Obama-like candidate seeks to be 1st black Ala. governor

[Leo The Cleo]

http://ap.onlineathens.com/pstories/us/20090206/385420243.shtml

U.S. Rep. Artur Davis, an early supporter of Barack Obama with uncanny similarities to the new president, announced his Democratic candidacy for governor Friday in a bid to become the first black to win Alabama's top office.

Davis, a Harvard-educated lawyer in his 40s like Obama, ended months of speculation with his announcement, attended by a crowd of at least 100 people, made up largely of whites. That voting bloc will be crucial for Davis to win in 2010.

"I will not promise you this path will be easy," said Davis, 41, who chaired Obama's campaign in Alabama.

"Yes, this will be hard, but if find our way, we can build a state like we have never known, not at some distant point called one day, but right now, in our season," he said.

Davis has more than $1.1 million in his congressional campaign account that he can use for his gubernatorial bid.

[FrenchieCat]

1. Rep. Davis doesn't remind me much of President Obama

other than the fact that they are both Black and attended Harvard.

I like him, but I don't think he has the charisma to make it in Georgia, one of the most difficult for a Democrat to win.

[TTUBatfan2008]

2. You mean Alabama, not Georgia...

[FrenchieCat]

5. Same Difference!

They are kind of the same to me. :)

This is the guy, right?

Thus far, I would not judge him as compelling in his persona.

[TTUBatfan2008]

7. From the link in the OP...

This is the guy:



Not sure who your picture is.

[FrenchieCat]

8. Same guy.

[TTUBatfan2008]

9. That pic in the OP's link...

Looks very different from the other two. The lighting and the side angle make him look completely different. Anyway, if people want to compare him to President Obama, I'm going to need to see a speech first. That is the ultimate way of judging if someone is on President Obama's level.

[Bolo Boffin]

4. He doesn't need the charisma to make it in Georgia.

He needs the charisma to make it in Alabama, where he's running. :D

[FrenchieCat]

6. Again, same difference.....or is there a difference that I am unaware of.

[glowing]

11. There is a difference. but think what you want...

[babylonsister]

3. More info, and he seems like a good man...

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=15

[Thrill]

10. Davis is a borderline Republican

[firedupdem]

12. Why do you say that? What's up with him?

on edit: he will have to be to win Alabama and that still may not help him. Just reading that article shows how red that state is.

[Leo The Cleo]

13. I hope he wins

I hope the guy wins. However, I don't know abou those Alaskans.

[QC]

14. I used to live in Davis's district.

I have mixed feelings about him.

On the one hand, he's strictly DLC, a "centrist" who beat his predecessor (Earl Hilliard) by painting him as insufficiently loyal to Israel. (In all fairness, though, Hilliard was an incompetent boob, so somebody needed to beat him.)

On the other hand, Davis is going to be better than anyone the Republicans could possibly put up for the job. As "centrist" and "pro-business" as Davis is, compared to Alabama Republicans he's Bernie Sanders.