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| Source:CBS News- Governor George C. Wallace (Democrat, Alabama) on CBS News Face The Nation, in 1965. |
"On the March 4, 1965 edition of Face the Nation, Alabama Gov. George Wallace on charges of police brutality in Selma, Ala., the Sunday prior in what is now known as "Bloody Sunday." (CBS NEWS)"
From CBS News
The late George C. Wallace (the former Governor of Alabama) that was sort of half Progressive and half Neo-Confederate: someone you would see on the Far-Right of the Republican Party on social policy and part of the Center-Left of the Democratic Party or even Republican Party, because he was a Progressive on economic policy, but a Federalist as well. He wanted government to help people in need and to see that everyone has a shot at success in America, but believed the states should have the primary governmental responsibility when it game to government involvement in the economy.
The late George C. Wallace (the former Governor of Alabama) that was sort of half Progressive and half Neo-Confederate: someone you would see on the Far-Right of the Republican Party on social policy and part of the Center-Left of the Democratic Party or even Republican Party, because he was a Progressive on economic policy, but a Federalist as well. He wanted government to help people in need and to see that everyone has a shot at success in America, but believed the states should have the primary governmental responsibility when it game to government involvement in the economy.
A good way to look at George Wallace's politics: think of Nelson Rockefeller on economic policy, who was also a Progressive-Federalist and Strom Thurmond on social policy, who was a Neo-Confederate, first with the Democratic Party and later with the Republican Party.
George Wallace was essentially a Progressive Democrat, as it related to public infrastructure, public education, and other economic issues, but conservative in a federalist, sense that he believed the states should be controlling all of these things. He might even of been in favor of the Great Society of the 1960s, but wouldn't want the Federal Government to run these programs, that the country would be better off, if the states and locals ran these programs instead,
So Governor Wallace was a man with progressive leanings on economic policy, but a Conservative in the sense that he believed in states rights and local control. The states rights issue, at least as far as I'm concern, didn't make him an extremist, except for as it related to civil rights, had he believed that the states were in better position to run all of these programs, but also believed in civil rights, equal protection, under the law for everybody, he would've been in the mainstream in the conservative movement on those issues. And more of a Progressive-Federalist on economic policy, that government has a major role to play in providing basic human services, but the States should run the programs, not the Federal Government.
I'm not going to say that George Wallace is the example of what an Independent should be in America. And what the Independence Party should be. But on economic and fiscal policy, he would fit in very well: government has a role to provide basic human services, but it's limited. And that government has a responsibility to spend every tax dollar that it collects responsibly and that the role it has in society should be limited and only tax enough to meet those services and thats consistent with strong economic and job growth, where we are not piling on debt and running huge deficits, especially in good economic times.
I'm not going to say that George Wallace is the example of what an Independent should be in America. And what the Independence Party should be. But on economic and fiscal policy, he would fit in very well: government has a role to provide basic human services, but it's limited. And that government has a responsibility to spend every tax dollar that it collects responsibly and that the role it has in society should be limited and only tax enough to meet those services and thats consistent with strong economic and job growth, where we are not piling on debt and running huge deficits, especially in good economic times.
America needs a strong conservative party, that believe in economic freedom, but also personal freedom as well. That allows Americans to live their own lives, instead of government trying to decide for them, how they should live. As well as believing in fiscal responsibility, as it relates to the entire Federal budget, not just the safety net, as well as limited government. And we are not getting that right now from the Republican Party, that thanks to Tea Party Christian-Right-Wing, has become an exclusive Far-Right, statist party.
