AHC: Honest and Successful George Wallace

Wallace sold his soul to become governor. He had been a liberal judge who was in favor of racial equality. He lost his first race to become governor, due in large part to his opponent courting racism. In the next race, Wallace campaigned as an ardent segregationist.

Is it possible for Wallace to maintain his ideals and still be politically successful?
 

TinyTartar

Banned
Not really. Maybe in a different era, as his working class rhetorical focus was very appealing to people of all races once he left the racist stuff behind, but in the tense socially charged atmosphere of the 60s, he could not win without appealing to the majority of voters who wanted segregation.

Wallace maybe could have become a Jimmy Carter figure, a Southern Democrat who leaves race out of it but keeps the focus on the working man and is stridently against both communism and the excesses of big business (Southern Republicans run against Washington and the government interests, Southern Democrats run against New York City and the moneyed interests). But he would need to get a platform not as a governor, maybe in Congress, which might be an easier election, and work his way through to eventually get the governors mansion once the 70s roll around and other issues prop up.
 
My own thought was Wallace foregoing 1963, and waiting until 1967.

The issue is the environment. George Wallace was part of a segregationist Southern outrage -- one that exploded in the 50s and got worse into the 60s. However, he also poured gasoline on that fire. The conflicting thought here is would Wallace have to race bait just as much regardless of waiting or seeking another office, or would the environment be more moderate without the OTL Wallace such that ATL Wallace would have a chance if he delayed his run for office.
 
deep resentment toward civil rights and really toward African-Americans was a poison in American politics for at least 30 years, from the 1950s all the way through the '80s. And really, not even over the hangover today.

The biggest POD I can see is how Eisenhower reacts toward Brown v. Board of Education.

However he wants to rage privately: the fuck they could have given me a heads-up, I'm only the President of the United States! (don't know if this was the specific issue, but there were aspects of how the decision came down which really rubbed him the wrong way)

in public, Eisenhower supports the decision with matter-of-fact confidence.

In fact, he plays the card, Negroes served honorably and with distinction during the war and are entitled to full rights of citizenship. Not half rights. In America, we do not have second-class citizens, or at least we should not. In America, all citizens are first-class citizens.

* and notice how the language works against us. For example, African-American is just a much better term.
 
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Wallace sold his soul to become governor. He had been a liberal judge who was in favor of racial equality.
There's a story which supports this in the book Black in Selma by J.L. Chestnut, Jr. Chestnut is a black guy who was an attorney in Selma. In one case, he was representing some black farmers suing a grain elevator company. The attorneys for the company repeatedly used the term 'these people' as a smear and a slur. Wallace as judge finally had had enough. He said, You will refer to the plaintiffs as Mr. Chestnut and Mr. Chestnut's clients, or you will not refer to them at all. Do I make myself clear. (eyes and voice with prominent anger according to the account)

And George Wallce ruled in favor of the farmers.
 
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