Dean and other Democrats need to get ready for a dirty battle in Alabama

[MelissaB]

Legislative race offers early display of fireworks

By Dana Beyerle
Montgomery Bureau

MONTGOMERY -- The first shot in 2006's legislative races was fired this month in a House contest in southwest Alabama that was won by a Republican for the first time.

The special election to fill the unexpired term of the late Rep. Jeff Dolbare showed the tactics of Republicans, who frankly admit they used next year's legislative strategy early because of the opportunity.

>>snip

Among the lessons from the House race won by Republican Nick Williams, of Sims Chapel, were:

* Using homosexual issues in politics might work as race did in Alabama's past.

* Ironically, Democrats got skewered by their No. 1 legislative issue this year, a ban on gay marriages, Republicans and Democrats agreed.

* Candidates now ignore political surveys and threats at their own peril.

Mix in the rush this year by Democrats and Republicans to rely more and more on party caucuses to show solidarity and enforce discipline, and there's evidence that Alabama's House and Senate are beginning to look like a partisan Congress where Republicans and Democrats don't even go to the same watering holes.

Link: http://timesdaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050213/NEWS/502130351/1011

I wish I could cut and paste more without violating rules. The article also mentiones dirty politics. The republicans sent out a flier titled "God Made Adam and Eve'' that claimed that the Democratic candidate was in support of gay marriage because she didn't sign the sign the Alabama Christian Coalition's marriage-protection pledge. In addition, the author compares the flyer to George Wallace playing the race card against Albert Brewer in 1970.

Link to the flier: http://www.aladems.net/nucleus/media/1/20050202-RLCad.pdf

[quaoar]

1. It gets worse

There is going to be a referendum on banning gay marriage. Republicans in the state Legislature want it scheduled for November 2006 so they can turn out their base when Roy Moore is expected to be the nominee for governor.

[MelissaB]

2. And Democrats are supporting it????

I've lived here most of my life and all of this physically makes me sick. I've never been involved in DFA and there is not an active group in my area, but I know we need to do something. I just don't even know where to start on this one. I almost feel like it is a loosing battle. I teach and get a lot of feedback from my students, and what they say scares the heck out of me because I know it comes from their parents. :cry:

[quaoar]

3. Not exactly

Democrats will likely block the Nov. 2006 referendum idea. We are still a majority in the Legislature and they don't want to be swept out in 06.

But Dems cannot support gay marriage in Alabama -- or most other places for that matter. It's lethal.

The key to winning in Alabama is populism. Democrats are not going to win here by appealing to Alabama voters on social issues.

But there is no love among Alabama voters for HMOs, oil companies, or the big out-of-state corporations that own vast tracts of Alabama and many of our politicians. A clever and courageous candidate could use Birmingham-based HealthSouth as a vehicle to make that point to the public.

As for your students --- perhaps you could assign them to write an essay arguing the opposite side of an issue from what they believe, which is always a good exercise in learning debating skills. So make the little freepers argue the war from a Democratic point of view. Of course, you'd have to have the junior Democrats argue a pro-war stance.

Might be interesting.