Big News in a "Red State" aching to go Blue:
Conservative Republican State Senator Harri Anne Smith Endorses Democrat Bobby Bright for Congress (AL-02). Excerpt:
"Republican State Senator Harri Anne Smith joined fellow mayor and democrat Bobby Bright as he kicked off his 16 county 'Truck Tour' of the district before the November 4th election.
"Smith said she knows that brights heart is with the Wiregrass and that he represents the region well.
"'I Knew that his heart was here in the Wiregrass and the fact that through this campeign he has not thrown rocks and stones at the republican party ...he has tried to bring people together.'
"Bright compared the across the aisle endorsement to that of former Secretary of State Colin Powell and his endorsement of Barack Obama on Sunday. . . "
Context and VERY inside scoopage below the fold.
Some background first.
Alabama's Second Congressional District is about as Republican as it gets in the United States:
AL-02 went Republican in 1964. It's had only 2 Congressmen -- both Republican -- since then: Bill Dickinson ('65-'93) and Terry Everette ('93-Present). See this:
"In 1964 Judge Bill Dickinson ran for Congress in Alabama's Second Congressional District and won as a Republican; benefiting from Barry Goldwater's (and the GOP's) sweep of the then still very-segregated Alabama and its backlash against LBJ and the (Northern) Democratic Party's support of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which passed the House and Senate earlier that year and was signed into law by President Johnson on July 2."
Source - heh.
Yes, AL-02 has been in Republican hands since 1965 - 43 years.
In this Corner: Subway Jay Love
Terry Everett's retiring this year, which makes AL-02 an Open Seat. On the Republican Side is "Subway" Jay Love, a Holier than Thou Manchild who makes Ralph Reed look like humble and W. Bush look modest. He's shallow and sanctimonious. His wealth comes from family money (best as we can tell) that started him out on the road to be the Subway Sandwich Baron of Montgomery, Alabama. As far as I can tell, his campaign is based on Sanctimony and Off Shore Oil drilling, whatever:
Photo by BenGoshi, taken along Hwy 231 in Pike County, Alabama
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In this Corner: Mayor Bobby Bright
Bobby Bright, Democrat, is Mayor of Montgomery, Alabama (with a population between 3-4 times that of Wasilla, Alaska, btw).
Here's his Campaign Website.
He's lead, and has trailed, Subway Jay in the polls. Just that he's holding his own in this incredibly Republican District is a pleasantly shocking thing. He is, not surprisingly, a very Bluedog Democrat. Well, he is who he is. And, thing is, while I'd probably be disappointed with 50% of his votes, I am pretty sure that I'd be disappointed with 100% of Jay Love's votes! Half a loaf is better . . .
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Republican Harri Anne Smith
Harri Anne is a Republican State Senator. She represents Geneva, Dale and Houston Counties. Dothan is the largest city in her Senate District. She's from the small town of Slocomb, in Geneva County. She's a very conservative Southern Baptist. And, well, I've known her since 8th grade.
Now, to excerpt from a comment of mine, done here a little earlier:
The GOP smears against Republican State Senator Harri Anne Smith have already begun. Harri Anne, a CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN . . . has endorsed Democrat Bobby Bright . . .
Contrary to Alabama GOP accusations of slime, Harri Anne has NOT been "bought off" by anybody. She just thinks Bright is the better person for the job. . .
Bright is originally from Ozark, Alabama, in Alabama's extreme S.E. corner, "The Wiregrass". Jay Love is from Montgomery. Harri Anne (who's from the Wiregrass) says that if Jay Love wins, knowing that he did it with little-to-no support from the Wiregrass, then that whole section of AL-02 will be necessarily written off by Love. Bobby Bright will see to it that the Wiregrass is rightfully represented in Congress.
Worth noting: Harri Anne ran against Subway Jay for the GOP nomination for this seat. Love's campaign will, no doubt, say it's just "sour grapes". Harri Anne says: "We've just got to put the best person for the District in Congress and Bobby Bright would be better for the District than Jay, whatever the party."
This is a HUGE endorsement for Southeast Alabama, for AL-02. It may not be THE game-changer for Bright, but it's going to give him a big boost. And, if a Democrat captures a seat held by the GOP since 1965, this will be shattering, just shattering.
A diary on Bobby Bright from Left in Alabama (from which one of my 'graphs above quotes).
BenGoshi
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