Alabama's Defeated Gun-Toting, Obama-Dissing YouTube All-Stars, Remembered (VIDEO)

Alabama's Defeated Gun-Toting, Obama-Dissing YouTube All-Stars, Remembered (VIDEO)

Primary season 2010 continued yesterday, most notably in the state of Alabama, where voters in both parties went to the polls to advance the cause of their favorite candidates. Once the votes were counted, the results identified the victors and the vanquished.

But you know who the real loser was last night? America. And this was driven home for me in this morning's first dispatch from The Awl's Alex Balk, who noted that Alabama's trio of crazy YouTube all-stars were the hardest hit in last night's primaries.

We speak, of course, of gun-toting Dale Peterson, Obama-dissing Les Phillip and English-language enthusiast Tim James -- all of whom filled our lives with whimsy and wonder with some of the strangest campaign ads of the cycle. Peterson, who raged against "thugs and criminals" and the removal of his campaign signs while brandishing a rifle, finished third in his primary race. So too did Phillip.

Tim James, who put out a bunch of ads that featured him tromping around his living room, yammering his opinions on whatever random topic crossed his mind, is technically still alive, pending the results of a recount that could tip him into a runoff with Bradley "Trust Me, I Really Am A Religious Nut" Byrne. So, yes, we are eulogizing him prematurely but you know what? Comedy works best in threes. IT'S A RULE, OKAY?

At any rate, these men from Alabama left their mark on us, and we'll never forget the lasting legacy they have left on the YouTubes. To do them justice, our own Ben Craw has prepared this moving tribute video to sing these men into Alabama's version of Valhalla, which I'm guessing is the Tillmans Corner Hooters at 5470 Inn Road in Mobile. Enjoy!

Video produced by HuffPost's Ben Craw

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