Third time not the charm for segregationist candidate

In May of 1972 Former Alabama Governor and was heavily engaged in his third run for President.  The boisterous Democrat was hoping to win the nomination and face off against Richard Nixon. He had won the Alabama Governorship twice running on a racial segregation platform, famously crying, “I say segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever” at his inaugural speech.

He had tried to win the Presidency in both 1964 and 1968.  In his ’68 run he had run as the American Independent Party candidate and had won 5 southern states on his racist platform.  Now in 1972 he was back in the Democrat Party and giving Hubert Humphry, George McGovern, and that loser John Lindsay a run for their money.  Then his campaign ended in a fusillade of bullets.

Wallace was campaigning in Laurel, Maryland on May 15th when Arthur Bremer pulled a Charter Arms .38 revolver from his suit and unloaded it at point blank range.  The candidate had been shaking hands with the crowd against Secret Service advice when the shooting occurred. 

Four of Bremer’s five shots hit Wallace.  He collapsed to the ground with serious injuries including a damaged spinal cord.  Hours of surgery managed to save Wallace from death, but his campaign was over.  Wallace won primaries the next day in Michigan and Maryland, but he had no chance of recovering to bring his racist policies to the White House.  

Arthur Bremer was immediately arrested.  He was no ideologue.  He was a deranged man looking for fame.  His intent was initially to kill Richard Nixon but found the security too tight.  Wallace was next on his list.  Bremer was paroled in 2007 and is still walking the earth as of this writing. 

by Christopher Flanagan