Schmitz '72: like Wallace at all?

[TommyC1776]

Was John G. Schmitz like George Wallace at all on any of the issues?  Like was Schmitz for segregation?  Did Schmitz take votes away from McGovern or Nixon?  Did the media acknowledge him alot at all?

[Dr. Cynic]

I know that Schmitz was a John Birch Society member... And was ultraconservative... He would've sucked more hardcore rightwingers away from Nixon... Of the three, Nixon was seen as most moderate...

Schmitz was also a California Representative who had spent some time in Congress. He would've had a decent organization... As far as media coverage... I have no idea... I wasn't alive, lol.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

He was basically an out and out fascist.

[Colin]

I would have to agree with Dr. Cynic. I believe that Schmitz was completely different from Wallace in many respects. While both were social conservatives Wallace was much more from the old Dixiecrat mold than Schmitz, who was basically an ultraconservative anti-Communist or basically a fascist. While Wallace ran a working class populist campaign Schmitz just tried to get as many votes from the far right as possible by working through organizations such as the Council of Conservative Citizens and the John Birch Society. So no I don't think there was much overlap between Wallace and Schmitz. Schmitz used that old third party idea and used an already proven ballot line to run a completely different campaign much like Buchanan's use of the Reform ticket in 2000.

[Dr. Cynic]

I would have to agree with Dr. Cynic. I believe that Schmitz was completely different from Wallace in many respects. While both were social conservatives Wallace was much more from the old Dixiecrat mold than Schmitz, who was basically an ultraconservative anti-Communist or basically a fascist. While Wallace ran a working class populist campaign Schmitz just tried to get as many votes from the far right as possible by working through organizations such as the Council of Conservative Citizens and the John Birch Society. So no I don't think there was much overlap between Wallace and Schmitz. Schmitz used that old third party idea and used an already proven ballot line to run a completely different campaign much like Buchanan's use of the Reform ticket in 2000.

Wallace was still very much an economic Democrat... The American Independant Party was basically a mix of those two philosophies. Colin summed it up alot better than I did... lol.

[nclib]

Would it be accurate to say that Wallace was more of an old-fashioned conservative and Schmitz was more of a militia-type right-winger? Therefore, Wallace's best states were Southern, and Schmitz's best areas were in the Interior West.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Also no; Wallace's economic platform in '68 was quite left-wing.

[True Democrat]

Just an interesting fact: Schmitz was the father of Mary Kay Letourneau.

[Colin]

Would it be accurate to say that Wallace was more of an old-fashioned conservative and Schmitz was more of a militia-type right-winger? Therefore, Wallace's best states were Southern, and Schmitz's best areas were in the Interior West.

Absolutely not. The belief that Wallace was conservative is one of the great myths of American politics. Like I said earlier he was a Dixiecrat in all senses of the word, he was economically left-wing and very populist. He basically ran a hawkish, law and order Democratic campaign.

As for Schmitz there were no militia-type right wingers in 1972. He was a John Bircher and basically an out and out fascist.

[Adlai Stevenson]

Schmitz got almost 10% of the vote in Idaho - why was his campaign especially strong there?

[Rob]

Schmitz got almost 10% of the vote in Idaho - why was his campaign especially strong there?

Idaho had more Birchers per capita than any other state, and they turned out in force for their comrade.

[minionofmidas]

He was basically an out and out fascist.

Who? Schmitz or Nixon?

Would it be accurate to say that Wallace was more of an old-fashioned conservative and Schmitz was more of a militia-type right-winger? Therefore, Wallace's best states were Southern, and Schmitz's best areas were in the Interior West.

Absolutely not. The belief that Wallace was conservative is one of the great myths of American politics. Like I said earlier he was a Dixiecrat in all senses of the word, he was economically left-wing and very populist. He basically ran a hawkish, law and order Democratic campaign.

As for Schmitz there were no militia-type right wingers in 1972. He was a John Bircher and basically an out and out fascist.

The idea that (all, or even most) Dixiecrats were economically left-wing and very populist, though, is another one of the great myths of American politics.

[TommyC1776]

What's a John Bircher?  like what type of an orginazation is it?  Also, what's a facist?  Isn't that a dictator?

[Colin]

What's a John Bircher?

A member of the John Birch Society.

