Goat Hill Tavern

[kayman]

Let's talk Alabama politics!

Personally, I am affiliated with neither party, but rather a moderate independent. However, I want to open up the discussion as to why are Alabamians in general so bipolar when it comes to politics. They seem to want to vote mostly Democratic when it comes to state officials, but like the vast majority of the South, Alabama vote Republican. However, most Alabama Democrats aren't want exactly I would called "true Democrats". On the other hand, most state Republicans are really "true Republicans", but rather by name because they tend to be more progressive than their national counterpart by promoting state constitutional reform and home rule.

[elb401]

huh, I'm an independent too. I tend to vote republican for state gov. and democrat sometimes for national.

[Clobber]

Personally, I am affiliated with neither party, but rather a moderate independent. However, I want to open up the discussion as to why are Alabamians in general so bipolar when it comes to politics. They seem to want to vote mostly Democratic when it comes to state officials, but like the vast majority of the South, Alabama vote Republican. However, most Alabama Democrats aren't want exactly I would called "true Democrats". On the other hand, most state Republicans are really "true Republicans", but rather by name because they tend to be more progressive than their national counterpart by promoting state constitutional reform and home rule.

Maybe they don't mind government doing things, as long as it's not some distant national government; don't trust national politicians so they vote for those who will be conservative there, and they can more closely monitor state politicians so they give them a little more leash. I don't necessarily think that's inconsistent.

[aupatt10]

Maybe they don't mind government doing things, as long as it's not some distant national government; don't trust national politicians so they vote for those who will be conservative there, and they can more closely monitor state politicians so they give them a little more leash. I don't necessarily think that's inconsistent.

Never thought of it that way Clobber, nice explaination.

State's should have far more power to make decisions on things that the Feds get their paws into anyways.

[elb401]

I like the idea of the state having more power........but then again it can let the crazy people like Roy Moore in and we could have a Christian form of the taliban.....hope it wouldn't get to that point.

[aupatt10]

I like the idea of the state having more power........but then again it can let the crazy people like Roy Moore in and we could have a Christian form of the taliban.....hope it wouldn't get to that point.

All these crazy Christian coalition groups have far too much influence as it is, and that scares me more than the terrorism.

[AlabamaGuy2007]

I like the idea of the state having more power........but then again it can let the crazy people like Roy Moore in and we could have a Christian form of the taliban.....hope it wouldn't get to that point.

I do too. I just don't like a government body controlling us from 789 miles away that hasn't even been to the town that I reside in.

[convulso]

alabama political action committee funding - carpetbagging the thin air...

interesting article in the birmingham weekly by kyle whitmire. all of his articles are interesting, agree with them or not.

this one's about MA governor & presidential hopeful mitt romney using AL PAC laws to accept campaign contributions that would be illegal in all but two other states.

http://www.birminghamweekly.com/archived/p...20on%20dumb.php

[kayman]

Why am I not surprised? Romney is another one of tackheads that has stirred more controversy in Massachusetts with the whole gay marriage ban mess. He sees a way to take advantage of an oportunity to line his coffer with under-the-table cash that Alabama is notorious of doing. Alabama needs to reform its PAC contribution laws, but that would require another amendment to our already bloated constitution. Another reason why we need to rewrite our state constitution.

[convulso]

here's more kyle from this week - he's on a tear:

http://bhamweekly.com/?article_id=44

[Evad]

I've been lurking this forum for a week or 2 and figured this was as good a time as any to register...

I went to college with Kyle. Spent many hours over the years smoking cigs with him outside the school cafeteria. Very smart guy and a very good writer. As you can probably guess he's quite the talker...

I always pick up the Weekly in my frequent trips to the 'ham.

[convulso]

I've been lurking this forum for a week or 2 and figured this was as good a time as any to register...

I went to college with Kyle. Spent many hours over the years smoking cigs with him outside the school cafeteria. Very smart guy and a very good writer. As you can probably guess he's quite the talker...

I always pick up the Weekly in my frequent trips to the 'ham.

