From the digital flyer for the event. Direct link here
Walt Maddox, Tuscaloosa Mayor and candidate for Governor, will headline a “Big 10” Blue Wave Candidate Forum as Greater Birmingham Democrats/Forward Alabama/M.A.D. Make a Difference, & H.I.V.E. Alabama reach out to Democrats, Independents, and concerned voters in North Jeffco — Fultondale, Gardendale, Mount Olive, Morris, Kimberly, Trafford, Center Point, and Pinson. Also hear from Danner Kline, candidate for US House District 6; Joseph Siegelman, candidate for AL Attorney General; Heather Milam, candidate for Secretary of State; Veronica Johnson, candidate for AL House District 51; and others!
I am super stoked about this upcoming event. I think it is very clever to team up and bring meet the candidate forums to every crack and crevice in Alabama. We have some stand up candidates too. They are young, progressive, and real. What an exciting and original idea. Pooling the candidates together to build momentum and build crowds. I honestly don’t think I have ever seen this idea of multiple candidates for different offices come together for a political rally. At least not locally. This is going to build excitement and a buzz. Also build a base of voters, not just for one candidate or one office, but for all the candidates running on the democratic ticket.
First up, the headliner of this upcoming event: Walt Maddox, Tuscaloosa Mayor running for Governor of Alabama.
Walt is a stand up guy. He is 45, and has been Mayor of Tuscaloosa since 2005. His fourth term began in 2016. He is so well liked in Tuscaloosa that when the numbers came in for the primary voting, he drew over 91% of the democratic vote. And that was for Tuscaloosa County, not just the actual city of Tuscaloosa. When the home team loves you that much, you must be doing something right. Walt hit the ground running. He is out there everyday meeting voters, learning and listening to the needs of the people of Alabama. He knows if he is gonna bring home the win, he must do outreach everywhere possible. Alabama is looking at some fresh blood in the electoral pool. I am liking the energy.
Republican Kay Ivey on the other hand has taken a different path. It is the hide and bide her time game. She isn’t doing any open forum events. Certainly not coming to Gardendale. She is sticking to pressers for business expansions she had nothing to do with, yet likes to take the credit. She will not make herself available to the press or the public. So far she has not agreed to a debate with Walt Maddox. But even the good folks of Alabama are not keen to appoint her governor just because she has an R next to her name. This is not a Monarchy. If she wants to be governor, then she is going have to earn the votes. Not all R’s are in the can for our lady governor. The biggest complaint I hear about her is the fact that she stated she believed the women in the Roy Moore sexual misconduct debacle, but voted for him anyway, because he was republican. The taint of Roy Moore is strong in Alabama.
Next up we have Danner Kline, running against Republican Gary Palmer for District 6 for the House of Representives.
If you recall Gary Palmer sides with the traitor and thinks kids being locked in cages is just fine. Also no problem with that Russian thingy, it’s all good cause you know the word wouldn’t made all the difference. Danner sent an email days before the whole locked up kid story was everywhere. He was not for separating kids from their parents. Danner respects a women’s right to choose. Danner cares about people, he is not hiding out, refusing to hold town halls or be seen in public like his opponent Gary Palmer. Palmer is another one of those pesky Freedom Caucus creeps, and also was just peachy with Roy Moore.
When I called Palmer’s office and asked if he was going to hold any town halls in August, I was told nope, there were no town halls scheduled. Gary thinks because he has an R next to his name, it’s all good. Hopefully that will be his mistake. Yes, the R will make a difference, but so will the ground game of his opponent Danner Kline. If Danner can get his name and persona out there enough with these type of group forums it could put him in the winners seat. And that put’s us in the winners seat. Winners for the USA, not Russia.
One of my favorite candidates is Heather Milam. Heather is running for Secretary of State .
Heather has a couple of art degrees, and lives in a modest neighborhood with her husband and 2 rescue dogs. She cares about the environment, she wants to help people. We all need help to succeed, not small minded mealy mouthed bastards that only care about themselves. She has an amazing energy that just draws people to her. Very personable and warm, approachable.
