re: #82 Joe Bacon 🌹

Before he died Drew Pearson went after George Wallace about this. Pearson was a pit bull turned up to 11 when it came to him. Pearson also alleged that Wallace was discharged from the military due to psychiatric reasons.

But then Wallace was following the Orville Faubus playbook. Faubus started with the Socialist Party in Arkansas and then he turned hard core segregationist. Wallace followed the same template. When he lost the Alabama Governor’s race in 1958, Wallace said he would never be “Out-N-Word-ed” again. More than anyone except Nixon, Wallace is the reason why America shifted so violently to the right…

That sounds, though, as if Wallace was following the crowd, rather than leading it.

Of course, that obscures the amplification effect of hearing a political leader publicly agree with your most egregious thoughts. Think of a feedback amplification loop.