Renewable Revolution

December 13, 2017

SNIPPET:

Doug Jones's election is a moment of change, not only in Alabama, but for an America yearning for signs that these values matter in 2017.

Over the past several months, Jones has visited every corner of Alabama and worked hard to earn people's votes. He built a strong coalition of canvassers and phone bankers, deploying a strong get-out-the-vote operation such that Alabama Democrats haven't seen in decades. He was willing to speak to any Alabamian, no matter their income, their faith or their race. His victory speech showed his admirable desire and ability to embrace all Alabamians.

Jones's voter base represents the future of Alabama: an emerging coalition of black voters, LGBT activists, women and young voters. He won by offering these groups a vision that can help our state assert itself in the 21st century. We believe that he will be a strong ally for Senator Richard Shelby and state officials in attracting economic opportunities to Alabama. And we will hold him to his word that he will be a voice of compromise in an increasingly partisan Senate. In his acceptance speech, Jones called on the Senate to renew the Children's Health Insurance Program. We hope they will do so quickly, as many Alabama families depend on it. Republicans claim to care about children; killing this program belies it.

We hope that other Alabama's politicians will heed Jones's example. The last two years have seen far too many political scandals in our state. And as we saw from Moore's few campaign appearances, the Alabama Republican Party may be taking its voters for granted. We would all benefit from a better exchange of ideas, from politicians who court the broad center of the electorate rather than build a base that divides Alabama's people. Jones offered a new path for Alabama's leaders, Republican and Democrat. They should all walk it.

This kind of moving beyond party-before-principle was clearly in evidence from our Senior Senator Rep. Richard Shelby, who put country and state ahead of his party, urging fellow conservatives to write in another candidate rather than vote for Moore, and almost 23,000 voters did -- a number slightly greater than Jones's margin of victory. This was one of Shelby's finest moments and we hope will long serve as a shining example to his congressional colleagues.

This election outcome is tremendous for Alabama. We believe Doug Jones will be a fine Senator and move us forward in myriad ways.  But Jones's victory does not mean our state is suddenly not the conservative bastion it has been (though even in the hardest-right elections, about a third or more Alabamians vote for more progressive candidates.) Jones understands this, and will seek to represent all Alabamians. That said, the state is changing -- more urban, with a more diverse population, and those segments of the voting population carried the day for Jones. We are encouraged to see more young people engaged in our electoral and political processes, and urge both parties to find ways to continue this.

Full article:

http://www.al.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/12/listen_up_america_alabama_has.html