Her opponent. John Merrill was a Roy Moore booster. He also takes a few cues from Donald Trump. Like blocking folks who say mean things to him on Twitter. He does not plan to unblock anyone, even though Trump was slapped down by a judge over blocking people on Twitter. He is a Republican thru and thru. He comes off as another one of those arrogant types who thinks he is smarter and better than the average constituent.
What’s this? Joseph Siegelman for Attorney General of Alabama.
On October 10, 2007, the House Judiciary Committee released testimony in which Dana Jill Simpson alleged that Karl Rove "had spoken with the Department of Justice" about "pursuing" Siegelman with help from two of Alabama's U.S. attorneys, and that Governor Bob Riley had named the judge who was eventually assigned to the case. She also claimed that Riley told her the judge would "hang Don Siegelman." In contrast with what she told 60 Minutes, in her sworn testimony before Congress, she never mentioned having met or spoken with Rove.
Wider public
Siegelman defenders note that more than 100 federal charges were thrown out by three different judges. Further, they argue that there was an obvious conflict of interest in the prosecution against Siegelman, since the investigating U.S. Attorney was married to the campaign manager of his political opponent in the 2002 gubernatorial campaign. Siegelman defenders argue that the sentence is unprecedented and the punishment excessive. By contrast, former Alabama Governor H. Guy Hunt, a Republican, was found guilty in state court of personally pocketing $200,000. State prosecutors sought probation, not jail time, in the Hunt case
Joseph easily won his primary, so there may be a bit of sympathy voting going on for him. Regardless of his family history, Joseph Siegelman is highly qualified and would make a great attorney general for Alabama. His opponent on the other hand is a real asshole. Steve Marshall was ironically appointed to his first job as District Attorney for Marshall County by none other than Joseph’s dad, Don Siegelman. And then he got lucky, Robert Bentley (the LovGuv) appointed him when he gave Luther Strange the temp senate seat vacated by Jeff Sessions. From Wikipedia, link to entire article here.
From Wikipedia, an example of just one of Steve Marshall’s actions as Attorney General of Alabama.
In July 2017, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton led a group of Republican Attorneys General from nine other states, including Marshall, plus Idaho Governor Butch Otter, in threatening the Donald J. Trump administration that they would litigate if the president did not terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy
Steve’s ties to the corrupt governor and Luther Strange are going to hurt him. He also was on board for the hypocrite Roy Moore. Every republican in Alabama was alright with the Roy Moore’s sexual misconduct, pedophile accusations. Most folks with any decency have not forgotten this fact, and it will hurt them in November. Politics are local, people don’t forget, and it will show at the polls. In fact in a last ditch effort, I received a flyer for Marshall’s opponent in the run-off, Troy King. It was an endorsement by Roy Moore. Well, we see that Troy King lost to Steve Marshall by a good percentage.
I know, WTF, who has a pedophile mall troll endorse them, and think it would help?
Meet Veronica Johnson, running for State District 51
Veronica is concentrating on improving education, healthcare, and prisoner reform. She is an advocate for the people. Here is a sample of her platform from her website.
I was raised in the Alabama school system, and I’ve had the good fortune to graduate from high school in Birmingham and received my college degree from Alabama A&M and my Master's degree from the University of Alabama. I later attended Birmingham School of Law where I obtained a Juris Doctorate. As the mother of two children currently enrolled in 1st and 8th grades, I’m witnessing the decline of our school systems. This is a nightmare – a quality education is the most important part of preparing our young people for the careers of the future. I want my children-- and yours—to have a fighting chance in an ever-changing economy.
I know, I know, but but Alabama is deep deep red. They will vote for the person with an R by their name. There is no way the blue wave is coming to Alabama. Well, i say fuck that losing attitude. With energy, and good ground game, and candidates that are willing to go out and meet the voters. Candidates that will answer your questions and not hide and slide by, we can win, we will win. Yes we can, yes we can. and yes we will until Alabama is no longer red, but at the very least a nice purple color. As my mother used to say “Put a little elbow grease into it, and it will shine up nicely.”
I can’t wait to put a shine on Alabama, and get rid of the dull and harmful scourge of the nasty selfish cowardly and treasonous Republicans.
The only way to stop the madness is to activate, agitate, get involved, get out the vote for every democrat running in every race, in every city, in every state, until we take our country back to a real democracy.