[Evad]

is that BSC? for some reason i have it in my head that that's where he went. i went there waaay back in the early 90s until i transferred.

yes - i've talked kyle whitmire up elsewhere on UP (and to anyone who'll listen in general). he's the best in bham, and i'll rue the day he's hired away from the weekly. eventually, i fear that some bham news-type outfit will woo him away with more money than an altweekly can supply - if he can be wooed. i'm in tucson now, but every thursday i make a b-line for the bham weekly web site. shows where my heart is, i suppose.

[Southron]

Democrats consider running against Senator Jeff Sessions

Despite the fact that Republican U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions already has more than $2 million in his campaign war chest, some Democrats are looking at the possibility of challenging him in 2008. State Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks and state Sen. Vivian Figures of Mobile are among those considering the race.

Sessions spent $5.4 million to fend off Susan Parker's poorly funded campaign in 2002, but a less favorable national political climate and the senator's lackluster performance could potentially make the race competitive in 2008.

I think Sessions will be very tough to beat, but the Ron Sparks candidacy could be interesting because of his strong base in North Alabama and rural areas. Sparks has the potential to garner support from voters who usually side with the GOP.

Personally, I hope Sessions loses next year. Alabama deserves a senator with gumption and real legislative ability. Our senior Senator, Republican Richard Shelby, has done a great job getting things done for Alabama, while Sessions has done nothing and actually tried to kill funding for Alabama projects. Still, the race should be Sessions' to lose.

Any thoughts?

AP story from Montgomery Advertiser here

[convulso]

my only thought is that i would vote for any man, woman, child or object before i would vote for sessions. he is a grandstander who panders to his base. and he's in it for the long haul (good luck to any challenger).

[Southron]

^^ Good luck, indeed. Sessions will run 5 or more TV ads for every one of his opponent, if his opponent gets on TV at all. Sparks may run to boost his name ID for a 2010 race for governor or lt. governor, but he would likely get pounded against Sessions in '08. I suspect that Sessions will hold that seat until he dies, according to the time-honored Alabama tradition.

[austin356]

Our senior Senator, Republican Richard Shelby, has done a great job getting things done for Alabama, while Sessions has done nothing and actually tried to kill funding for Alabama projects. Still, the race should be Sessions' to lose.

[kayman]

On the flip side of things, if it wasn't for Richard Shelby then UAB would have basically no clout in the biotech industry as it does. In many ways, what Shelby has done for UAB has made it capable of surpassing such prestiges medical universities such as Duke, Emory, and even Columbia. UAB Hospital is now up there with Mass. General Hospital in Boston, something that Atlanta's Grady Memorial or Nashville's Vanderbilt Medical Center cannot tout is there.

[Southron]

The 2006 statewide election was just 6 months ago, but already potential candidates are emerging for the 2010 races. Jim Folsom, Jr. is considered the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for governor, and party leaders will probably try to steer Ag. Commissioner Ron Sparks into the Lt. Gov. primary. Atty. Gen. Troy King would be the highest-ranking GOP constitutional officer to run for governor, but state party chairman and state Rep. Mike Hubbard may jump in as well. Other candidates and offices are discussed in the article below.

Montgomery Advertiser column: Speculation beginning for 2010 governor, other state races

[convulso]

interesting stuff. i like the way steve flowers writes (typos and incorrect use of homophones notwithstanding). very blunt; conversational, but far from dumb.

my favorite among these is folsom. at a time when riley's administration has kept economic development in the spotlight, folsom's track record from the 1990s should be well received. more than most state dems, he has some hope of garnering votes across party lines, partially because some moderate repubs place a high premium on economic development; and partially because his old-stock name is synonomous with an unassailable alabama political legacy dating back more than half a century. he's basically the hank williams jr. of alabama politics for the many who fondly remember his father.

folsom's demeanor is one of those 'intangibles' that the casual voter (i.e., a voter who is uninformed on issues and is swayed by a candidate's personality and looks) is likely to favor. he's a big man who looks like authority. quiet, big, equal parts surly and affable. his deceptively sluggish manner appeals to just-plain-folks types, but he's anything but stupid and can use that persona to help the rural voters who don't care much for that fancy book-larnin' identify with him.

since i'm on a tangent about the superficial stuff that gets people elected in this state...my only concern is that folsom just seems less concerned with in-office corruption than riley is. he seems like the type who would play the old game as it has always been played in our system; whereas riley has at least attempted to wrangle the system; to be a leader even to his peers. folsom just looks a little bit insincere. yeah, i know - what a substantial argument.

