In Birmingham They Love the Gov'ner

Roy Moore is aiming for George Wallace's old job. To check up on what the ex-judge has been up to lately, read about his recent rock tour.

Comments

[Derek Ashworth]

If it were Texas, your spelling would be correct. In Alabama, it's Guvna

[Ruthless]

As a symbol for standing up for your beliefs, I prefer a pickax handle.

[Mississippi]

I hope he wins. It's lonely here at the bottom of the barrel.

[saw-whet]

OT, Today is the first day of Ramadan and the first day of Rosh Hashanah. How often does that happen?

[Abdul]

This is a new low for Alabama. Roy Moore hasn't done any worthwhile work since "Live and Let Die."

[Abdul]

Whoops! That's meant to be ROGER Moore. but still, my point is the same. Pierce Brosnan for governor.

[Brian]

Roy v. Hillary 2008!

So, Canada? Australia? New Zealand? Where would you guys move?

[saw-whet]

OT again. The best I can come up with is that it has been "decades" (from Bristol University) since Ramadan and Rosh Hashanah fell on the same day. It's also Francis of Assisi day for all you Catholics out there. I smell lamb cooking...

[chthus]

While he's certainly a religious nutjob and perhaps even the racist the Wallace reference begs, he's certainly got his libertrian streak as well:

'He called for term limits for legislators, a prohibition on legislators holding other government jobs and legislative sessions every two years rather than annually.

"Like most people in this state, I feel safe when the Legislature is out of session," Moore said.'

That said, his republican rivals, and should he get that far dems as well, should just tag him with the 'activist judge' label.

[NoExit]

Tell me again why democracy is a good idea...

[Ammonium]

How did Roy Moore avoid being nominated for Supreme Court by "Jesus' own President"?

Perhaps Moore will become the VP once Cheney leaves, and will assume the Presidency in a few decades when Bush abdicates the throne.

[Syd Henderson]

OT, Today is the first day of Ramadan and the first day of Rosh Hashanah. How often does that happen?

Comment by: saw-whet at October 4, 2005 11:46 AM

Both are connected with the new moon, but Ramadan wanders through the year while Rosh Hashanah stays around the vernal equinox. Ramadan starts about 11 days earlier each year according to the solar calendar, while Rosh Hashanah will move up 11 days for a year or two, then bounce back. There is also the complication that Ramadan depends on the first sighting of the moon, which means some years it will start a day later than expected. All together, this means Ramadan will start during Rosh Hashanah one year out of twelve, but will do it two or three years in a row, then not again for another thirty years.

Rosh Hashanah and Ramadan will also start on the same day in 2006 and 2007 (assuming the moon is sighted on the expected day), then the Jewish calendar slips back a month.

[panurge]

I seriously doubt that Moore will be able to defeat Bob Riley for the Republican nomination. Riley is popular in Alabama, a state that kicked out Fob James a few years back after they grew uncomfortable with his Bible-thumping.

The only true danger he poses is if he runs on a third-party ticket. That might just pull enough support away from Riley (who had only a little over 49% of the vote when he was first elected in 2002) to let a Democrat win.

[James A. Merritt]

I saw the following at http://www.cannibisculture.com, announcing a much more palatable challenger to Moore, in my humble opinion. Hey Roy (and the rest of you big-government types), put THIS in your pipe and smoke it:

================================================
Loretta Nall Announces Run for Governor of Alabama

Alexander City, AL September 29, 2005 ? Internationally known drug policy and prison reform advocate Loretta Nall has announced that she will be running for Governor of Alabama in the 2006 election.

Mrs. Nall has devoted the last three years of her life to learning about U.S. Drug Policy both at home and abroad after local police targeted her for writing a letter to the editor.

In that letter Nall encouraged Alabama voters to change the drug laws. It was published two days after the last gubernatorial election between then Gov. Don Siegelman and current Gov. Bob Riley. Nall was arrested and jailed six days later. The affidavit in support of the arrest warrant was based on her letter.

Loretta has traveled throughout the U.S., Canada and even Colombia, South America bearing witness to the devastating effects of "zero-tolerance" drug policies.

"Here in Alabama, the drug war has given rise to the current Alabama prison crisis, which is costing Alabamians millions of dollars a year with only negative returns in exchange. It is destroying families and putting our children at greater risk by allowing unrestricted access to drugs," said Nall.

Nall stated that she is running for Governor because drug policy is a crucial Alabama issue and the other candidates are too afraid to engage in a rational, scientific discussion. She says she wants to make it clear that her campaign is not about using drugs, as her detractors are almost certain to claim, but about critically examining current policies to determine whether or not they are reaching their stated objectives.

"The other candidates are not up to addressing these important but controversial issues surrounding drug policy because they have built their political careers on meaningless slogans like 'Tough on Drugs' and 'What about the children?' which, in fact, do nothing to deter drug use or protect children," said Nall.

Nall also states that the current elected officials are afraid of losing corporate campaign contributions from alcohol, tobacco and pharmaceutical companies, who ironically, are the largest funders of the failed drug war.

"The drug war is nothing more than a government jobs program, which creates the crime it claims to protect us from while destroying the Bill of Rights in the process. Alabama politicians are addicted to drug war money and Alabama families and children are simply cannon fodder for the politicians who promote this failed and destructive policy for their own political gain," said Nall.

