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42 Reapin g the Whirlwind quence, Ohio went t o Nixon.) Give n this situation, it was understandabl e that Humphre y di d not mak e the Gallup poll's list of most admired men . Wallace, Nixon, and Pope Paul VI did. 67 Wallace cu t mos t deepl y int o th e Democrati c Party' s souther n front . The governo r carrie d Alabama , Georgia , Louisiana , Mississippi , an d Ar kansas . Wallace ran second to Nixon i n Tennessee , Nort h Carolina , an d South Carolina . Th e governo r score d bes t i n th e souther n precinct s tha t favored closin g down honky-tonk s an d blind pigs. In the blue-collar suburbs o f Richmond , Wallac e di d wel l amon g whit e voter s wh o oppose d welfare an d ta x levie s t o suppor t communit y colleges . Suc h peopl e fel t that welfar e benefited th e lazy and tha t thei r childre n would never atten d college. So why fund highe r education? Even though Wallace had tweaked Protestant churche s fo r establishin g segregate d academies , many Baptist s did no t hol d i t against him . Wallace receive d nearl y half of the Souther n Baptist vote. Indeed, th e governo r di d best amon g Baptist s an d Method ists and scored poorly with Episcopalians and Jews. In a development tha t foreshadowed th e shap e o f thing s t o com e fo r th e Democrats , Wallac e strongly appeale d t o working-clas s voter s unde r th e ag e o f thirt y wh o were not going to follow their parents into the party of liberalism. Worse, just 35 percent o f whites voted fo r Humphrey , compare d t o 97 percent of blacks. Racial and cultural polarization spelle d disaster for the Democratic Party.68 Nixon's campaig n strategist s learned firs t han d wha t a potent electora l force coul d b e harnesse d b y embracin g socia l conservatism . T o secur e a Republican presidentia l majorit y i n '72 , the GO P ha d t o wi n Wallace' s ethnic an d souther n base . No t al l th e conservativ e faithful , however , viewed Wallac e a s a desirable rol e model . William F . Buckley, like othe r fiscal conservatives, foun d th e governor' s economi c populism distasteful . As a state legislator i n th e fortie s an d fifties, Wallace ha d authore d a bill to provid e fre e tuitio n t o Alabam a widow s an d orphans . Thank s t o thi s legislation, fort y thousan d peopl e in his state, one-quarter o f them black , received colleg e diplomas . Wallac e wa s als o instrumenta l i n establishin g six new technical schools for members of both races. As governor, Wallace raised taxe s on Birmingha m an d Montgomery' s elit e to finance hospitals , roads, an d school s tha t benefite d working-clas s black s an d whites . Th e segregationist governo r di d mor e t o advanc e th e materia l condition s o f poor Alabam a black s tha n Judg e Fran k Johnson , th e Warren Court , an d Great Societ y liberal s wer e willin g t o admit . Buckle y kne w a craft y tax and -spend populis t whe n h e sa w one. The challeng e fo r th e GO P was to 42 Reaping the Whirlwind quence, Ohio went to Nixon.) Given this situation, it was understandable that Humphrey did not make the Gallup poll's list of most admired men. Wallace, Nixon, and Pope Paul VI did.67 Wallace cut most deeply into the Democratic Party's southern front. The governor carried Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas . Wallace ran second to Nixon in Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The governor scored best in the southern precincts that favored closing down honky-tonks and blind pigs. In the blue-collar suburbs of Richmond, Wallace did well among white voters who opposed welfare and tax levies to support community colleges. Such people felt...

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