October 27, 2004
As the November national election day approaches this Tuesday, a good many of you are saying thank goodness. Politics has always been a vicious business, but this year may take the cake. It seems that the party divide and acrimony have reached a zenith peak or should we say a new low. The partisan divide is deep and bitter. The ads are slanderous to the point of being comical. The middle of the road independent swing voters are the battle ground and they have truly been bombarded.
October 20, 2004
Exactly forty years ago in 1964 Alabama became a Republican state as far as national politics are concerned. The 1964 election was the pivotal turning point when on that November day in 1964 the deep south states of Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and South Carolina voted for Barry Goldwater and never looked back. It was the race issue that won them over. Goldwater and the Republican party captured the race issue and never let go of it. For this reason, the South which was known as the "Solid South" for more than six decades because they were solidly Democratic are today known as the "Solid South" because they are solidly Republican. In less than two weeks on election night when the national networks show the colored map on the television, the entire South will be colored Republican. The Presidential candidates ignore us during the campaign because it is a foregone conclusion that we will vote Republican. In this same way the Presidential candidates ignored us for the first 60 years of the 20th Century because it was a foregone conclusion that we were going to vote democratic.
October 13, 2004
The November election is fast approaching. The Presidential race seems to be the center of all political attention. However, we do have some state races this year. The highlight of our state races will be for the three seats on the State Supreme Court. Currently eight-out-of-nine of our State Justices are Republican. The only Democrat on the high court, Douglas Johnstone, is retiring. Another Justice, Gorman Houston, a Republican, is retiring. Running for Houston's open seat is Republican, Mike Bolin of Jefferson County, and John Rochester, a Democrat Circuit Judge from Ashland. Seeking Johnstone's seat is Democrat Roger Monroe and Republican Patti Smith. Bolin and Smith won their Republican primary victory's with large pluralities in Jefferson and Shelby counties and lots of business money. The Business Council will be pouring even more money into their campaign coffers. It's expected that the plaintiff lawyers will support Democrats Rochester and Monroe. Tom Parker is the Roy Moore backed Republican candidate for the third seat. He defeated fellow Republican incumbent, Jean Brown, in the June 1st GOP Primary. Parker was the candidate of Moore's Christian Coalition, and the trial lawyers in June. He will be tough to beat. His Democratic opponent is Mobilian, Robert Smith. All three Republicans are favored to win. If that happens, that will make the Supreme Court all Republican - nine-out-of-nine.
October 06, 2004
A good many of you seemed to like the series of September columns on George Wallace. Several of my legislative friends have chatted with me and told me how much they enjoyed the Wallace series and how it evoked memories of the Governor. It prompted them to share their most memorable Wallace stories with me. We have swapped tales that many of us enjoy telling about Governor Wallace.
September 29, 2004
Governor Bob Riley deserves accolades for his leadership during Hurricane Ivan. When all of the property damage is finally assessed, it will more than likely be the most devastating hurricane to have ever ravaged Alabama. However, the minimal loss of life in Alabama can largely be attributed to Riley's yeoman efforts before, during, and after the storm. He displayed genuine concern, compassion, and decisiveness. The nation marveled at Alabama's preparedness and evacuation.
September 22, 2004
When George Wallace was elected Governor in 1962, he started a virtual monopoly on the Governor's office that lasted more than two decades, 1963-1987. Alabama voters elected Wallace Governor for an unprecedented four terms, 1962, 1970, 1974, and 1982. He was basically elected as defacto Governor during the administration of his wife Lurleen Burns Wallace from 1967 to 1968. During the same period he ran for President unsuccessfully four times. There was hardly an election during the 25-year span that Wallace was not on the ballot. He ran for Governor as a Democrat and nationally on different party labels. He was basically the racist candidate who also railed against federal power.
September 15, 2004
Many historians and political scientists point to a certain political race and year as a watershed or pivotal race in a state's course or history. That year in Alabama and that race was the 1970 Governor's race between George Wallace and Albert Brewer. It was an epic battle.
September 09, 2004
George Wallace is without a question the most renowned political figure in Alabama history. Wallace may be number one in Southern political lore although he would arguably have competition from Louisiana's Huey Long, the Talmadges of Georgia, Tillman from South Carolina, and Bilbo from Mississippi. It seems that we Southerners have enjoyed our political characters more than the rest of the country. I guess because we had less entertainment. All of the above mentioned characters came along before the advent of television and we had no major league baseball team to pull for as the Braves only came to Atlanta in recent years. All of our leading politicians were born actors and performers. Their campaign appearances were theatrical. They were born orators and sometimes part clown. They were also progressives who railed against big powerful moneyed special interests, usually located "up North," who were cheating and stealing from the poor masses of Southerners. They were all demagogues, but we expected it from them.
September 01, 2004
A living legend in Alabama political lore celebrated his 80th birthday recently. Walter Johnsey has been the most influential political man in Alabama politics for close to three decades. He has done it behind the scene, quietly without fanfare or seeking glory. He has been the power behind the throne for many administrations in Montgomery as well as numerous Congressmen and most of the State Legislature. He has done it from his perch above the fray in Birmingham. Many an aspiring politician for statewide office has come calling on Mr. Walter to kiss the ring of the king maker. If Walter liked their pitch, they left with a healthy contribution to their war chest.
August 18, 2004
Over the past decade or so, a political party divide has developed in Washington politics. It has been so pronounced that our national political party alignment has become similar to Britain's. In England, members of parliament do not really run as individuals, they become selected members of either the Liberal or Conservative Party. The British voters vote for the party they want in power and the members of Parliament are simply along for the ride and sit in Parliament only because they are members of that party. Therefore, they naturally vote the way their party leadership tells them.