Another lesson for those who are overtly partisan and delusional in Alabama politics (to a certain extent Southern politics)

I'm so sick and tired of talking about the whole hoopla over the ANSC endorsement of Alabama Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ron Sparks over Artur Davis.  First thing first, at this point I honestly don't care either way since I'm absolutely convinced that the Alabama Democratic Party (ADP) is well on its way to collapse.  Secondly, I'm moving out of Alabama (likely to Metro Atlanta soon), so it is what it is in my opinion of how effective or aligned to the interests of certain groups either candidate is.  However, it seems like it is time (yet again) for another rant on partisanship over pragmatism along with other elements at work.

Let's get one thing straight, although I do agree with some things in principle on Artur Davis' positions, I don't care to vote for him because he is who he is, a politician and lawyer.  Now let's get to the point.  Davis is a pragmatist who knows that within the toxic political culture of Alabama you must be a Democrat yet not a typical Democrat.  Also if you are a black politician then you must not be a typical black politician, thus his positions and opinions on individual issues and items may differentiate in a variety of ways.  Regardless, a pragmatist in principle will take the realist approach to things on issues and vote with their head with conscientous influenced decisons.  When examining Davis from an objective perspective, the man is a moderate black politico with progressive leanings on certain issues.  His evolution into this wasn't subtle nor overt, but he has always been a moderate, but his progressive leanings exist only in a political vacuum where his record isn't the only spotlit upon.  I disgress, Davis has more likelihood of making it in the Alabama Gubernatorial General Election over Ron Sparks.  For the record, Sparks is very conservative Democrat, whose pragmatism is virtually nonexistant since he talks out of both sides of his mouth and doesn't seem to show a true stance on any political issues aside from ones already laid out by Davis or hot topic ones such as gambling, which has been the talk of Alabama for nearly year now.

The partisanship issues within the ADP isn't one unique to any Southern state, but it is one that is very problematic.  Alabama has one of the highest number of black politicos in proportion to its black population, yet most of those black politicos are pseudo-progressives and the rest flat out conservative black Democrats.  They are all products of the Alabama Democratic Coalition (ADC) and the more recent additions are products of both ADC and ANSC (Alabama New South Coalition).  These groups maybe increment in reaching certain segments of the black population who doesn't follow politics as closely as myself, they are reluctance to show any real fortitude to work towards making the state a more progressive environment.  Instead they hold their power over the heads of the majority of Alabama black legislators and politicos, thus telling them to fundamentally "waiting their turn" to make waves in the water.  It shows what is really wrong with them.  The few who doesn't show any allegiance are practically invisible outside of their respective districts since they would rather enjoy making it to the Alabama Legislature and its fringe benefits than making increment changes during the regular legislative sessions annually needed to move the state forward. This holds back black politicos who are more progressive and willing to take a chance and attempt make major strides towards producing a more progressive and fiscally conservative Alabama

Even further within that partisanship void lays 2 additional problems: racial identity and stance on social issues.  Overall, the ADP is a rural-oriented, socially conservative group of individuals that are mostly white.  However, with even further examination on that, the racial dynamics of the party is horrible to say the least.  In a recent vote to Alabama to block the enforcement of the federal health care reform law, the vote was clearly racial with all the white Democrats voting for it and all the black Democrats voting against. It shows the sift within the ADP on racialized issues such a health care reform, removing racist language from the state's archaic state constitution among other things.  Social issues within Alabama (and the rest of the South) are very racialized due to the whole "welfare queen" mantra.  Most white Democrats are still those who fall into this void of being manipulated by these issues and will vote against their own economic and social interest all due to this racialized undercurrent.  What's even more embarrassing is the notion that black Democrats will do this as well (with those aforementioned groups of ADC and ANSC) by playing up the notion of an outsider is not to be trusted and have malevolent intentions of obtaining public office in a predominately black district. This sift is clear and obvious to the most objective and attentive analysts of political and social issues.

Alabama is held back more predominately due to the Southern influence of covert racial cues used to play up the bases and unsettle the uninformed.  The main culprits of this are Alabama Democrats more so than Republicans because the Democrats control both houses of the state legislative body.  In conclusion, like all other Southern states, Alabama's Democratic Party will have a catharsis of this obviously toxic elements from power within its leadership position since they have brought nothing but status quo.  It's not going to change until that occurs...