that the late Governor George Wallace did more to change the face of American politics than any other candidate.
I'm not saying this is a good thing.
but the last three Democratic Presidents - Johnson, Carter and Clinton - were all from the South, a significant base acquired by Nixon in 1972, Reagan in 1980 and most recently Bush 43 in 2000 and 2004 (as a general rule, Southerners voted Democrat (as in "yellow dog") in local and state elections until the Reagan "revolution" successfully adopted a Southern strategy, still in place, that overturned the political landscape like so much top soil).
voters that George Wallace drew from in each of his FOUR terms as the governor of Alabama. voters that George Wallace drew from when he garnered five Southern states in the 1968 presidential election, becoming the last non-Democrat, non-Republican to win electoral votes.
and if somehow you missed ALL OF THAT, you might remember that he was leading the race for the Democratic nomination for President when he was shot in 1972, or that once upon a time HE STOOD IN A SCHOOLHOUSE DOOR at the University of . . .
oh, never mind.
and yet, in this evening post-debate wrap-up by the New York Times, Alessandra Stanley writes:
It was Mr. McCain’s last chance to cast doubt on his opponent’s character and credentials, and he threw the kitchen sink at him — along with the plumber. Mr. McCain invoked class war, culture war and the Iraq war. He cast himself as a victim of a Democratic attack machine, calling Representative John Lewis’s reference to former Gov. George Wallace of Georgia in criticizing the McCain-Palin campaign for stirring up the crowds “so hurtful.”
I know the economy's bad (believe me, I know), but did the Times fire ALL of its fact checkers?
somebody let me know if this error actually makes it to print or whether it'll be a soon forgotten web-only mistake, please.
great catch, Rob - Still, I like John McCain - you know it's the "what he meant to say" thing as when Obama said in the second debate, "we do not want children going to the emergency room for a treatable illness like asthma" - I don't think he quite meant it to come out like that ....... (when I work Emergency Rooms, seeing kids for an asthma exacerbation is one of the most legitimate things we will see them for - what we don't want is kids going to the E.R. for "gas" after they just finished off nachos and a cheese pizza with soda - diagnosis; child abuse by mother's neglect to feed the child properly, treatment; fart frequently - these kinds of true stories, by the way, begin to explain the very real "access paradox" that academic doctors have no clue about and front line - i.e. "real doctors" - know about intuitively; "by removing all limits to access, the medical system will immediately deny access of medical care for those who need it the most" - but I digress) ............................ well, to some it up - "I met George Wallace (honestly), George Wallace was my governor in Alabama for over a dozen years and JOHN MCCAIN, you sir, are no George Wallace".................... Dr. T. Jo. L. of L.A. (a.k.a. "Jo the medical doctor" future author of the Access Paradox , coming to your B&N 2010)
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