By Chris Peeks July 26, 2002
Do you know one word that will get you beat in any Alabama election? I know you do but for the life of you, you will not be able to guess it. But if you ever use the word "change" the powers that be will show you what change amounts to, literally.
For real, candidates that run in Alabama would be better off with a message of "I want change anything if elected, "instead of "I want to change things. " Just a few candidates, off the top of my head, vowed to "change things" Michael Hart, Micah Messer, Robin Litaker, Brent Woodall, and Robert McCollum. You see how it turned out for them.
They had a whole lot of "change" dumped against them. The races were not even close in the run-off except PSC place 1 between attorney Brent Woodall and incumbent Jeremy Oden. I have got to give "Totin Oden" or "Mr. 51%" some dibs though. All of his races have been nail-biters going back to his legislative contests. Of course, it does help when you can outspend your opponent 5-1. That is the whole point of the article.
Now with that being said some of this is the fault of the Alabama voter. When they see one candidate dominating the airwaves and the political power structure behind them they should know that he or she is the person to vote against because they're going to keep the status quo. But they will vote them back in every cycle.
Just see the PSC rate increases days after the runoff. If that wasn't the biggest in your face to the ratepayer I do not know what is. Hey, I tried to tell ya. Re-electing Beeker and "Totin Oden" is like owning a hen house and rehiring the manager who let the fox steal from you for ten years. I understand a rate increase. Inflation is hurting everyone but 5%? Come on? The cost of living is only 2% and that's not keeping up.
The aforementioned candidates are just examples of people who sought to make a difference yet saw the big mules go after them with a vengeance of biblical proportions. So just remember to the next generation of Alabama politicians if you want to "change things" you better have some pockets with deep change.
Chris Peeks
Reporter and Columnist
Alabama Political Contributor
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