Alabama GOP Still Dominant Despite Challenges from Democrats
Democrats hoped to make inroads in Republican-dominated Alabama during Tuesday’s midterm election. They were riding high after electing Doug Jones to the Senate in a special election in December. That enthusiasm did not translate to victory as Republicans maintained all statewide offices and all contested congressional seats. We take a look at the election results for Democrats with Auburn University political science professor Ryan Williamson.
Interview Highlights
Why Democrats didn’t have a better showing against Republicans:
“Alabama’s a deeply red state and polarization is at such a level that voters aren’t generally going to cross the aisle to support Democratic candidates. The best you can really hope for is that enough Republican voters stay home to shift the election and that simply didn’t happen.”
Alabama Supreme Court chief justice candidate Democrat Bob Vance’s loss to associate justice Republican Tom Parker:
“The idea that this is the best shot [for a Democratic victory] was based on the endorsement of six former Supreme Court justices. He presented himself as a restrained jurist who would decide based on law and not ideology. But at the end of the day voters were still hesitant to offer their support for a Democrat and the connection of Tom Parker to Roy Moore just wasn’t enough bridge that gap.”
What Democrats can do to succeed electorally:
“I think it’s important to continue fielding good, viable candidates because upsets can happen. Much like what happened in the Senate special election last year and in races like Oklahoma’s 5th [congressional district] and Georgia’s 7th [congressional district] last night. It is especially important for the races at the top of the ballot because even if they don’t win, they can propel down-ballot candidates forward.”
Nepal appoints a former chief justice as interim prime minister and first woman leader
Nepal 's president appointed former Supreme Court Chief Justice Sushila Karki as interim prime minister. She is the first woman to head the nation's government.
Tipper Gore, Twisted Sister and the fight to put warning labels on music
40 years ago, musicians faced off against a Washington committee over whether to warn parents about explicit lyrics.
After 6 seasons and 3 movies, ‘Downton Abbey’ bids farewell (or does it?)
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale takes place in 1930 and is much better than the last Downton movie. Creator Julian Fellowes cuts back on the convoluted plotting and zeroes in on emotional dynamics.
A new biography zeroes in on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s superpower
The secret to his success isn't just genius — it's collaboration a lot of creative friends. Author Daniel Pollack-Pelzner interviewed more than 150 people for his biography about the Hamilton creator.
In 2022, the name ‘monkeypox’ was nixed. Now the U.S. is reviving it
The World Health Organization retired the name "monkeypox" in favor of mpox — since the virus is spread by rodents and small mammals and there's a stigma factor. Why has the U.S. revived "monkeypox"?
The suspect in Charlie Kirk killing has been arrested. Here’s what we know
The suspect has been identified as Tyler Robinson of Utah. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said Robinson's family members reached out to a friend, who contacted the Washington County sheriff's office on Thursday.
