# Alabama gubernatorial candidate Tim James is a loathsome shit. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 10, 2010, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-gubernatorial-candidate-tim-james-is-a-loathsome-shit/538871 "2010-05-10T02:43:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-gubernatorial-candidate-tim-james-is-a-loathsome-shit/538871/121 "2010-05-20T15:42:11Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Yes. All the road signs in the US are in it, including the many that don’t have iconic shapes and colors. By “it”, did you mean Helvetica? Because I resent that the government is making me read Helvetica. I already read cursive (nb: unlike my kids!), and I don’t see why I have to learn another font. Patiently waiting for The Typanistas with their cries of “Clearview!” and “FHWA Series font!” and “Commonly known as Highway Gothic!” ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-gubernatorial-candidate-tim-james-is-a-loathsome-shit/538871/122 "2010-05-20T16:59:25Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > The great hope Alabama may have is [Artur\* Davis](http://arturdavis.house.gov/). He is an extremely intelligent Harvard graduate who has served as blue Congressman for a red district and majorly impressed me by not towing party lines always and not posturing: he was the only AL Congressman to vote against the flag burning bill a few years ago, for example, and while he voted against the healthcare bill it was not because of “Obamacare is eeeevil” but concerns over loopholes it allows. > Davis’s story mimics Obama’s to a degree- single hardworking mother who taught him the value of education, wound up at Harvard, graduated with honors, then Congress- hopefully he’ll have some of his success in getting elected as well. He’s also so honest that he’s one of the monetarily-poorest members of Congress; as of a few years ago he still had outstanding student loans and his net worth was in four figures. > > Alabama’s about 25%-28% black and most blacks here vote Dem anyway, so if he’s nominated hopefully they’ll turn out as they did for Obama. (Davis would be the first black governor of AL.) Add in the hardcore white Dems (and yes, they’re a minority but they do exist) and maybe-just-maybe- we’ll have an intelligent well spoken governor who doesn’t mention Jesus or evolution in every other breath and actually has some frigging clue about national politics and real issues. > > But, I wouldn’t sell insurance on it. > \*Not a misprint- it’s not Arthur and it’s not Arturo; his middle name is Genestre. I’ll be voting for Davis, but I expect him to lose by a significant margin. Unfortunately. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-gubernatorial-candidate-tim-james-is-a-loathsome-shit/538871/123 "2010-05-20T17:59:54Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > I’ll be voting for Davis, but I expect him to lose by a significant margin. Unfortunately. Ayup- probably the 60/40 split Obama got here. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-gubernatorial-candidate-tim-james-is-a-loathsome-shit/538871/124 "2010-05-20T18:03:44Z")
Q. What do you call a black guy who’s > [@Sampiro](#): > > an extremely intelligent Harvard graduate who has served as blue Congressman for a red district and majorly impressed me by not towing party lines always and not posturing: he was the only AL Congressman to vote against the flag burning bill a few years ago, for example, and while he voted against the healthcare bill it was not because of “Obamacare is eeeevil” but concerns over loopholes it allows. > Davis’s story mimics Obama’s to a degree- single hardworking mother who taught him the value of education, wound up at Harvard, graduated with honors, then Congress- hopefully he’ll have some of his success in getting elected as well. He’s also so honest that he’s one of the monetarily-poorest members of Congress; as of a few years ago he still had outstanding student loans and his net worth was in four figures. ? A. You know the answer. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-gubernatorial-candidate-tim-james-is-a-loathsome-shit/538871/125 "2010-05-20T18:18:54Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Q. What do you call a black guy who’s ? > > A. You know the answer. Just a note: on a single visit to Boston, I probably heard the word “nigger” more than I did in a year of living in Alabama. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-gubernatorial-candidate-tim-james-is-a-loathsome-shit/538871/126 "2010-05-20T19:51:00Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > Just a note: on a single visit to Boston, I probably heard the word “nigger” more than I did in a year of living in Alabama. Ditto when I was in New Hampshire. It’s amazing how many people assume that because you’re from Alabama that’s just acceptable to you. Racism is far from dead down here (is it anyplace?), but for most racists it’s in the closet. I don’t deny it would be an issue in the election but it won’t be _openly_ brought up if Davis gets the Demo nomination. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-gubernatorial-candidate-tim-james-is-a-loathsome-shit/538871/127 "2010-05-20T20:00:28Z")
The other leading Democratic contender for governor is Ron Sparks. He’s white, middle aged, decent education and a relatively scandal free record of public service in various state cabinet positions and the legilature, BUT he’s also extremely pro-gambling (casino, lottery, and online). I don’t gamble, don’t particularly have a problem with casino gambling so long as there are sensible measures, and firmly believe in a state lottery, and his claim that Alabama loses billions of dollars per year to the lotteries that surround us on all sides and the Mississippi casinoes, I can see him being torn apart by ads showing cockfighting and bare fisted boxing and sad toothless women telling of how they sold their 4 year old’s kidneys to play the slot machines. (The cockfighting ad was an actual famous ad by Don Siegleman [former governor and more recently former convict] for supporting the lottery. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-gubernatorial-candidate-tim-james-is-a-loathsome-shit/538871.md?page=6)