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The John Birch Society is an anti-communist organization that was founded in the late 1950's and was prominent in far right-wing circles until the late 70's. They were a group of rabidly anti-communist conspiracy nuts who actually gained a rather wide membership for such a fringe group.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Birch_Society

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A fascist, in its most broad description, is a person who is very socially authoritarian and mostly anti-democracy. Specifically fascism was originally one who supported the ideas of Benito Mussolini and the Italian Fascist Party but its current usage is basically to describe all right-wing authoritarians and those on the right who are anti-democracy and in favour of a dictatorial or strongman government. Basically fascist has become the right-wing version of left-wing communism. While a dictator can be a fascist, a fascist can be any sort of person and it describes a political ideology not a particular position within a government.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism

[CARLHAYDEN]

Schmitz was a politician with a sense of humor (all too rare).

Let me give your two examples:

When asked why he joined the JBS, Schmitz replied that he was elected from Orange county, so he had to join some moderate organization.

In 1972, when departing from a flight at John Wayne, Schmitz saw a man standing in the crowd wearing a brown suit.  Schmitz siddled up to him and said, 'I didn't know we were supposed to show up in uniform.'

[??????????]

Nice attack Colin. Throwing the word "fascist" around about a conservative is not unexpected around here and especially not from a liberal such as yourself.

[Colin]

Nice attack Colin. Throwing the word "fascist" around about a conservative is not unexpected around here and especially not from a liberal such as yourself.

I'm sorry but most John Birchers cross the line from conservatism into authoritarianism in my book with the John Birch Societies latent anti-Semitism, conspiracy theories and completely outrageous claims.

[Rob]

most John Birchers cross the line from conservatism into authoritarianism

What's the difference

[??????????]

Nice attack Colin. Throwing the word "fascist" around about a conservative is not unexpected around here and especially not from a liberal such as yourself.

I'm sorry but most John Birchers cross the line from conservatism into authoritarianism in my book with the John Birch Societies latent anti-Semitism, conspiracy theories and completely outrageous claims.

LOL, you're funny when wrong.

[Colin]

Nice attack Colin. Throwing the word "fascist" around about a conservative is not unexpected around here and especially not from a liberal such as yourself.

I'm sorry but most John Birchers cross the line from conservatism into authoritarianism in my book with the John Birch Societies latent anti-Semitism, conspiracy theories and completely outrageous claims.

LOL, you're funny when wrong.

Last time I checked the John Birchers claimed that Eisenhower was a Communist which is catagorically false. Unless I am mistaken, which I don't think I am, this isn't a singular occurance.

[??????????]

Nice attack Colin. Throwing the word "fascist" around about a conservative is not unexpected around here and especially not from a liberal such as yourself.

I'm sorry but most John Birchers cross the line from conservatism into authoritarianism in my book with the John Birch Societies latent anti-Semitism, conspiracy theories and completely outrageous claims.

LOL, you're funny when wrong.

Last time I checked the John Birchers claimed that Eisenhower was a Communist which is catagorically false. Unless I am mistaken, which I don't think I am, this isn't a singular occurance.

Lets see links & proof of the accusations you are making.

[Colin]

Nice attack Colin. Throwing the word "fascist" around about a conservative is not unexpected around here and especially not from a liberal such as yourself.

I'm sorry but most John Birchers cross the line from conservatism into authoritarianism in my book with the John Birch Societies latent anti-Semitism, conspiracy theories and completely outrageous claims.

LOL, you're funny when wrong.

Last time I checked the John Birchers claimed that Eisenhower was a Communist which is catagorically false. Unless I am mistaken, which I don't think I am, this isn't a singular occurance.

Lets see links & proof of the accusations you are making.

The Wikipedia article on the John Birch Society which links to websites showing quotations from The Politician which was John Birch founder Robert Welch's book.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Birch_Society

The page contains two links to websites stating quoting these attacks.

[Gustaf]

Everyone knows the John Birch Society was a bunch of complete freaks. Otherwise, Lewis, Colin and Al all make good points about this.

[??????????]

Everyone knows the John Birch Society was a bunch of complete freaks. Otherwise, Lewis, Colin and Al all make good points about this.

"Everyone knows" is opinion, to say the least. I have read their website, gotten their membership package and read their line of beliefs. It is no more "nutty" then any other group out there. The only reason people like you and Colin call them names and go after them is because you two aren't conservatives.

[Bono]

Also, anti-semitism is a neo-con codeword for "anyone who doesn't support every action of the state of Israel".