Doug Jones: Can a Democrat Win the Alabama Senate?

Introvert's Distaste for Alabama Politics

Can a Democrat Win the Alabama Senate? That's what we're gonna explore in this week's Alabama Politics for the Irish and Scots of Alabama.

Before we get started, I feel like I should lay down my political convictions. Sure, you'll figure it out quick enough, but this might save you some time.

I consider myself a moderate with liberal leanings, a Star Trek moderate if you will. I'm very concerned with civil rights, protection of the environment, protecting small businesses from large ones, and protecting individuals over exploitative large businesses. The first half of my adult voting life was for Republican candidates. Yes, I voted for George W. Bush, mostly because I felt we had eight years of a Democrat and the balance of life needed a Republican.

I regret that idea now. Because W was the reason I started paying attention to politics, as I watched him scam most Americans with the idea of "weapons of mass destruction", which was a nice way of saying, "Let's invade Iraq so our oil companies will prosper." That was my last Republican presidential vote.

Since then, I voted for Obama and even though his administration had many bad issues other than the ones Fox News was lying about, I felt overall, he was an amazing president. Unlike the Trump administration which is reckless just plain stupid.

Yes, I have no love of Trump. While I'm sure his administration will not be a complete disaster as one can figure out by the fact that they are achieving virtually nothing... but governmental chaos. Many of his big plans have failed. And will continue to as long as the guy who supposedly wrote "The Art of the Deal" continues to not negotiate or work with anyone, conservative or liberal.

Can Democrats win the Alabama Senate?

Another week goes by and the Alabama Senate race moves closer. The contestants are the criminal Roy Moore, Republican, and the civil rights attorney Doug Jones, Democrat. The last time a Democrat won a Senate seat in Alabama was nearly 30 years ago. That was Senator Richard Shelby, yes, he was voted back in office last year. But back then, he almost immediately switched sides, becoming a Republican.

Can a Democrat win in this special Alabama Senate election?

That's the question on everyone's minds. Most Republicans think there's no contest. Many Democrats think it's hopeless.

But last week, a new poll came in saying that Doug Jones and Roy Moore were neck to neck, 42% to 42%. The poll was published by Fox News.

While I have no faith in Fox News' objectivity, I would still expect the poll to skew conservative. So that says a LOT about people's faith in Doug Jones and probably even more about their disgust with the criminal Roy Moore. Some conservative news outlets are saying it's not a good poll. And yes, I agree with that. The poll probably does not account for those who will actually vote.

The young folk and the poorer folk who could easily flip the tide will be too busy with school or jobs to actually get out in vote. That's why Jones is out campaigning his butt off. And that's why I'm talking so much about it on social media myself. Hell, that's why I started this podcast.

One person on Facebook suggested that the biggest hindrance for Doug Jones is the abortion issue. Jones is pro-Choice, while Moore is pro-Life.

I'm fairly certain that Republicans will attempt to use that argument a lot in the weeks to come. It's the only one I've actually seen. Because Doug Jones has a pretty clean slate. He's a civil rights lawyer who fights for the working class. Meanwhile the criminal Roy Moore's dirty politics continues to haunt him every week. We also learned last week that his so-called non-profit organization is having tax issues even though Moore and his family are getting paid obscene amounts of money for doing virtually nothing.

Again, this bodes well for Doug Jones. I admit I was little worried about Luther Strange winning Republican primaries. Obviously he's a Trump patsy, but if he had won, then people might've seen that as sign that Trump was not averaging at about 39% approval ratings as averaged by Real Clear Politics.

Instead, it showed that people, even in largely Republican Alabama are getting sick of Trump's circus and lies.

And so we have the criminal Roy Moore. He's doing his best to fight dirty. But Doug Jones is a clean, upright, good citizen, who has a history of fighting corruption.

Can he win?

Time alone will tell. But I think it's revealing that a week ago, no conservative outlet outside of the Breibart bigots, led by Steve Bannon, supported Roy Moore. But now that Jones and Moore are neck-in-neck, others are starting to donate to support Moore.

I don't know where Jones gets his funding from, aside from personal donations. But he definitely has his work cut out for him.

Especially since Doug Jones' biggest challenge right now is not his opponent. It's his anonymity. Many people don't know who Jones is. They don't know that he's a good guy with a good history outside of politics. They don't know that that he fights for the rights of all people, no matter your race, creed or color.

Maybe it's the idealist in me that wants to see it, but I think Doug Jones can win. But it will take you and me talking about him and what he's gonna do for Alabama and the country.

Feedback

As I said in the first episode, I want you feedback. I asked my Facebook friends what they know and liked about Doug Jones.

James Smith replied: "I'm fairly certain he has no desire to round up my friends and put them in reeducation camps."

Yeah. That's the problem with extremists like Roy Moore. He's basically a fundamentalist terrorist, if he has his way.

And it's total hypocrisy too. I keep wondering what on earth Moore reads when it comes to religion. I've read the Bible, several times. I remember the tears in my eyes when I realized Jesus' great sacrifice. And I'm quite certain Jesus too will cry if the hypocrite Roy Moore gets to Washington.

Jesus said, "render unto Caesar what is Caesar". While the criminal Roy Moore, says give me your money so I can give you death.

Ron Balabon responded on Facebook: "That he prosecuted the klans men that bombed the 16th st. church and that he's a relative moderate..."

When I first started looking at his campaign, I confess I was concerned that it seemed like the only thing Doug Jones' campaign was about was Civil Rights. I wasn't sure that that would be enough to win.

I look now and realize Civil Rights is not just about the rights for blacks and those who are discrimination.

Doug Jones is about the rights of individuals and our relationship to each other. That's a big message.

It means he's willing to work with people to make a change. And right now, Alabama desperately needs that. We need a moderate who is willing to work. Not an extremist who just wants to subvert.

Music in this Week's Show

"Willie Coleman’s Jig / The Mooncoin / The Carraroe" by Banna de Dha from Band of Two

"Johnson's Motorcar" by Bourbon & Shamrocks from Shock & ARRRR!

Great Political Resources

• The Ragin' Moderate
• Congressional Dish
• Countable

If you comments, send a tweet to @marcgunnmusic or post your comments in the shownotes at alabamapolitics.libsyn.com.