In some other states, particulary ones that are purple, first term Alabama Senator, Tommy Tuberville’s latest actions would place a second term in the U.S. Senate in jeopardy. As most of us know he is taking a hard line concerning high ranking military appointments in regards to pro-life issues and access to abortions for military families. The Alabama legislature also has passed laws seen by outsiders as placing military members as ‘second class’ citizens. Due to these instances and more complicated ones U.S. Space Command is staying in Colorado after Huntsville lobbied feverishly for it to be relocated here to Alabama. Who could blame Huntsville? Such a reality would have been an absolute elixir for the state from a perception paradigm. So important to how the world has always viewed us that it would have been invaluable, even of greater value than the jobs and money it would have brought. A polished reputation brings in more jobs, brighter citizens motivated to accept progress more readily. In purple states new candidates would have line up against incumbants after such a thing would’ve happened winning a lot of those seats in state legislatures and possibly the U.S. Senate. That’s how a bartender named Alexandra Ocasio- Cortez blazed a path to the U.S. House. That’s how people with no recognition become public servants in normal states. Not, to mention, race and her personal political culture, Ocasio-Cortez would never have been a reality here in Alabama. The primary reason being she’d, or even any ultra conservative candidate, would never have gained traction on the ballot because THEY WERE NOT AN INCUMBENT! That in a nutshell is why Alabama is one of the worst states in America in having ‘lifelong politicians’ in office. That’s not an ‘office holder problem’ as much as it is a ‘voter motivation’ problem.
There was a time I’d go through comments sections of leftist YouTube channels. Then I’d visit even moderate ones that didn’t seem partisan. I come to the conclusion that I could run for office on a moderate, slightly left platform and do well here. Based off of the complaints I was reading from intelligent, critically minded people from outside the state, with some being from inside the state. If you are a candidate, that is a grave mistake you would make before getting out of the gate! DO NOT READ TOO MUCH NEWSFEEDS. ALL OF THEM; FROM LIBERAL TO MODERATE TO EVEN ‘SOFT CONSERVATIVE’ ONES Don’t fool yourself into thinking you can do well on the ‘trail’ without knowing Alabama’s voting culture. Regardless of how you feel about Tommy Tuberville’s voting history while serving us or legislation by Alabama’s state representatives; this piece is not about that, Senator Tuberville and most of our legislatures who could be seen as accidentally steering Space Command away from Alabama will not only win more terms, they will win them convincingly. Here’s why: Having lived here all of my life I’ve witnessed the well know voter apathy away from the polls and the lesser know what I term ‘poll research apathy.’ That voters here in general, never have taken the effort to really research each bill crafted or voted upon by local and federal reps in regards to how it affects their lives. A majority, if they even show up, are content with looking at what letter is by a name, grabbing a ‘straight ticket’ ballot, then a coke and a bag of chips. And we saw this play out in real time in 2018 when Doug Jones barely beat a documented pedophile for that U.S. Senate seat. Then lost convincingly after proving himself for two years. Young progressive candidate your ego will get tickled by reading comments on social media, after blogs and Youtube posts by citizens here in Alabama and around the country making it appear there is a groundswell of support for progress. Do those people matter? You bet they do! Are they the voters you want on your side? You know they are! Are there enough of them? Well that’s they problem. Being in a vacuum of information where only one viewpoint is considered, even if it is logical, sensible and intelligent compared to the alternative; still skews perpetion. I once looked over into Georgia and saw what was happening there in how it had become a ‘purple state.’ That’s the problem with wishing too hard! A candidate can see a place and that place’s reality thinking it can be like their constituency. Tragically, it cannot! God love Alabama, but you need to understand we do not and will not ever have the diversity in thought and desire for it because we simply don’t have the population to support it. We don’t have Atlanta! Which has made Georgia the type of political environment it now is. There is no such influx of those from large U.S. metro areas or from other countries coming here in the numbers we’d need to change our ‘culture at the polls,’ as there is over there. So do you give up? Absolutely not? You take ‘meat and potatoes’ issues that affect consumers and make your campaign broader to reach across both divisions. Sensible Alabamians have never gone against policy that makes their lives better and safer (although there are the instigators and ‘Federalist Society” type self serving thinkers who love to vice signal in sickness) but no one takes them seriously. Stay the course and appeal to voters common need to feel listened to and protected from oligarchy. That way you have a chance, if you come from a package wrapped up in populism. Alabama will accept altruistic and humane policy if it’s packaged in a ‘home grown’ box, where they can’t label it ‘socialism.’ That’s the playbook! In the land of perpetual ‘lifelong politicians’ you’d be up against. You just may have to wait for them to die or get old enough to forget their names.
