An Open Letter to the People of Alabama

The recent debacle related to the governor of our state has highlighted the impotency of the current state administration and the need for new leadership. Many on left will seize this scandal as a rallying cry in their efforts to drive the right out of power, labeling them hypocrites and all manner of degrading names, some deserved perhaps but others grossly hyperbolic.

I am a conservative. I am, to be more specific, a “Coolidge Conservative” rather than a Reagan worshiper. In Alabama, we have our own culture and way of life, a way of life that broadly speaking accords best with the values and beliefs of the right rather than the left. Again, our resident liberals love to rail against our “1950s values” and demand we get with the national program. Sometimes, I really wish we could find an anthropologist concerned with preserving the culture of the American South so we could be protected from this threatened extinction. Our culture is just as valid as any other and well, if you don’t like it here, there are 49 other member-states in this union you are welcome to move too. Otherwise, respect our way of life and our values.

But I would like to address my fellow conservatives with regards to the upcoming race for the governor’s mansion in 2018. Of course we do not currently have any official candidates making a bid, but all of the names floating around so far are disappointing. Most of them have been “positioning” themselves for years, and taking the office is more of a prize than anything else. The problem with the Alabama’s conservative politics lies in our average requirements. Want to be elected as a Republican in Alabama? Just check off the list- Christian, grow up on a farm, be extremely southern and family friendly, smile and present the image of the all-American guy next door. I have nothing against being Christian, southern or growing up on a farm. In fact, all three of these apply to me. But I will not vote for someone based on these criteria.

So, you may be asking, what should we look for, as conservatives, in our choice for the next governor of our state? Well, we cannot settle for smiles, Sunday school humor and cute kids. We need substance, we need leadership. Alabama is hurting in so many ways at the hands of a doctor guilty of mass malpractice. We need someone to rise above the mess, and find the solutions.

Here’s my wish list, in no particular order and of varying importance:

Young and Intelligent

What does age have to do with who is best qualified? A great deal, actually. While normally, age is associated with wisdom and experience, there are times when youth is actually what we need. In our current situation, we need someone fresh and young, who has the passion to leave his state better off his last day in office than he found it on his first. We need energy, we need the next generation taking the special task of leading. We need someone who hasn't been around long enough to find himself entangled in the web of career poltics that plague our government.

Youth, however, must be accompanied with intelligence. Age brings experience, so a young governor must bring his smarts with him to compensate for his deficiency in this area. I want a conservative who is articulate, who knows how to solve problems and who knows what battles to fight and what battles to avoid. And who, if we do have to fight, knows how to win

Statesmanship

That our next governor must be a statesman is absolutely non-negotiable. The ax has been laid to root of the political tree in this country, and politicians are finding their comfortable world rocked. Statesmen value people over party and are skilled in the art of building a consensus without compromising principles.

Moral Integrity

In light of the Bentley scandal, this quality is more important than ever. We have to be able to trust in the basic decency of our officials, whichever side of the isle they may fall on.

Prioritized

Our next governor must have the right priorities, the first of which should simply be the welfare of the state of Alabama and putting the people first. While he should have a vision for his state, a statesmen should not be agenda driven. A good leader will not sacrifice his people on his personal ideological altar. This cuts in a host of different directions. For this reason, our next governor must not only be fully pro-life, but have the will and the guts to end the horror of infanticide in our state.

Libertarian or Libertarianesque

Conservatism as we know it is dying. The only way the ideals it represents can survive is by joining the Libertarian movement for the common ground of small government and free market economics. In exchange, conservatives will have to be fine with ending the drug war, getting the government completely out of marriage and not (in practice or in actuality) promoting a civil religion. Instead, we can promote a small government with a hands-off economic approach and allow our communities to build a culture of virtue from the ground up rather than impose it from the top down.

Bearded.

Let’s be real, can you seriously picture these qualities without picturing a bearded gentleman? If so, then you’re doing it wrong. Okay, I’m joking but come on, we all need a good laugh right now.

So, will my wish list be granted? Well, that depends on two things. One, such a candidate needs to run and, two, we the voters need to vote for him. And this should apply all the way down the ballot, not just for the governor’s office.

Alabama is a conservative state. That’s our right and our privilege. But we need to be an intelligent state as well, and an example of what happens when the free market is actually free, life is valued and people have the freedom and the ability to exercise their rights. We need to be an example of strong and effective leadership that leads to a free and virtuous society.

I sincerely hope we will have someone worth voting for come 2018. I’m not looking for perfection, just someone who is right for the task. Alabama, let’s shake off the rust of crony Republicans, resist the oppression of the progressive agenda and work together to leave our children an Alabama go boldly forward into the 21st Century but embracing its unique culture and heritage.