Trump is much worse than George Wallace was

[Tennessee Hillbilly]

Recently Trump's racism has led to some comparisons to the former Alabama governor George Wallace, who ran for president in the 1960s.

I was a teenager in Tennesses in 1968, and can remember the presidential campaign that year, in which Wallace won five states (Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi) and almost 14% of the national popular vote. (Nixon got less than 40% of the national popular vote, but it was enough to beat Wallace and democratic nominee Hubert Humphrey).

In his campaign Wallace mostly talked about supporting "law and order" and opposing liberal bureaucrats in Washington who want to dictate how we operate our public schools. He didn't explicitly ever say much about race or the black population, but everyone knew what he was talking about.

I'n not going to say that Trump is more racist than Wallace was, because I can't read peoples' minds. But what I can say is that Trump is worse than Wallace in almost every other way. I'll just throw out a quick list:

-- Trump is a much bigger coward than Wallace was.

-- Trump tells far more and far worse lies than Wallace did.

-- Trump's personal moral level is much much lower.

-- Many of Trump's actions are based on personal jealousies and envy . He tries to use his position to harm particular individuals.

-- Trump is far more corrupt than Wallace was

Well I could make this list much longer, but need to stop now

[lunasun]

1. "many of them wearing these white flowers, to symbolize their commitment to white supremacy "

Speech
"Let us send this message back to Washington, via the representatives who are here with us today," Wallace told the crowd. "From this day, we are standing up, and the heel of tyranny does not fit the neck of an upright man.

"Let us rise to the call of freedom-loving blood that is in us, and send our answer to the tyranny that clanks its chains upon the South," Wallace declared from the podium. "In the name of the greatest people that have ever trod this earth, I draw a line in the dust and toss the gauntlet before the feet of tyranny, and I say, segregation now, segregation tomorrow and segregation forever."

Reflecting on his response to the speech at the time, Rep. John Lewis, a Georgia Democrat, originally from Alabama, says he took Wallace's words personally. "My governor, this elected official, was saying in effect, you are not welcome, you are not welcome," Lewis says.


"Words can be very powerful. Words can be dangerous," Lewis says. "Gov. Wallace never pulled a trigger. He never fired a gun. But in his speech, he created the environment for others to pull the trigger, in the days, the weeks and months to come

The standing in the door is very well recognized photo even today
The above is a very documented speech in history along with plenty other actions and statements documented as fact

not just fond old filtered memories that lead to stating
“He didn't explicitly ever say much about race or the black population”

2013
https://www.npr.org/2013/01/14/169080969/segregation-forever-a-fiery-pledge-forgiven-but-not-forgotten

1962
http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/m-6167

[Tennessee Hillbilly]

2. lunasun - Thanks for your excellent post

lunasun - Thanks for your excellent post.

My memory of Wallace isn't "fond". I never attended any of his speeches and I wouldn't have voted for him if I had been old enough to vote. My memory of Wallace is mainly based on what I saw on the television news. I don't remember frenzied crowds chanting "lock her up" or "send her back"

At any rate, I still believe that Trump is much worse overall. It might be interesting to know what John Lewis thinks.

[LuvNewcastle]

3. George Wallace didn't really start out as evil,

but he chose the dark path after he lost an election to a race-baiter. Later in life, he repented for his racist ways, and many black people in Alabama voted for him. He served four terms as governor.

I tried to talk about good roads and good schools and all these things that have been part of my career, and nobody listened. And then I began talking about niggers, and they stomped the floor.
Attributed in George Wallace: Settin' the Woods on Fire.