Alabama’s most masterful politician, George Wallace, would confide in some of his closest cronies sage bits of his political genius.

Joe Azbell was a close follower of Wallace and related a theory that Wallace lived by in politics. The theory being that once you get an enemy or hated person or entity, you run against that enemy and beat up on it constantly. During the 1960s Wallace made his boogieman the issue of segregation. Unquestionably his vicious attacks on integration caused racial turmoil throughout Alabama and the entire nation. He was considered the most ardent race baiter in America. However, when this boogieman ran its course, Wallace found another enemy: the Alabama Power Company. In the 1970s Wallace focused his venom toward the power company and fought and cursed it at every turn. The power company paid a heavy price at the hands of Wallace.