Rigtwing populism in Alabama

Republican candidate for Alabama lieutenant governor George Wallce, Jr., has been blatantly kissing up to the white supremacist group, the Council of Conservative Citizens, formerly the White Citizens Council.

This article illustrates a different way in which he is imitating at least the style of his father: Wallace labels gas price forum a charade and calls for new hearings by Bill Finch Mobile Register 02/04/06.

Calling Tuesday's Public Service Commission meeting on natural gas prices a "charade" and a "dog and pony show" set up for the gas industry, commissioner George Wallace Jr. said Friday that he will push for an official hearing that would allow the commission to take action on the state's unusually high gas costs.

At a Montgomery news conference, Wallace leafed through a stack of messages he says he has received from Alabama residents who say their gas bills have doubled or tripled since last year.

"I talked to a lady who said she was having to eat crackers and drink water in order to pay her gas bill," Wallace said. ...

Wallace said he has received complaints from Alabama residents who he said have received bills as high as $1,100.

The combination of racist demagoguery and willingness to defy business interests on behalf of consumers makes Walllace's politics "populist" in the pejorative European sense of rightwing demogoguery. Whether the younger Wallace is serious about following through on his pro-consumer rhetoric remains to be seen in this case.

This was the elder Wallace's style, as well. Although he pandered to racial hatreds of whites, he also pressed for policies that were of particular benefit to poor and working-class Alabamians to a significant extent, such as promoting public education.

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