By: Virginia Buchanan
November 25th, 2012 8:00am
The ultra-conservative Democratic party of Alabama does not appear to be conservative enough anymore. The election of Republican Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh to the Public Service Commission represents the end of an era in the state. Political icon Lucy (“I Love Lucy”) Baxley was the last Democrat to hold statewide office in Alabama when she was defeated by Cavanaugh.
Cavanaugh attacked Baxley relentlessly throughout the campaign as an Obama supporter on all the hot button issues. The stronghold that Democrats have maintained for years could not erase the accusations that Baxley supported same sex marriage and abortion.
Democratic Party Chairman Mark Kennedy, who is George Wallace’s son in law, agrees that the Republican party’s strategy of demonizing President Obama and mentioning him in conjunction with the state’s Democratic candidates has been very successful the past two election cycles.
“Barack Obama has been their worst enemy. He’s taken them so far left Alabamians can’t embrace what they stand for,” state Republican Party Chairman Bill Armistead is quoted as saying.
Edison Research’s exit polling conducted for The Associated Press and television networks showed 57 percent of white voters identified themselves as Republicans, 29 percent as independents and only 14 percent as Democrats. Mitt Romley was favored overwhelmingly by white Republicans and independents, and about 25% of the white Democratic voters went for Romney as well.
Virginia Buchanan is a shareholder at Levin, Papantonio. She has served on the Board of Directions of the Florida Bar Foundation and has been Treasurer of ABOTA, Chairperson of the Civil Process Server Grievance Committeee and has been a member of the Chief Judge’s Council on Children. She currently is a member of the Women’s Caucus of the Florida Justice Association.
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