wallace’s nomination. Some fear that Wallace will seriously damage Muskie’s relationship with liberal Democrats and civil rights leaders. [4]

[1] Some of you might think that the choice of Wallace seems farfetched, but remember that this is 1969, not 2020. The Southern wing of the Democratic Party was still very powerful at that time. Knowing Humphrey’s death was imminent, it’s plausible that Wallace and his Dixiecrat allies would agree to support Humphrey in January of 1969 in exchange for the Vice Presidency, which would be vacant right after Muskie ascended to the presidency.
[2] Ask your (grand)parents: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Odd_Couple_(film)
[3] Based on his real-life apology, albeit ten years later. Whether Wallace was actually sincere is a matter of debate, but I would expect that this sort of deal would require him to publicly renounce his pro-segregation stance. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/daily/sept98/wallace031795.htm
[4] Similar issues surfaced during Muskie’s OTL Presidential run. I found an article in Jet magazine from 1972 suggesting that Muskie was avoiding the Black community during his 1972 campaign. Also, in OTL, Muskie opposed the idea of having a Black running mate, for fear that such a ticket would not be “electable”: https://www.nytimes.com/1971/09/09/archives/muskie-rules-out-a-black-running-mate.html
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