Firing Line With William F. Buckley: Governor George Wallace (1968)

Source:The Art of Alabama Politics- Governor George C. Wallace (Independent, Alabama) appearing on Firing Line With William F. Buckley, in 1968.

"Shortly before announcing his third-party presidential candidacy in January of 1968, former Alabama Gov. George Wallace engaged in an hour-long debate of various topics with conservative icon William F. Buckley on his “Firing Line” television program.

The debate between the two men proved to be both very combative and quite entertaining.

In this clip, Gov. Wallace responds when Buckley questions his conservative credentials while serving in office. It is likely the only occasion during the entirety of the 1968 campaign in which any interviewer accused Wallace of being a liberal.

[Note: The full, hour-long "Firing Line" episode is available for purchase on Amazon and is worthy viewing for devoted connoisseurs of Alabama political history." 

From the Art of Alabama Politics

George Wallace because he didn't fit in very well with either the Democratic Party because of his anti-civil rights views and he didn't fit in very well with the Republican Party because of the GOP's emerging conservative-libertarian faction (that William F. Buckley was part of) and Governor Wallace's progressive views on economic policy was right to form the Independence Party and run with them for President. 

An Independence Party back then over forty years, had relevance then and I believe has relevance today. Because there were plenty of people in both parties that didn't fit in very well with either party. As well as Independents that didn't fit in very well with either party. Because they were moderate to liberal on social issues and more conservative on economic policy. Sort of the way the Republican Party used to be before the Religious-Right took it over. 

And there were people who were progressive on economic policy but conservative on social issues like George Wallace. And some of the members of the Southern Caucus in Congress, which is how George Wallace was able to form the Independence Party and why it could've worked then if it was run right. Why it could've worked in the 1990s with the Ross Perot Movement. And why it could work today with Mike Bloomberg and other people but it has to be about an independence movement. 

An independence movement can't be about one individual or a small group of individuals, like in the late 1960s with George Wallace. Or in the 1990s with Ross Perot, but about the broader movement as a whole. To recruit enough independent minded people to make the movement powerful enough to at least influence the Democratic and Republican parties for the good and get them to act responsible. 

Or form a political party big enough to take on both parties and at least be a factor in elections. George Wallace had an opportunity to build an independence movement in 1967-68 and up till 1976 or so. Even after being shot in the back in 1972. But what he did instead was try to make the Independence Party about electing him President instead of building a party that could've been a major factor in American politics, that could nominate him for President, but could also recruit enough candidates for Governor, state legislature, Congress, and other public offices. Instead of trying to make this new party about electing him President of the United States. And screwing the Democratic and Republican parties.

As soon as George Wallace was elected and then reelected Governor of Alabama, his whole mission became about being elected President of the United States. Thats exactly what his part in the states rights movement became about. Whether he believed in forced segregation or not, I believe it was all about politics, but thats debatable. Instead of building a major third party that could take on both Democrats and Republicans for high office.