Yellowhammer has now been around for a little over a year. It’s been exciting to watch the site grow from a little-known “insider” political blog to the go-to source of conservative political commentary for tens of thousands of conservatives all across Alabama. We’ve also been fortunate to establish a solid readership in the nation’s capital. Birmingham and Montgomery are the top two cities for Yellowhammer readership, but Washington D.C. now ranks third ahead of Huntsville, Mobile, Auburn and Dothan.
One of our original goals was to give readers a peak behind-the-curtain of Alabama politics. In keeping with that mission, our first major feature released in February of last year was the Yellowhammer Power & Influence 40. This 40-person list featured who we viewed to be the most powerful and influential players in Alabama politics. It including elected officials, lobbyists, consultants, staffers & political insiders from every corner of Alabama state politics.
Once again this year, we’ll be gathering feedback from legislators, lobbyists, business leaders, consultants, staffers and a myriad of Alabama political insiders to help assemble the list. We’ll debate whose stock has risen and fallen over the past 12 months. We’ll factor in the differences between power and influence. We’ll even consider each individual’s ability to be influential compared to the frequency with which they actually exert their influence.
In a nutshell, The Power & Influence 40 really comes down to who in Alabama politics can turn ideas into reality, and who can block that same process for others.
Our only limitation is that we restrict the list to only Alabama state politics. None of our U.S. Congressman, Senators or members of their staffs are eligible for the List.
Here’s this year’s schedule:
Monday, Feb. 11: Names 31-40
Tuesday, Feb. 12: Names 21-30
Wednesday, Feb. 13: TBD. Last year at this time we took a break from the Top 40 to release our 2012 “Up & Comers,” a list of individuals who did not make the Power & Influence 40 but were up-and-comers to keep an eye on. We will again take a break from the Top 40 on this Wednesday, but I haven’t decided yet if “Up & Comers” will make a return. Another idea is to do “Fastest Risers,” a list of people whose stock has risen the most over the last 12 months. I’m open to other ideas for this day if you’d like to leave them in the comments or email me. What small list would you like to be included this year?
Thursday, Feb. 14: Names 11-20
Friday, Feb. 15: Names 6-10
Monday, Feb. 18: Names 1-5
The Top 5 from last year’s list can be seen HERE. That page also links to the lower segments of the list.
So let the speculation begin…Who will make this year’s list? Who will be left off? Who is on the rise and whose star is fading? Who would you like to see make it? Let us know on Twitter and Facebook or in the comment section below.