Sunday Focus: The Long Road to Re-election

A billboard along I-85 in Montgomery

     The Primary election is just under six months away, the General Election eleven months off, but Governor Bentley is buying billboard ads promoting his second term.
     At one point it appeared Bradley Byrne might made a primary run against Bentley, but he's in a race for Congress and will likely win a special general election a week from Tuesday.  
  

Sue Bell Cobb

   That leaves Bentley, so far, with no primary competition. And frankly it's unlikely a well-funded Democrat will step up to the plate either, though that could change. Former Democratic Supreme Court Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb hasn't ruled out a run at this point. Some commentators have said she is vulnerable to charges that she quit her state job in mid-stream and can't be trusted to finish a term is she is elected governor. In recent months, several Republicans have done the same thing, including Secretary of State Beth Chapman, perhaps lessening the impact of any criticism of the former Chief Justice.
     The Bentley campaign theme is populist and predictable. Nobody was ever elected in Alabama by saying they will raise taxes--even if that funding is needed. His popularity ratings are also high enough to fend off challengers.
     How will Bentley reduce government? State budgets have already been slashed to the bone,  If there are any government agencies with significant fat to cut, I don't know where they are.

     Bentley has resisted all calls to accept the billions of dollars in federal money being offered to expand Medicaid*. That would have boosted the economy and helped him with his more jobs pledge
     But perhaps Boeing will select Alabama for the 777X assembly site. Bentley will need those Northern Alabama jobs to make up for the 500+ TVA nuclear plant jobs being cut, as well as the 1,200 chicken processing plant jobs being eliminated by Pilgrim Pride.
     (*The Tuscaloosa News published an excellent pro-con piece on the Medicaid Expansion yesterday.)

[Sunday Focus is a regular feature of TimLennox.com]