That Time In ‘Bama When Dems Were Cheering For Republicans (This Week)

US Representative Bradley Byrne  AP photo

The election to fill an Alabama representative’s seat has yielded a victory for the more moderate candidate, former state Senator Bradley Byrne, and that by a 52.5 to 47.5 percent margin. This is significant news in the Red South. Byrne defeated Dean Young, a real estate developer who invoked the spirit of Ted Cruz and used birther appeal, unsuccessfully.

Politico?reports that Young’s harsh rhetoric and Byrne’s marginally more get-along attitude seemed to attract large donations from out of state, as the US Chamber of Commerce dropped around $200,000 on the race, and Joe Ricketts of TD Ameritrade fame spent $75,000 on television ads. Heavy hitters in the House, including Representative Eric Cantor and Representative Kevin McCarthy also donated to the more moderate Byrne. Big business seems to increasingly see the Tea Party as bad for business.

Though Byrne is no real moderate in national terms, he does believe in taking care of jobs needs, and not letting his fighting get too much in the way of Alabama jobs that might come from federal dollars.

This race should neither be considered part of a learning process for conservative Alabamans, nor an indication of Tea Party strength across the South. Being the most conservative of southern conservatives, the Tea Party legions tend to be so fundamentalist in their worldview, that fighting for their short list is their primary political strategy. Expect little change in ideology or stance from their ranks.

This election saw another factor at play, and that was cross-party primary voting. Alabamans concerned with extremist control of state representation are free to vote in either primary, and evidently enough did to swing the election to the moderate. Polls indicated they were neck and neck until the end.

This contest is an indication of how Mississippi State Senator Chris McDaniel may fare in an upcoming challenge of US Senator Thad Cochran. McDaniel is the Tea Party favorite, American Family Association and ALEC member, and his notable efforts in the Mississippi State Senate have been to favor culture war legislation and prayer bills. Most of his campaign rhetoric seems to revolve around Tea Party ire for the incumbent, and McDaniel’s claimed superior abilities in interpreting the constitution. In Mississippi politics stressing a love for the constitution most often suggests that the others up there do not, and is shorthand for the less-government ideals that would free the state from the restrictions of federal law, if not the federal dollars that run the state.

If Mississippi voters take the opportunity offered by their primary voting privileges, they may do what Alabama voters did and decide in behalf of the state’s moderates that getting along might be a good idea. Democrats and Independents, as well as more cooperative Republicans, could easily eliminate McDaniel at the primary stage. Like Dean Young, Senator Chris McDaniel might be all it takes to convince the states moderates and liberals to vote for a less extreme conservative Republican, and moderate the state government.

Edited/Published by: SB

I had a successful career actively working with at-risk youth, people struggling with poverty and unemployment, and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. In 2011, I made the decision to pursue my dreams and become a full-time writer. Connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.