Jack Bass

5452. Strom The Complicated Personal and Political Life of Strom Thurmond, by Jack Bass and Marilyn W. Thompson (read 14 Mar 2017) This book, published in 2005, tells well the life of J. Strom Thurmond (born 5 Dec 1902, died 26 Jun 2003). He was politically involved most of his life and was a U.S. Senator longer than any other person has ever been. Before he was Senator he was Governor of South Carolina and in 1948 ran for President on the Dixiecrat ticket and carried four southern states in the year Harry Truman was elected President. Thurmond was was an avowed segregationist and never publicly acknowledged that he had a daughter with a black woman. The book tells of that relationship in good detail, and also tells how, after LBJ got Congress to enact the Voting Rights bill Thurmond came to see that he needed black votes so he changed his stance on race but never said anything he did was wrong--and South Carolina voters let him get away with it and continually re-elected him, the last time in 1996 when he 93. Much as one must despise his political stances one has to admit he was a master politician who knew what needed to be done to be elected and did it. The book gives full credit to him for his able political ways while showing his flaws. Towards the end of the book Joe Biden's words about Thurmond are quoted at length and they are stirring.… (mere)