Will blue lightning strike Alabama twice?

The Primaries are quietly easing up on Alabama. Aside from perhaps a few local races, there doesn’t seem to be any hotly contested battles to grab the state’s attention. There are unlikely to be any Congressional changes and apparently no shake-ups in the few open state legislative seats. With an incumbent governor running for reelection, even that looks like a yawner at the moment, so the status quo looks safely intact. Or is it?

And who is happy with the status quo? For all the conservative talking, there ain’t much conservative walking. While Alabama has enjoyed some economic success, it is still hamstrung by woefully inadequate infrastructure, a flat broken budget process, and state government badly in need of reform. A few folks were indicted, some convicted, and others removed, but the culture of corruption remains tacitly ingrained.

Governor Kay Ivey deserves a mountain of credit for restoring normalcy and stability to a licentious, loony, lying governor’s office. Her single greatest accomplishment was getting the governor off the front pages and out of the tabloids. Scandal weary Alabamians were exceedingly grateful and relieved some modicum of decorum and dignity was returned to the governor’s office.

A career politician with a life long record of public service, Governor Ivey should be commended for being in the right place at the right time to right the ship of state. However, she’s not a reformer or visionary; she’s a place holder. And we needed a place holder at the time. But according to Montgomery insiders, she is a place holder for a recycled Bob Riley staff and now the default guardian of the status quo.

Other than rightly calling for a special election for Senator Jeff Sessions’ seat, she has not rocked the boat, so it seems she is skating to reelection. Or is she? While the Republicans gingerly treat her like Aunt Bea and the media sidesteps any serious scrutiny, does anyone think the Democrats will be as deferential in the general election? Or that the press will not turn on her like rabid hyenas if they smell Republican blood?

Not that old at 73, she is obviously frail in her rare public appearances. There is still lingering doubt about her health from an episode a few years ago when she had to be hospitalized in Colorado. Many suspected a stroke, but her campaign vehemently denies it as only altitude sickness. Nevertheless she still appears very scripted and stilted when speaking publically. Her handlers move her about carefully and yet there are rumors of embarrassing public incidents.

There is also ample gossip about her legendary imbibing and even tales of sordid lifestyle choices. The point here is not to repeat nasty chitchat, but highlight that Ivey is a vulnerable candidate not undergoing proper vetting in the Republican primary. Whether any of it’s true, you can bet Democrats will pounce on her.

Oh but in deep red Alabama, Republicans are a sure thing, right? Ask Roy Moore. Certainly always controversial, Moore ran a flawed campaign in the general election and was beset by unforeseen accusations. Every weakness was fully exploited by Democrats to narrowly and unexpectedly win a US Senate seat in Alabama!

While Alabamians are dutifully waiting for college football to resume, Democrats are gleefully awaiting Governor Ivey in the fall. They are gearing up to replay a Doug Jones upset. If Governor Ivey wins the Republican nomination, blue lightening will strike Alabama twice. We will have a Democrat governor on the heels of a Democrat US Senator. Dynamic and young, Tuscaloosa Mayor Walter Maddox looks poised for the win.

Republicans need to take off the kid gloves and the media must give voters an opportunity to properly vet Ivey in the primary. Is she healthy enough to serve another four years or are we looking at another default governor moving up from the Lieutenant Governor’s office? Her health is important, but there is a larger issue. Alabama needs vigorous visionary leadership to reform the state apparatus and move us beyond the stale status quo. Any of the other Republican candidates offer that and more. Let’s have a real Republican primary before Democrats scuttle the ship Ivey righted.

“But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

Pete Riehm is the host of Common Sense Radio heard 8pm every Thursday on FMTalk106.5 or streaming at fmtalk1065.com. Email him at [email protected] or on Twitter @PeteRiehm or visit http://peteriehm.com.