Alabama primaries

[Ogre]

I think this is appropriate here, since there has been so much general interest (and well-deserved scorn) in this election cycle because of the over-the-top political ads by the Republicans.

OK, so the primary was yesterday, and the results are here:

http://www.al.com/election/

I'm happy to report that "Crazy" Dale Peterson lost as Ag Commish, especially after this insane ad.

On the gubernatorial front, good news and bad news all mixed together. Blech. Bradley Byrne, the moderate, business-friendly Republican candidate has been declared first place, but he will have a run off with either Tim "I Hate Brown People" James or Robert Bentley. I'm not thrilled with Byrne, since he has supported teaching creationism in schools. I'm REALLY not thrilled with Tim James, since he's a xenophobic knuckle-dragging mongoloid (and I'm not thrilled with the reactionary yahoos who bought into his bullshit enough to vote for him). I could live with either Bentley or Byrne.

I was sort of rooting for the black Democrat, Artur Davis, but he lost badly to Ron Sparks. Not that it will matter. The Alabama governor will be Republican. It's just a matter of which flavor.

I don't know whether I'm happy or chagrined that Richard Shelby won (with 84% of the vote), considering that his opponent ran on the platform that Shelby "isn't conservative enough".

[Captain Amazing]

Originally Posted by Ogre

I'm happy to report that "Crazy" Dale Peterson lost as Ag Commish, especially after this insane ad.

That ad was a thing of beauty. I don't know what I like most about it; the look into the horse's eyes when Peterson talks about his competitor, or the rifle he pulls out of nowhere at the end.

[Skammer]

Did you see the parody ad on funnyordie.com? I can't link b/cause it's blocked from work, but it was awesome.

[Duke]

Originally Posted by Captain Amazing

That ad was a thing of beauty. I don't know what I like most about it; the look into the horse's eyes when Peterson talks about his competitor, or the rifle he pulls out of nowhere at the end.

I liked how the ad had about 2,000 jump cuts in it. As if they'd stitched it together from several dozen takes or something...

[Ogre]

Originally Posted by Skammer

Did you see the parody ad on funnyordie.com? I can't link b/cause it's blocked from work, but it was awesome.

Yah. It was hysterical. "I once gave a guy a handjob for $20 and a pack of cigarettes, so LISTEN UP!"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/0..._n_581421.html

[Lemur866]

Yeah, gotta love the reaction shot from the horse.

[Least Original User Name Ever]

That's one of the best ads I've ever seen. His and John Cornyn's are way up there in the pantheon.

[Cisco]

Originally Posted by Ogre

I was sort of rooting for the black Democrat, Artur Davis, but he lost badly to Ron Sparks.

Someone (Sampiro?) wrote a post here recently that got me all pumped up about this guy, and the next thing I saw about him was a headline on google news saying he lost, heh.

[Sampiro]

My brother won the Democratic nomination for state legislature from his district, which wasn't terribly surprising since he was running unopposed for it. This pits him against the Republican candidate and a conservative Independent who is one of my brother's best friends, which might be interesting. The fact that my brother gave a lot of money to Obama in 2008 is all that seems to interest most people on the local newspaper comments sections where he lives.

I haven't asked him since we only have a CCC relationship (meaning we only see each other when there's a Christmas tree, a coffin, or a catheter in the room with us) but I've wondered if the Independent buddy is running to take votes away from the Republican- I honestly have no idea but wouldn't put it past him. The district is one of the few in Alabama that has a history of going both ways in elections; most are staunchly red of course and some are staunchly blue.

The word "elitist" is one I've told him to prepare for since he's rich and very snobbish and his district is mainly agricultural and working class. Since he's running in part on a continuing education ticket (he's a big believer in using the community colleges to give free or very reduced training to locals to give them computer skills and perhaps technical skills) I've advised him to make use of our parents and grandmother being teachers in his ads, or the fact that our great-grandparents gave land to build a one room schoolhouse so their kids wouldn't have to walk several miles to school (which in addition to being true gives him an excuse to use this picture - how folksy Alabama can you get?). The knowledge he came from teachers and farmers should short circuit some of the elitism charges that will surface). More likely he'll hire a campaign manager from New York City though.

Meanwhile I'm the removed-from-facebook contacts gay brother. C'est la vie.

[Least Original User Name Ever]

Originally Posted by Sampiro

My brother won the Democratic nomination for state legislature from his district, which wasn't terribly surprising since he was running unopposed for it. This pits him against the Republican candidate and a conservative Independent who is one of my brother's best friends, which might be interesting. The fact that my brother gave a lot of money to Obama in 2008 is all that seems to interest most people on the local newspaper comments sections where he lives.

I haven't asked him since we only have a CCC relationship (meaning we only see each other when there's a Christmas tree, a coffin, or a catheter in the room with us) but I've wondered if the Independent buddy is running to take votes away from the Republican- I honestly have no idea but wouldn't put it past him. The district is one of the few in Alabama that has a history of going both ways in elections; most are staunchly red of course and some are staunchly blue.

The word "elitist" is one I've told him to prepare for since he's rich and very snobbish and his district is mainly agricultural and working class. Since he's running in part on a continuing education ticket (he's a big believer in using the community colleges to give free or very reduced training to locals to give them computer skills and perhaps technical skills) I've advised him to make use of our parents and grandmother being teachers in his ads, or the fact that our great-grandparents gave land to build a one room schoolhouse so their kids wouldn't have to walk several miles to school (which in addition to being true gives him an excuse to use this picture - how folksy Alabama can you get?). The knowledge he came from teachers and farmers should short circuit some of the elitism charges that will surface). More likely he'll hire a campaign manager from New York City though.

Meanwhile I'm the removed-from-facebook contacts gay brother. C'est la vie.

You'd be surprised. I'm sure there are some good political types in Alabama that can run a campaign.

[gonzomax]

Yes there are and they work for Sessions, Dr. No. The people of Alabama keep voting for him at the loss of respect from the country.
He was the Bush boy who declared that Bush's secretary, Harriet Meiers, was the single most qualified person in the country for Supreme Court Justice ,while claiming every dem nominee was not of high caliber. He has no value of truth. he is as low grade a politician as I have ever seen.

[Least Original User Name Ever]

Maybe that's why people don't give a rip about Alabama?

[Chronos]

Y'know, that Peterson ad for Ag Commissioner doesn't seem all that bad to me. Sure, the jump cuts were distracting, and the rifle at the end was obvious pandering, but it pointed out his agricultural background (relevant for Ag Commissioner) and his military service (useful for any politician), and called his opponent corrupt (de rigeur in a political ad, if you can make it stick). Oh, and the bit about the "illegals", but he at least made that a little more relevant than a lot of crazy politicians.