Crosspost from "Alabama:" Is there the slightest chance in hell of Alabama going "blue" this year?

[Syrinx]

(Cross-posting for no particular reason.)

My gut tells me no, but if not now, when?

We've a war that was ginned up for the benefit of the already filthy rich, that has taken the lives of over four thousand American patriots, and hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis.

The economy is teetering on the brink of a second Great Depression. (I saw two different economists on CNN say that last weekend.)

The ironically named "USA-PATRIOT Act" is being used to nail horny governors. (Eliot Spitzer is a grade-A hypocrite, but no "terrorist.")

"Conservatism," as I used to understand it, is not something I necessarily agree with, but it was a logical point of view. I can understand, and even agree with, the idea of a small, weak federal government, that generally deferred to the states, and especially to individuals, though I think a social safety-net is essential to any civilized society.

Today's idea of "conservatism" is one alien creature, for sure. It stands for an all-powerful federal executive, where the legislative branch is impotent, and federal judges yield rubber stamps, stamping out liberty at every turn. It has endorsed and enacted the elimination of Habeas Corpus, ending any pretense of supporting anything that could remotely be called a "free society."

Will Republicans, which those of us in Alabama have been disproportionately "blessed," ever realize that the GOP is anything but conservative?

Can the majority, or even a plurality, of Alabama voters ever embrace the true values of liberalism, or even true conservatism, and help lead the country out of the "neoconservative" hell that this country has become?

Anyone that is familiar with my posts knows that I am not afraid of being called a "conspiracy theorist." I think that conspiracies are quite common, as does the federal government, as do state governments. And I think it is interesting to note that Alabama went from solid Democratic to solid Republican at exactly the same time that our elections started being conducted with optical scan electronic voting. It could be a coincidence, I guess.

Assuming our elections are on the up and up, which candidate do you think would do best in Alabama, Clinton or Obama?

I think Obama would. The vast majority of white racists are Republicans anyway, and I think Obama could energize young voters and black voters. He is a genuinely exciting candidate. I was a baby when Robert Kennedy was running for the nomination, but I think Obama is that kind of electrifying candidate. To paraphrase Chris "Tweety" Matthews, Obama gives me a thrill up my leg. :)

I know this is a rambling kind of post, but back to my original question, is there any chance at all for Alabama to go "blue?" And which candidate, Obama or Clinton, do you think would do better in the general election, in Alabama?

[crispini]

1. Well, you live there, eh?

What's your feeling on the ground?

What's the local dem party like?

:shrug:

[Syrinx]

3. it kind of feels like more of the same

People are oblivious to all that has happened.

People are ignorant.

[sandnsea]

2. If we had a few months to work on the south

Hillary is going to make sure we don't though. It's going to be a real challenge for either one of them to challenge the Reaganesque thinking that still has such a hold on this country. There's no other way to win some of these states.

[AlabamaBrightBlueDot]

4. Possible? Yes.... Probable, no.

The students here seem so fired up this time; so aware and willing to get up and vote I think we might see definant inroads to change being built. There are many students at the UA who are staunch democrats and wielding their right to vote in such a manner that they intend to be heard.

I think it was in 1997 that these students wanted to be heard and elected Lee Garrison to his first of three (ongoing) terms to the city council (he was in his final sememster of school at the time); this same voting block was instrumental in the election of Walter Maddox (dem) to the office of mayor. It appears to me that these young people are taking an active role in what is going to affect their lives; that has to be good for the democratic party. If the youth of our state get involved and actively seek to be a part of the change, it will happen.I have a 20 year old and a 77 year old mother who are out there supporting Obama.