As we anticipated last night, Ron Sparks is staying out of the 5th CD race after publicly flirting with a run against Parker Griffith a few days ago. The truth of it is, Sparks would have been well-advised to shut the door immediately on a bid in public while making his deliberations in private. His opponent in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, Artur Davis, seized upon the opportunity to launch a blistering broadside against Sparks:
“In the last couple of years, I’ve seen Ron Sparks go from a U.S. Senate race to a lieutenant governor’s race to the governor’s race to a congressional race and now back to the race for governor,” Davis said. “The problem for Ron Sparks is that he always needs permission from a small group of insiders in Montgomery and they want a governor who will do their bidding, not a congressman in North Alabama.”
For his part, Sparks is firing back in a populist manner:
“I am seeking the Democratic nomination for Governor against another man who has abandoned the values that put him in Congress.
“My opponent, voted against vital health care reform measures. He voted to protect the rights of credit card companies rather than the rights of Alabama families. He thumbs his nose at the democratic leaders of our state and panders to right wing power brokers and big business contributors. He draws more of his support from Manhattan than he does from main street Alabama.
“[…] My opponent is a man who breaks his word and betrays his supporters.”
It’s difficult not to agree that Artur Davis is useless, but I don’t see why Sparks saw any upside in staying in such a fratricidal primary where he’ll be severely outgunned financially. I think this move shaved a few years off of his political longevity.
RaceTracker Wiki: AL-05
donors weren’t too hot to the idea of him jumping into a congressional race from what I read. Shame, Artur Davis is embarking on an “if I don’t win, I’m dragging you down with me” strategy.
Too conservative to be any use, too black to win in Alabama. But Sparks does seem to be trying to run the worst campaign possible.
I’m not mad keen on the Manhattan comment either. He may mean Wall Street, but Harlem is there too, and in a Democratic primary in Alabama, the last thing you want to do is create racial tension. Just say the Hamptons instead.
but this might force Davis into voting for the conference report.
While racial polarization in voting is still a problem in Alabama and elsewhere, I think it does say something that we’ve got a rural-friendly white Ag Commissioner running to the left of the state’s sole black Congressman, with both having at least some chance (no matter how small) of becoming Governor.
That said, neither of these knuckleheads are going to get elected anywhere if they keep sniping at each other in such a nasty way.
Hillard strikes me a Kucinich or a Pete Stark who might against something because it is not perfect. Forgive me if I offend anyone, but I am tired of that point of view.
on account of this brain dead CNN piece.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITI…
CNN has made it official. African-American politicians cannot be content with having >90% approval among African-Americans. Now, they must “thrill” African-Americans perpetually over the course of years or they are failures. This is going to be a tough burden for all African-American politicians, including Artur Davis. If Artur Davis cannot continuously “thrill” the African-American community until the Democratic primary, Sparks will win in a walk, or so CNN would lead you to believe. Again, 90+% approval is simply not enough.