AL-02: Bright Leads Big

[ccharles000]

Anzalone-Liszt for Bobby Bright (2/8-11, likely voters):

Bobby Bright (D-inc): 54
Martha Roby (R): 30

Bobby Bright (D-inc): 55
Stephanie Bell (R): 29

Bobby Bright (D-inc): 58
Rick Barber (R): 26
(MoE: ±4.4%)

Very, very good numbers for Bobby Bright -- especially when you consider that Bright sits at the top of SSP's House Vulnerability Index for Democratic-held seats. Bright hasn't made it easy for Republicans, toeing a very conservative line on almost every major vote and touting that style in his outreach. He enjoys a solid 68-25 favorability rating and a 67% job approval rating.

On paper, Bright should be one of the easiest Dems to knock off this year, but so far, it seems that he's beating the odds.

http://www.swingstateproject.com/diary/6474/al02-bright-leads-big

[Frances]

1. Some good news for Dems at last

My father-in-law was one of the many members of the White Citizens Council back in the 60s in Bright's district. Fortunately, his son did not agree with the politics of the majority of the whites then, or now, but I do understand how conservative the district is.

[craigmatic]

9. yup dothan, eufaula, and montgomery aren't exactly liberal sanctuaries in this region altough he

does represent a part of the black belt

[Frances]

11. But there are more whites than blacks in the district I'm sure

I live in CA now, but my husband has a friend who spends part of the year here and part in a little town near Dothan.

My husband's friend grew up a sharecropper who used to play with black kids--when he and they weren't working HARD in the fields. He is a big Obama supporter, but, like me, his family is super Republican. We don't understand why people who have benefitted from "socialist" programs like the GI Bill (paid all of my friend's college costs) and are currently benefitting from Medicare and Social Security don't realize how much they owe the Dems and how the Repubs would like to take away the programs that benefitted the workers and the middle class so that the richest 1% can buy more houses and yachts and planes.

[craigmatic]

14. When they benefit from gov programs they don't see it as socialism they think they earned it

That's the psychology of the region. It's only socialism to them if it goes to poor or "other" people

[Arkana]

2. Too bad Bright's a Blue Dog.

[bluestateguy]

3. He is one Democrat I am willing to cut slack for

His district is bitterly maroon red. When he can vote with the party, great, but more often than not, he will be a no.

[customerserviceguy]

4. From Wikipedia

"He is the only Democratic Congressperson to vote against 2009's five most notable pieces of legislation: the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the 2010 Congressional budget, the American Clean Energy and Security Act, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, and the Affordable Health Care for America Act."

That's a lot of slack, don't you think? How much different would it be if a Repuke represented that district?

[Frances]

6. First of all, a Repub is worse than a Blue Dog

any day of the week because the Dems would have no power whatsoever if they were in the minority. A blue dog enables Pelosi to be Speaker of the House instead of some Neanderthal tea partier like Michelle Bachman.

[customerserviceguy]

12. We're just about to see

how effective Nancy Pelosi is going to be with the Blue Dogs that she needs to pass HCR.

I can understand the idea of being in the majority, but with Democrats like Bright, who needs Republicans?

[Hippo_Tron]

7. The difference between Speaker Pelosi and Speaker Boehner

Which is a pretty big difference. There are some blue dogs that I think vote entirely too far to the right just for the big money contributions and I don't cut them a lot of slack (and frankly I think they're paying a price for it right now). But there are a select few that represent districts that are so right wing that it's only by the grace of god that there is a Democrat in that seat. I'm willing to cut them a whole lot of slack just as long as it helps boost our numbers.

[customerserviceguy]

13. I guess that's why nobody but the freepers

on the reich wing are upset with last month's 'hero', Scott Brown voting for the jobs bill. Other than remarks that DU'ers have brought over from that site, I haven't heard any of the Rethugs criticize his vote.

Oh, and by the way, as soon at the Repukes get a majority (quite possibly as soon as next January) look for Bright to suddenly decide to change his party affiliation.

[Hippo_Tron]

15. He would have to deal with the tea-baggers in the primary if he became a Republican

If he wins re-election by a good margin as a Democrat he's going to stay a Democrat.

[customerserviceguy]

16. I think the tea baggers wouldn't have too much of a problem with him

given his 2009 voting history.

[Hippo_Tron]

17. That's what Parker Griffith thought when he switched parties

And now he's facing primary opposition. Tea-baggers aren't exactly highly rational people and most of them don't care about voting records. They respond to things like the fact that you used to belong to the same party as the Socialist Muslin Obama.

[customerserviceguy]

18. I am aware of the hassles that Griffith

is getting from the baggers, but his voting record isn't anywhere quite as radical as Bright's. A quick apology, and re-dedicating his life to Jaysus, and he's back in with the baggers.

[FLAprogressive]

5. Big whup, he sucks, and votes repub on every bit of legislation that actually matters

[craigmatic]

8. He's in the neighboring district. He's ok eventhough his only function is keeping repubs out

[PhD]

10. Don't be surprised if he switches parties

It's well known that another House Democrat will announce he's changing parties within the next couple months. I suspect it will be Walt Minnick but it could be Bright.

[Frances]

19. I don't think it will be Bright