Democrats 1968; Republicans 2019
Here’s a thought experiment directed to a specific demographic group: older Americans. And to a subset of that group: self-described “reluctant” Trump supporters who dislike, maybe even abhor, the man but voted for him and might again because of his policies on taxes, abortion, and judges. Go back to 1968, the year Democratic Governor George Wallace of Alabama, running as an American Independent for president, won nearly 14% of the popular vote and 46 electoral votes of five Southern states—George Wallace, known for his defiant promise, “segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever”; George Wallace, who ran again in 1972 until he was struck down and permanently crippled by a would-be assassin.
Knowing what you know about the Democratic party then and now, can you imagine a scenario in which Wallace somehow took over the party’s banner and managed to be elected president? In fact, Democrats repudiated him and chose Hubert Humphrey as their candidate against Nixon. But imagine that in a three-person race he somehow slipped into the White House. Do you think Wallace would have taken over the Democratic party and made it in his own image? Do you think Democratic voters would have swallowed him whole because he espoused some populist policies that suited their agenda? Would they have accepted the label of champions of America’s segregationists?
Nah, probably not—right? So what about your Republican party?
Publishing history:
NP Times 7/25/19
Shawangunk Journal 7/26/19
Times Herald-Record 7/22/19
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