President Wallace

POD: George Wallace moderates his political views on race and rides the conservative tide into the the White House in 1968 and starts a mvement that will change American politics forever.

1946-1958

In 1946, 26-year-old George Corley Wallace Jr. wins the Democrat primary for state representative in Alabama, as the Republican's have no opponant for him in the fall Wallace is elected by default, Wallace is re-elected unopposed in 1950. In 1953 Wallace is elected Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives and serves until 1955.

During his time in the House, Wallace pushed for reforms in government (including a mesure which allowed the governor to seek a second tern, whixh took effect in the 1957) and fighting crime around the state (especially in Phoenix City). He also was an close freind and supporter of Governor "Big Jim" Folsom.

In 1954, Wallace decided to confront the crime bosses directlly and ran for Alabama Attorney General. With the support of many reform minded citizens (including Albert Patterson who served as his campaign manager). Wallace easilly won the primary with 56% of the vote but on the night of June 18, Wallace and some friends were attacked by two gunman (paid killers from Phoenix City) near Wallace's home. Wallace is shot in both legs but the wounds are not serious and after a few months in a wheelchair his is as good as new. Patterson however, is killed and two others wounded. Wallace and Governor George Persons sent the National Guard into Phoenix City and launched a crusade against crime around the state. Wallace became a national figure overnight and many called him the "Southern Tom Dewey", Wallace also works to modernize the Alabama judicial system and also grant justice to many blacks who have been accused unjustly of crimes.

1958-1963

In 1958, Wallace runs for Governor as a moderate in the Democratic primary agianst twelve other candidates and wins 45%in the first round and 62% in the run-off, Wallace goes on to easily defeat Republican William Longshore with 93% of the vote (the highest vote percentage in a governors race since 1884).

In 1960, Wallace leads the Alabama delegation to the Democrat convention in Los Angeles in support on Lyndon Johnson. After Johnson's defeat, Kennedy considerd Wallace as potential running-mate but settled on Johnson instead.

In 1962, Wallace is easily re-elected governor winning 73% and 98% of the vote in the primary and general respectively.

During his second inaugural adress, Wallace spoke to how Alabamans would deal with changing world aroud them "The road will be long, the journey great, but we finish the promise of our founding fathers. And to those extremists out there I say Segregation today, Segregation tommorow, but not! Segregation forever". Although Wallace had done much for both blacks and whites in Alabama. He resented the high-handed trampling of state's rights of the Warren Supreme Court and the Kennedy administration. By November, 1963, Wallace had decided to challange Kennedy for the Democrat presidential nomination in 1964.

1964

After Kennedy's death Wallace decided to wait and see if Lyndon Johnson would be as liberal as Kennedy (He was). After Johnson came out in support of federal civeil rights legislation Wallace announched his candidacy for president. Wallace entered all the primaries and won five, at the Democrat convention, Wallace won 875 delegate votes to Johnson's 1,438, after adressing the convention and congradulating Johnson, Wallace returned to Alabama and worked to unite the state and end the racial violance.

1965-1966

Although Wallace had lost in his bid for the presidency he done well in the primaries and had a large nation-wide following. In 1966, Wallace campaigned for the election of his wife Laureen Wallace as Governor (Laureen won but died in 1968).

1967

Out of office for the first time in twenty years, Wallace set his sights on the presidency but this time as a third party candidate. Assuming that Johnson would be renominated and that the republican would nominate New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, Wallace saw his chance to appeal to populists and conservatives and formed the American Independent Party. By November, the party had achieved ballot status in all fifty states + D.C.

1968

In June, The AIP holds its first national convention in St. Louis, more that 4,000 delegates and alternates are present as well as 25,000 spectators. Wallace is nominated unopposed and choses former Kentucky Governor Happ Chandler as his running-mate.

To Wallase's suprise, the Republicans nominate former Vice President Richard Nixon for president after a brutal four-ballot fight against Rockefeller and California Governor Ronald Reagan. Nixon, alarmed at the popularity of Wallace decides to chose Michigan Governor George Romney as his running-mate.

After Johnson announces that he will not seek re-election, the Democrats nominate Vice President Hubert Humphrey who choses Senator Ed Muskie of Maine as his running-mate.

Post-conventions Gallup poll


 * Nixon-32%
 * Wallace--31%
 * Humprey-23%
 * Undecided---15%

Wallace appeald to working class voters in the mid west and west as well as the south and by September was leading Nixon and Humphrey in the polls.