okay; how's this one: if you know his wife, and how blatantly ingratiating and insincere she has been to the dumb folks whom she thought would elect her to office five years ago, then you worry that folsom may share a similarly jaded, condescending view of the electorate. i am from the folsoms' home town, and have had my dealings with them in a former 'career' as a reporter for the local paper there. too, my family and his have been friends ever since the big jim days; as a result, i've had more than one opportunity to form my opinions of marsha. if he wins, i hope she doesn't play the role of hillary to jr.'s bill - although many hometown locals have long suspected she is the more politically ambitious of the two.

seth hammett would not be a bad candidate if jr. weren't in the picture. he's very articulate and - important to the rurals - still very southern. he could convince a few ultra-cons that he's a moral issues man while riding his real agenda - and his democratic base - all the way to office. but it doesn't have a chance of happening as long as folsom's in the picture.

troy king? come on. he's basically roy moore lite - a little too smart to flog the morality thing the way moore misjudged (no pun intended) it, but vehemently conservative enough to captivate the sunday voters. king has already done enough grandstanding over non-issues as atty. general to heavily sway the far-right rurals...you know, the same ones who voted for fob; the same ones who supported moore; the same ones who love sessions; the same ones who would vote for bush again if he could run.

i know little about the lesser-known names mentioned in the article. pipe up, somebody.

[convulso]

because it's going to come up at some point in this state....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070528/ts_al...liticsexecution

i wonder if it would be at all helpful to just pre-emptively write to all the legislators and the governor, as well as the major newspaper editorial boards, and just go ahead and tell them 'hey, this is coming; everyone in the world expects alabama to pass this kind of legislation: DON'T.

that is, if you are opposed to this and think it's a bad idea.

what, really, is not death-worthy? i've probably done something in my youth that would qualify me for the death penalty in some damn backasswards state or the other, at least at the rate this is going. i want alabama to defy all outsiders' predictions and be one of those states that tables this, when the time comes.

i believe some heinous things just don't warrant killing somebody as punishment or justice. i would hate to have been molested as a child and then live the rest of my life on into adulthood and onward to the grave, carrying into my adolescence and maturity the psychological baggage that comes not only from having been touched by a perv, but also that the encounter led to the man's (or woman's?) socially-sanctioned killing. now that's a double-whammy f'd-up childhood.

[convulso]

legislators agree upon the dire need to modify or replace the statehouse because they feel it is old and inadequate.

JUST.LIKE.THE.GD.CONSTITUTION.

i wonder if they sometimes hear themselves when they speak. read the quotes in this article and imagine what they could be talking about instead of a gov't building:

http://blog.al.com/breaking/2007/05/house_...e_commissi.html

[jmanhsv]

^Last time I visited the State House (which was about a year ago), it looked fine to me. Besides, I don't think Alabama's lawmakers deserve a new (taxpayer-funded) state house until they actually do something for the benefit of ALL of the citizens of this state. How many bills has the Legislature passed that will benefit the whole state this session? I know of only two, the bill that provided more incentives for the ThyssenKrupp plant and the slavery apology. The rest of the session has been all about themselves (the lawmakers)- the worst being the massive pay raises and now this talk about a new State House. I wish the voters would quit being ignorant to the problems in this state and NOT re-elect the incumbent corrupt scumbags that are controlling the Legislature.

[kayman]

It is almost amusing how they are Legislators are whining about the Statehouse now and how so many Alabamians have complaining about the State Constitution. I am with you, JmanHsv, I don't care what they whine about in Montgomery when they could have passed that bill and not killed it in Senate to allow us voters to vote upon rewriting the constitution. They got their raise so they need STFU about the conditions of the Statehouse.

[Southron]

Some nice office space in the old RSA hq is going to open up within the next few months. Some of those legislative offices could be moved over there, but that long one block walk would probably be too inconvenient for our poor public servants. The old supreme court building is sitting vacant on Dexter Ave as well.

If they do build a new state house, the foundation should be poured over Charles Bishop to memorialize the international black eye that he gave the state this past week.