In addition to drug policy and prison reform Nall's other platform planks include:

* States Rights

* Non-compliance with the Patriot Act and REAL I.D.

* Alabama Out of Iraq - Bring the Alabama National Guard Troops Home.

* No Gun Control.

* Check Box Style Governing System. - Let the voters decide how their tax money is spent

* Legalizing Lottery and Casino Gambling.

* Giving Parents more Choices and Control in the Education of their Children.

* Ballot Access Reform

* Initiative and Referendum for Alabama Citizens

Loretta will embark on a walk across Alabama during her campaign where she will meet voters, speak at local Town Hall style meetings and other venues and gather signatures for ballot access. Details and a tentative schedule will be announced soon.

Nall is currently seeking the nomination of the Libertarian Party of Alabama.

Loretta is the mother of two children, 13-year-old Alex and 8-year-old Isabella. She and her husband Terry Nall have been married for 15 years.

Contact: [e-mail]

Donate to the campaign!
Website: http://www.nallforgovernor.com

[Anonymo the Anonymous]

The only libertarian streak Roy Moore will cause is me and my fellow libertarians streaking out of the state after he's elected. He's a Christian supremacist jackass whose only lifetime accomplishment is spiriting a giant rock into the state judicial building under cover of night.

[Mr Mafiya]

If it were Texas, your spelling would be correct. In Alabama, it's Guvna

Yeah, well in Russia (Poland, etc) it's guvnoh.

[Curious]

So could Alabama cops serve a warrent on Reason to get the accounts/addresses of people who post anti drug war messages on Hit n Run?

[David McElroy]

I work in politics in Alabama, and it's my opinion that Moore has extremely little chance of winning. I've been wrong before, but I just don't see this happening.

He's going to challenge an incumbent Republican governor in the primary, which is already going to be VERY difficult. I don't recall the last time an incumbent governor lost his own primary here. Even if he turns out enough of the Christian right to win the GOP nomination, they'll just be handing the general election to the Democrats. This still isn't a state where it's a slam dunk that the Republican will win statewide. About a quarter of the voters are black (who vote Democrat almost in lockstep), and a substantial minority of white voters are still Democrats (either liberals or Yellow Dog Democrats who just can't imagine anything else). And there are quite a few who consider themselves independents, who cringe at the thought of another hit on the state's image.

So while this is interesting from the point of view of the internal bloodbath it's going to be for the Alabama GOP (between very religious conservatives and party regulars who normally count on their support), it's almost certainly not going to turn into a win for this Neanderthal. (Yes, I realize the comparison is an insult to Neanderthals everywhere.)

[saw-whet]

"The affidavit in support of the arrest warrant was based on her letter." So it CAN happen here. And with impunity!

OK, I'm just feigning surprise. Move along, nothing to see here.

[grizzly]

panurge,

I don't know where you're getting your info, but I'm not sure that Riley is popular in AL. Tolerable, yes. Popular, no. He did push the "biggest tax increase in Alabama history"* a couple of years ago, and the voters rejected it soundly. I'm not sure that they have forgiven him.

*Seriously. A 1 billion tax increase in a state with a budget of +/- 1.5 billion. What asshole thought that would be a good idea?

[David McElroy]

Grizzly:

You're right. Riley isn't that popular, and someone will use the tax increase proposal against him. I doubt Moore and his people are savvy enough to pull that off, though. They want to talk about moral issues to the point that they're just preaching to the choir among those who are already supporters. Moore would have to run a very smart (and very mainstream) campaign to have a chance at the nomination, which I very much doubt he and his supporters can do. I've worked in campaigns where those sort of people are involved, and they honestly believe that if they just preach their moral message louder, God is going to give them the election. They can't be pragmatic enough to pick their battles. (In that, they're like Libertarians, come to think of it. :-))

Even though Riley isn't that popular, it's been long enough since the tax hike vote that a lot of mainstream voters just don't remember. (Yes, voters are stupid.)

[a Russian major]

Mr. Mafiya,

HA!

[Anonymo the Anonymous]

Riley isn't that popular, and someone will use the tax increase proposal against him. I doubt Moore and his people are savvy enough to pull that off, though.

Moore was a vocal opponent of an amendment to the state constitution that would have removed
a) some obsoloete, racist language from the state constitution and
b) a provision that no one had a "right" to a public education, on the grounds that judges would then be able to order tax increases for school funding from the bench.
He knows how to play the tax issue, and I believe the AP reported he made an explicit reference to Riley's failed tax package at his campaign announcement. It will be a big campaign issue. I don't know if it'll pull enough fiscal conservative support away from Riley, but he'll give it his damndest. Either way, it'll be UGLY.

And with the Alabama Democratic primary looking to be a bloodbath, the Dems might cannibalize themselves out of the white vote, leaving Riley or Moore to waltz to Montgomery.

[Cliff]

Loretta Nall is a true patriot. She has put her money and freedom where her mouth is. She is being harrassed by the prohibitionists for calling BS on their War on Some Drugs. The prohibitionists are trying very hard to squelch her freedom of speech. She has been outspoken and up front about the reasons she is running. She is trying to help Marc Emery and he has helped her with her campaign until he got busted by the DEA stormtroopers. Actions speak volumes more than empty right wingnut rhetoric. If I lived in Alabama I would campaign for her. She is the bravest politician (term used advisedly) I have ever read about. Go Loretta!