September Gallup poll


 * Wallace--35%
 * Nixon--31%
 * Humphrey---22%
 * Undecided---12%

Down in the polls, Nixon accepts Wallace and Humphrey's offer to debate. They debates three times in New York, Miami, and Denver. In the final debate, Wallace scores a winning punch by asking a simple question the the American people "Is America better off now than it was four years ago?", This captures the national media and gives Wallace the crucial boast he needs to win the election.

Pre-election Gallup poll


 * Wallace--38%
 * Nixon--28%
 * Humphrey---26%
 * Undecided---8%

On election night, Wallace sweeps the West, the South, and the Mid-West winning a wide wide victory in both the popular and electoral vote.

1968 Presidential Election Results


 * Wallace/Chandler(AIP)---42%---307
 * Nixon/Romney(R)--30%---188
 * Humphrey/Muskie(D)-28%-43

In the congressional elections, the AIP won many seats in boths houses of congress thanks to the liberal vote being split between the Republicans and the Democrats.

1968 Congressional Election Results


 * Senate
 * Democrat54
 * Republican--38
 * American Independent8


 * House of Representatinves
 * Democrat226
 * Republican--180
 * American Independent39

1969

President Wallace's first priority is to win the war in Veitnam, to that end the United States launched Operation Overturn and invaded North Vietnam, although unpopular, the invasion was largely successful and Hanoi was captured within two weeks. By September, 80% of the country was under allied control and by Christmas, President Wallace was able to annouce that American had won the war and that American boys would be coming home.

1970

With the war won and his approval ratings at 65% President Wallace proposes a bold set of domestics plans which include; paying-off the nationa debt by 1985, cutting taxes, increased speding on the space program and new types of weapons, and passing a ballanced budget amendment through congress. All of these are passed by years end.

In the mid-term elections the AIP wons many new seats in both houses of Congress thanks to defections from both Republicans and Democrats to the AIP.

1970 Congressional Election Results


 * Senate
 * Democrat--40
 * Republican36
 * American Independent24


 * House of Representatives
 * Democrat191
 * Republican--159
 * American Independent85

The AIP and GOP formed a coalition that allowed them to control boths house of Congress with Howard Baker as Senate Leader and Gerald Ford as Speaker of the House.

1971

President Wallace continued to work to rebuild a now united Veitnam and prepair for his re-election by biulding a coalition of conservatives that would get him re-elected in 72'. The U.S. lands a second mission on the Moon and begins plans for a permanent base. With the economy booming, Wallace looks foward to a second term.

1972

Nelson Rockefeller defeats Ronald Reagan and George Romney for the Republican nomination and choses Massachusetts Senator Edward Brooke for his VP. The GOP platform is so liberal that Reagan and many others leave the party and join with Wallace in forming the Conservative Party.

George McGovern wins the Democrat nomination and choses Sargent Shiver as his running-mate.

President Wallace is re-nominated by the new Conservative Party (formerly AIP) and Reagan is chosen for VP to replace the retiring Vice President Happy Chandler.

After the conventions Wallace enjoys a wide lead over both Rockefeller and McGovern thanks to their spliting the liberal vote.

Post-conventions Gallup poll


 * Wallace41%
 * McGovern-25%
 * Rockefeller23%

Wallace championed classic American vircues and painted his opponants as being un-American (McGovern) and out-of-touch (Rockefeller). McGovern called Wallace a war-monger and a threat to world peace, while Rocky called on the great "silant majority" of Americans to reject the exremisum of Wallace and McGovern. By the time of the first presidential debate Wallace had lost some ground to both McGovern and Rocky and win in the debates could decide who the next president whould be.

Pre-debate Gallup poll


 * Wallace36%
 * McGovern-27%
 * Rockefeller26%

Wallace and McGovern and Rockefeller did well in the (3) debates, but as Wallace was the only conservative and the populist he was able to keep enough support that the election was never really in doubt.

Pre-election Gallup poll


 * Wallace40%
 * McGovern-28%
 * Rockefeller24%

On election night, Wallace won every were except Massachusetts and D.C. (McGovern won both) as well as wide margin in the popular vote. Wallace's victory can be explained by the fact the liberal vote was split between Rockefeller and McGovern'

1972 Presidential Election Results


 * Wallace/Reagan(C)---45%---521
 * McGovern/Shriver(D)--29%17
 * Rocefeller/Brooke(R)--26%--0

In the House and Senate, the Conservatives won 34 Senate seats and 139 House seats, some afterward, defections of convervatives like Herman Talmadge and Barry Goldwater allowed the Convertive Party to control Congress outright.

93rd. Congress


 * Senate
 * Conservative53
 * Democrat34
 * Republican--13


 * House of Representatives
 * Conservative--226
 * Democrat--143
 * Republican--66