Go figure. If there is anything more sacred in Alabama than a confederate monument, recently fallen or not, it’s Alabama FOOTBALL !!! And by that I mean Auburn football too, as evidenced by yesterday’s runoff win by former Auburn Coach Tommy Tuberville against Jeff Sessions for the senate seat previously held by Sessions.
This one really defies explanation given that although the coach had been successful at Auburn for awhile, ultimately he left on a loosing season and went on to head other organizations. Some reports say he doesn’t even live in Alabama, only establishing residence in 2018 for the intent of running for senate. This guy has no loyalty to Alabama and absolutely no political experience. His only real accolade is training crowds of spectators not to social distance.
I didn’t do any exit polling so I don’t know what the irrational excuses for voting for Tuberville are. The biggest thing I know to be true is that coaching football in Alabama is roughly akin to having the Midas touch. He coached at Auburn and won a championship a long time ago. With those credentials the banks would give him a billion dollar loan and 200 years to pay it back.
Everyone knows about the contention between President Trump and Jeff Sessions. And, I suppose, given the current political climate there were a lot of people who shunned Jeff Sessions for no other reason than their version of always Trumpism. Always Trumpism isn’t as extreme as the never Trumpers, but it’s just as wrong and part of why the divisions in this country are sinking deeper.
My guess is also that there was a lot of crossover voting in the runoff. Democrats aren’t supposed to vote in the Republican runoff but, I bet they did. Sessions has been seen as cast in the shadow of a confederate general making him a target to topple down along the way. He denies the racist stereo typing, but let’s face it, he can’t even throw a football anymore.
I’m not really surprised Mr. Potato head won, I am surprised it was by such a wide margin. Next up liberal democrat Doug Jones. Jones has been disappointing to me because he’s shown no compromise as a liberal democrat maintaining his alignment with the likes of Nancy Pelosi and Bernie Sanders. Given the apparent strength of Tuberville, and Jones’s unbending extremism, it appears Tuberville has a good shot at winning the senate seat in the general election.
I’m not convinced just yet because Tuberville’s win also looks as though it is largely grounded in the angst against Jeff Sessions. Ironically, always Trumpism and the supposed crossover voting in the runoff could actually leave the senate seat in the democratic hands of Doug Jones.
If Jones had shown any moderation in the recent past, I might have considered endorsing him. At this point, neither Tuberville or Jones is fit to be Senator and so we head to the general election with another stalemate and don’t vote for either one. I hate it when no vote is the best vote because it is the vote of no confidence.
The China Virus has been blamed for the extra low turn out in runoff voting. Sessions would’ve been the lesser of evils. But frankly, I already cast my no vote of no confidence yesterday.
©2020 – Jim Casey
