June 28, 2006
This year’s Supreme Court races have been obscured by the more high profile Governor’s and Lt. Governor’s races. They generally are low profile even though they are extremely important and the justices who hold these positions wield substantial influence over public policy in Alabama. They probably are as insignificant as the secondary constitutional offices of Treasurer, Secretary of State and Auditor to the average Alabama voter. However, they are much more powerful and important than these administrative offices. If the truth be known, if you took a poll of Alabama voters one week after they had voted for Auditor or a Supreme Court seat not 5% of the voters could tell you who the Auditor or Justice was nor whether they had even voted for them or their opponent.
June 21, 2006
If there was one surprise race in the June 6th primaries it was in the Republican Lt. Governor’s contest. However, polls indicated three weeks earlier that an upset was in the making. George Wallace Jr. entered the race as the heavy favorite in a race where inherent name identification is very important. However, he did not foresee the Alabama business community giving a blank check to Big Luther Strange in that race. That money propelled Strange to a big vote. In fact he beat Wallace so badly that there was barely a runoff. Strange outdistanced Wallace 48% to 34% with Mo Brooks garnering 16%, mostly Tennessee Valley votes. This lead may be insurmountable for Wallace to overcome in the July 18 runoff, especially because Luther Strange has all the money and momentum. Wallace’s inability to raise money has been his Achilles heel in all of his major races. He has lost two previous contests one Lt. Governor and one for Congress where he was outspent.
June 14, 2006
The Primary results were very much exactly as expected. There were absolutely no surprises. The polling data projected was right on the mark. Gov. Bob Riley defeated Roy Moore 67% to 33%, the polls had pointed to a 70 to 30 margin. Lt. Gov. Lucy Baxley outdistanced Don Siegelman 60% to 36%, about what the tracking polls foresaw. Therefore, as expected, you will have a Bob Riley vs. Lucy Baxley contest in November for the brass ring of Alabama politics, the Governor’s chair. Although their victories were predicted they were nevertheless both impressive winners on June 7th.
June 07, 2006
As you read this column you have the luxury of knowing the outcome of Tuesday’s primary contests. However, due to deadline requirements this column was written prior to June 6th. The results of the June 6th primary possibly will have whittled the race down to the two final candidates for the November brass ring Governor’s contest.
May 31, 2006
The Governor’s Race is on in Alabama. It is an every four year event that we cherish and enjoy immensely. Years ago it was the biggest entertainment that our grandfathers had to look forward to for that year. There was no television, no Atlanta Braves, nothing but the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night. We had colorful politicians like Big Jim Folsom who came to our county squares and won our hearts with country bands, humorous speeches, and populist appeal. At 6’9” and unbelievably uninhibited and fun loving, Big Jim was better than the circus.
May 24, 2006
As the June 6th Republican and Democratic Primaries approach I am reminded of a bygone era when primary was singular. There was one primary, the Democratic Primary, which was the election. It was the whole ball of wax. There was no Republican Primary. They chose their candidates in a convention of sorts; you could have put all the participants in a phone booth. The candidates they selected and put on the ballot were token sacrificial lambs whose names appeared on the November general election ballots but none of them came close to winning. The winners were chosen in the Democratic Primary. It was tantamount to election.
May 17, 2006
One of the best races formulating within the GOP is the intra party Senate race between veteran Gardendale State Senator Jack Biddle and Gardendale Rep. Scott Beason. Biddle has served in the Legislature for over 30 years. He served terms in the House in the 1970’s and 80’s and was Chairman of the powerful House Rules Committee for one term. During this era practically the entire House ran as Democrats, more out of tradition and expediency than philosophy.
May 10, 2006
There is an old political adage that says “money is the mother’s milk of politics.” It is usually a true and valid maxim because the candidate with the most money usually wins. A more earthy expression might be that “money talks and anything else walks.” If these truisms exist then the primary contests for Governor are not going to be close. The early money reported in February gave Gov. Riley a 10 to 1 advantage over his Republican opponent Roy Moore. Riley had raised $3.8 million to Moore’s $310,000. The same disparity exists on the Democratic side where Lt. Governor Lucy Baxley out raised the beleaguered Don Siegelman 10 to 1. She had $1.2 million and Siegelman had a paltry $100,000. Therefore, you would have to say that Riley and Baxley will be favored to win their respective primaries in three weeks and face each other in the November battle for the brass ring. Early money success has given them both momentum.
May 03, 2006
The Democratic and Republican primaries are less than five weeks away. This is the first big step towards our biggest prize, the brass ring of Alabama politics, the Governor’s office. It is an eagerly anticipated spectacle that we Alabamians relish. The race usually starts four years in advance and this year is no exception. Bob Riley and Don Siegelman’s race four years ago ended in a virtual dead heat. They both began their 2006 campaigns the next day. Lucy Baxley started running and running hard about three years ago and Roy Moore entered the fray about two years ago when he was removed as Chief Justice for his vaunted display of his Ten Commandments monument.
April 26, 2006
At mid year last year it appeared that at least twelve serious candidates would run for Lt. Governor. However, as the qualification deadline ended only four Republicans and one Democrat answered the bell.