We are in the beginning of the Governor’s Race year. It would not be a gubernatorial year without harkening back and remembering ole Shorty Price.
Alabama, in bygone days, would have a slew of what I called “run for the fun of it” candidates. They would run knowing full well they did not have a snowball’s chance to win but they made it a fun show.
By far, the most colorful of these perennial, “also-ran” candidates was William Ralph “Shorty” Price. Shorty was born and raised in Barbour County just like the successful Alabama politician, George C. Wallace. They were not only from the same county, but from the same town of Clio. They even, briefly, roomed together at the University of Alabama.
Shorty had tremendous enmity toward George Wallace, probably because Wallace was as successful as Shorty was unsuccessful. Shorty truly hated Wallace and would run every time Wallace did, and cuss Wallace viciously.
Shorty would run for Governor every four years. He was appropriately nicknamed since he was barely five feet tall. Shorty not only ran for Governor, perennially, but he ran for numerous other offices. He often used recycled campaign signs to save money, but he rarely garnered 2 percent of the votes.
Shorty would wander around the state in non-election years, panhandling for “contributions” which he quickly converted into cans of Budweiser beer. I never saw Shorty draw a sober breath. He was always exuberantly inebriated. Shorty was just as proud as he could be that he stayed drunk all the time. His campaign slogan was “Smoke Tampa Nugget Cigars, drink Budweiser beer, and vote for Shorty Price for Governor.”
In one of his campaigns for governor, his campaign speech highlighted this line, “If elected governor, I will reduce the governor’s tenure from four to two years. If you can’t steal enough to last you the rest of your life in two years, you ain’t got enough sense to have the office in the first place.” Shorty expressed disdain for Governor Albert Brewer, and stated the reason being that Brewer had enacted a levy of two cents on every beer. Shorty said, “I’m a Budweiser man.”
In the 1958 governor’s race, there were several “also-ran” or “run-for-the-fun-of-it” candidates. Shorty ran behind all of them. He took his last-place finish not as a slight, but as an honor. When a newspaper reporter wrote, some years later, that Price ran next to last in 1958, Shorty replied in mock anger, “That’s a blasphemous lie! There were 14 of us in that race, and I finished last.” Shorty was quite a colorful character.
Shorty loved Alabama football. Following the Crimson Tide was Shorty’s prime passion in life. Many of you remember him from Alabama football games. You could spot Shorty at every Crimson Tide football game, always sporting his Alabama tie and flag and quite drunk. I don’t know if Shorty actually had a seat because he would parade around Denny Stadium or Legion Field posing as Alabama’s head cheerleader. In fact, he would consistently intersperse himself among the real Alabama cheerleaders and help them with their cheers. There was never any question that Shorty was totally inebriated. Shorty worshipped Paul “Bear” Bryant, and like Bryant, Shorty hated Tennessee. Bryant and Shorty had rather beat Tennessee than anybody. This traditional rivalry goes back more than 100 years and was highlighted during the Wallace Wade and General Neyland era rivalry.
In fact, those of you who are Alabama fans are aware that the annual classic Alabama vs. Tennessee game will be played this Saturday in Tuscaloosa. It is because the Tennessee game is this week is the reason I chose to remind Alabamians of Shorty Price. If Shorty was still here, there is no doubt he would be at Bryant Denny stadium in rare form.
Shorty died in a car crash between Troy and Montgomery about 35 years ago. He was more than likely sipping on a Budweiser when he had his accident. I miss ole Shorty.
See you next week.
