November 20, 2014
This was probably one of the dullest and least interesting gubernatorial election years in memory. It stemmed from the fact that Robert Bentley was a popular incumbent governor and nobody dared to run against him in the Republican Primary. These days winning the Republican Primary is tantamount to election in the Heart of Dixie.
The only really exciting race was for the open 6th Congressional District seat vacated by Rep. Spencer Bachus. This district encompasses the suburbs of Birmingham and Jefferson County, as well as several surrounding conservative counties. It is home to some of the state’s most affluent enclaves, such as Mountain Brook, Vestavia, Homewood and Hoover. It has been ranked in Washington as one of the most Republican congressional districts in the nation. Therefore, the congressman was elected in the summer GOP Primary.
Congressman is the proper terminology, as the entire illustrious field of aspirants were men. No women joined the fray. Although two of our seven congressional delegation members are females, Martha Roby in the 2nd District and Terri Sewell in the 7th District.Read more
November 13, 2014
In all my years of following Alabama politics, I have never seen as dull an election year as we just witnessed. It stems from the fact that we had an uneventful and noncompetitive governor’s race.
Historically, Alabamians have turned out more for the governor’s race every four years than for a presidential race. This is dissimilar to the rest of the nation. Most Americans are more excited about who sits in the White House than who sits in the Statehouse.
Actually a good many states elect their governors in the same year as president. However, we are different politically than the average state in a number of ways. In addition to this being a gubernatorial election year, we elect our sheriffs this election cycle. Alabamians are much more interested in who is sheriff than who is president.Read more
November 06, 2014
You already know the results of yesterday’s general election but my column had to go to press prior to Tuesday’s vote. Therefore, we will discuss and analyze the outcome next week. More than likely there were no surprises. It would be a major upset if any Democrat won a statewide contest on Tuesday.
We are now one the most Republican states in America. It all began 50 years ago this month. The 1964 Election was the bellwether year that Alabama and the Deep South dramatically changed to the Republican Party. On that November day, Alabamians voted for the GOP candidate, Barry Goldwater, and we have not looked back.
The South, which was known as the “Solid South” for more than six decades because we were solidly Democratic, is now known as the “Solid South” because we are solidly Republican. Presidential candidates ignore us during campaigns because it is a foregone conclusion that we will vote Republican. Presidential candidates also ignored us for the first 60 years of the 20th century because it was a foregone conclusion that we were going to vote Democratic.Read more
October 30, 2014
The 2014 General Election is Tuesday. It is set to be uneventful. I predicted over a year ago that this election year was going to be dull and, folks, my prognostication has come to fruition. This year has been a yawner from the get go.
Even the GOP and Democratic primaries in June were void of any drama. As the results trickled in from the summer primaries, there were absolutely no surprises or upsets. Even in the face of historic low voter turnout, every favorite or incumbent prevailed and usually by the margin suggested by polling.
The low voter interest and predictability were for obvious reasons. There have simply not been any close or interesting statewide races this year. The governor’s race is generally the paramount premier political show every four years, but not this year.Read more
October 23, 2014
We are not indicative of or really even a part of the national political equation. The Heart of Dixie is an integral part of the heart and soul of the Republican Party. We and our fellow Deep South sister states are such reliably Republican red states that we are essentially ignored in national elections.
It is a foregone conclusion that our delegation in Washington will remain six Republicans and one lone Democrat. Our two Senators are also Republican. One of our Senators, Jeff Sessions, is waltzing to his fourth six-year term unopposed. In fact, Sessions did not even have a GOP primary opponent. However, even though we are a GOP ritualistic hinterland, this does not mean that the rest of the country is not embroiled in a pivotal midterm election.Read more
October 16, 2014
This year’s state primary elections have brought very little drama or surprises. However, there have been the inevitable novel surprises nationwide.
One of the most glaring jaw droppers was the defeat of Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in Virginia. He lost his House seat to a Tea Party challenger within the Republican Primary. Many national commentators found his defeat implausible and inexplicable. However, it was apparent to me from afar that it can very well be explained that he was more interested in being seen on national television than in his Virginia district. Cantor spent more time talking national issues on national talk shows than making sure he spent time with the folks who elected him and listening to what issues they were interested in talking about. There is a tried and true maxim in politics that “all politics is local.”Read more
October 09, 2014
This week our 39th President, Jimmy Carter, turns 90 years old. In my lifetime, he is the most ethical, moral and Christ like president to occupy the Oval Office.
Most, if not all of our presidents, have espoused to be Christians. However, Jimmy Carter truly walked the walk. There is no spectre of hypocrisy surrounding his life. Everything he did while in the White House was above reproach and his life after his presidential tenure has been an example of living your life humbly and being a true Christian servant.Read more
October 02, 2014
Old Fob James had an unusual political personality. When he was out of the Governor’s office he showed a tremendous yearning to get back. The proof is he sought the office in 1986 and lost in the Democratic primary and lost again in 1990 in the primary. However, he came back and won in 1994 as a Republican. However, once he got the job he acted as if he did not want it.
As mentioned a few weeks earlier, Fob set a new standard for alienating his friends and supporters during his first term from 1978-1982. If you were his friend or supporter he refused to even see you. He seemed a little detached during his first term. However, if you think he fumbled his first term, “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” because the second term was a nightmare.Read more
September 25, 2014
When Guy Hunt won the Governor’s race over Bill Baxley in 1986 it was well publicized that he was a part-time Primitive Baptist preacher. He was also billed as a part-time Amway salesman. These common man vocations appealed to the average Alabama voter. It was Hunt’s calling as a Baptist preacher that resonated warmly with his constituency. Alabamians are very religious and very Baptist.
Hunt had done surprisingly well as governor for four years and turned back Paul Hubbert’s Democratic challenge for his reelection to a second term in 1990. He worked hard to have an agenda and get some of it accomplished. He had a reasonable expectation of accomplishment.Read more
September 18, 2014
When Guy Hunt took office as the first Republican governor in January of 1987 not much was expected of him. After all, he had been elected only because of the backlash resulting from the handpicking of Bill Baxley over Charlie Graddick by the Democratic Party leadership. Very few people voted for Hunt because they thought he was the better choice or that his credentials rendered him more qualified.
Hunt was a simple man, a rural hard shell Baptist preacher. However, the Republican leadership realized they had been given a golden opportunity so they seized the moment and surrounded Hunt with good people. Most Alabamians warmed to him. He worked hard to get to know the legislature and put together a legislative majority comprised of Republicans and conservative Democrats. He had an uncomplicated agenda and worked to get his programs passed.Read more