At the national level our two major political parties are in the midst of a fight to see which state will go first in the 2008 primaries. Here in Baldwin County, we’re way, way ahead of them. We’ve already held the primary for selection of who will run as the Republican for the vacant District 32 state senate seat.
Yep, held the primary, narrowed the field down to two and are now working up to the run-off election on Sept. 11. Tripp Pittman and Randy McKinney are facing off to see who will run against the lone Democrat, former Pritchard Mayor A.J. Cooper.
Since everybody – except a few delusional Democrat diehards – knows the winner of this Republication run-off will be the next senator from District 32, the actual election is a non-event. But when I read McKinney’s and Pittman’s campaign literature, I think the run-off might be equally insignificant. The two candidates come off about as different, one from the other, as Tweedledum and Tweedledee.
Both are local businessmen. Pittman has owned a tractor company in Daphne for about 20 years, while McKinney has been in real estate for about a decade longer. Each has been involved in education, with Pittman having served on the Alabama Commission on Higher Education; McKinney is a member of the State School Board. Both have served the county at one time or another – lawyer McKinney as a part-time assistant district attorney and his opponent as a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission.
And they even look a bit alike – not really too close, but when both are seated, maybe close enough to be mistaken for one another – in the dusk with the light behind them. The most obvious discriminator I can come up with is geography. Pittman is from the Eastern Shore, while McKinney is from what trendy folks are now calling the South Shore (formerly the Gulf Coast).
At a recent public forum sponsored by Baldwin United, a non-partisan public interest group, they had a chance to explain what they stand for and why one should be picked over the other to represent Senate district 32. The debate offered up more evidence that there isn’t much different between these two conservative Republicans – the kind of folks Baldwin County voters feel good about electing – but for one subject: PAC money.
McKinney takes it and Pittman doesn’t. McKinney says his opponent is making much of refusing PAC money because none of the PACs – like the farmers and the insurance companies – offered to give him any. Turning down something you were never offered is a bit disingenuous suggested McKinney. Not the point countered Pittman. It’s whether you represent the regular folks or the fat-cat big contributors who are buying your votes on Goat Hill.
But let’s not give short shrift to the big issues brought up in the Q&A and the responses they elicited (even if the candidates are virtually in 99-percent agreement). Starting with a hot one: Doing something about the cost and limited availability of homeowners insurance. They agree – very important and the governor needs to call a special session to tackle it. Big-time concern too for fixing the huge imbalance between tax dollars raised in Baldwin County and sent to Montgomery and the meager amount that comes back to support county schools.
Protecting the environment and quality of life issues got lots of attention and promises to work for both if elected. Fix the state constitution? Of course, but article by article – no massive rewrite. Illegal immigration: pick ‘em up and send ‘em back as quick as possible. On term limits, each promised to seek re-election no more than two times – be public servants, not public employees. And so on. But the evening did provide some discriminators (beyond PAC money).
When asked how he differs from his opponent, Tripp Pittman answered that he is not the candidate of special interests – his first and only responsibility will be to the citizens of his district. Randy McKinney played up his connections and experience at the state level – never missing a chance to mention his access to, and endorsement by Bob Riley. The two candidates connected with the audience very differently. Pittman came across as a businessman working to bring his values and experience to a political position. This is clearly something new for him and equally clearly something that he is working to get good at – all the while capitalizing on his running as an outsider.
Presenting a much more polished image, Randy McKinney showed greater comfort playing in the political arena – more compelling messages and greater presence on stage. He projected the image of a politician seeking higher office, but convincingly asserted he is an outsider too – one already well connected in Montgomery.
It’s going to be interesting to see how the voters respond to these two candidates. My inclination initially was to give the edge to McKinney. But then I considered the voters’ rejection of three party regulars in the first primary vote. The losers even include the head of the Republicans hereabouts, Don McGriff. The other two professional politicos selected out were Albert Lipscom, currently a county commissioner, but perpetually running for some state office, and fellow commissioner and former Fairhope council member, Ed Bishop. Each may have paid his party dues, but none could collect at the voting booth.
Which makes me wonder about the endorsements of McKinney by Governor Riley and loser Lipscom. And the visible flow of PAC money to this same candidate. Maybe this isn’t what the voters really want to see behind the person they pick. Maybe it’s the kiss-of-death for candidate McKinney and a true outsider will be the choice – or not.
Contact Pete Gleszer at jubilee@lagniappemobile.com.
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