A Trip Back

The following piece was produced by Huffington Post's OffTheBus.

I lived in Huntsville, Alabama on three separate occasions and still have family there. I visit regularly as I still have two brothers, a sister and my mom living in northern Alabama. I was there in October visiting the region and paying special attention to the differences between my time there and now, something that usually escaped my notice.

The northern crest of Alabama, running the entire distance between the Mississippi and Georgia state lines and along the entire Tennessee state line and south about fifty miles to the end of Lawrence County comprises Alabama's 5th Congressional District, one of only two districts in the state with a Democratic representative, and has been in the Democrat's hands since 1897, despite having gone heavily for George Bush in the last two presidential elections. Robert "Bud" Cramer ran unopposed for reelection in 2006 and has won his seat handily with the sole exception of 1994, when he survived a difficult campaign. It's also the only district in the state with both a Democratic representative and a majority white constituency. The district has a couple of cities in addition to Huntsville that readers may recognize: Scottsboro, for infamous reasons and Muscle Shoals for some of the best pop music recordings of the 60's and 70's.

Huntsville, however, is the queen city of the region and one of the fastest growing metro areas in the country. Hostility to government spending is not quite as strong here as in other parts of the region. The city had some 13,000 residents in 1940, but developed quickly with the installation of Redstone Arsenal, a military post that currently houses the US Army Aviation and Missile Command (my father's employer for some 35 years) and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, and now has upwards of 300,000 in Madison County, the primary county in the metro area. It owes much of its growth to native son Senator John Sparkman, a seven-term senator and Adlai Stevenson's running mate in the 1952 presidential election. Electricity rates are about half of what I pay in New York courtesy of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Werner von Braun, whose name graces the city's civic center, was director of the Marshall Space Flight Center from its inception until 1970, when he moved to NASA headquarters in Washington, DC. To commemorate his departure, Huntsville held Werner von Braun Day, one of those rare public sightings I can recall, other than the time my brother saw him run into a Montgomery Ward's in flip-flops, swimsuit and a t-shirt to buy a chaise lounge. What a long strange trip it must have been from those days at Peenemunde planning ways to rain death and destruction down on England.

"Technology Defines Huntsville" is seen on streetlights adjacent to the University of Alabama in Huntsville, the region's major academic institution known for its technology and engineering programs. The effect of technology playing such a significant role in the region has made for a much more diverse population than one would presume in that part of the country. In leafing through my nephew's high school yearbook, I recognized names that could have probably traced their origin to five continents. The fastest growing local restaurant chain in the region is a Mexican chain owned by Mexican immigrants.

In my short stay there, the key theme regarding the 2008 election is dissatisfaction. Where I saw enthusiasm about the process before the 2004 election, I see little more than fatigue now. At the local Barnes and Noble, where a Bush voodoo doll kit was once a hot seller, it's now remaindered. I saw a few "Don't Blame Me; I Voted For Kerry" bumper stickers, but precious little enthusiasm for either party.

The sole exception was seen on Highway 72 between Huntsville and Florence, some 60 miles away. I counted at least thirty large "Ron Paul [no relation to me] for President" signs. Is there any greater evidence of the frustration here than that the only candidate seeming to have any degree of enthusiasm in a congressional district that, according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index, skews +6 Republican is for a Republican candidate who has almost nothing in common with his opponents or the national party and who calls for the abolition of NASA in a region whose development relied so heavily on NASA?

Comments

[rlehman]

Just southwest of Huntsville you will find Cullman. In Cullman you'd find lots of my relatives. Farmers of pigs, chickens and cotton. At least they were once upon a time. Pigs and chickens still yet, cotton not so much. The fields usually get planted with soy beans these days though the fields 'up front' still get planted with cotton every three years.

My family will probably vote for anyone that isn't a Republican this time around even if it means holding their noses and voting for HRC. Ever since the Reagan years they've been staunchly anti-Democrat. Now, the war has taken its toll and my cousins are struggling with health care costs and my uncle buried a daughter who's meth use killed her while law enforcement focused on pot plants.

Alabama isn't the most enlightened or progressive part of the world. But, they are just as tired as the rest of us.

[drblack]

I agree with many of Paul's themes ,but how can one be Libertarian and oppose a Womens right to her body?
I would vote for Paul over Hillary, but would prefer Kucinnich.

The restoration of the Constitution is paramount to recovering our former US democracy.

I would like to see a BIG shake-up in Washington .

[OrvilleHLarson]

The two (count 'em, two) main parties are worthless. There's not a dime's worth of difference between 'em, and they serve up the same jaded political hacks year after year.

Ron Paul, M.D. is a refreshing antidote to this bullshit. Here's a man who's in politics because he believes in issues and ideas, NOT because he's making a career living off the taxpayers' dime.

H. L. Mencken said that there's only one way to look at a politician--down. Dr. Paul's a politician you can look UP to.

[wadenelson1]

Welcome to Alabama. The outside temperature is a pleasant 72 degrees. Please set your watches back 50 years.

[Pdubya]

He represents the true conservative platform, unlike his neocon (hesitant to say colleagues) counterparts.

He is a good man with a stellar record, and more and more Democrats and Liberals are looking to him.

blue dog dem for ron paul

www.ronpaul2008.com

www.dailypaul.com

[Pdubya]

Ron Paul won the straw poll in Alabama after his event there.

Thank you for reporting this!

At the recent National Press Conference, disclosure of campaign finances was given for all of the candidates.

Ron Paul is third in net funds available for the primaries for GOP candidates, and growing.

The only GOP to increase percentage funding from 2nd to 3rd quarter, 114%. The others had a decrease percentage raised.

Giuliani, Romney, McCain, and Thompson all received less donations than Ron Paul in these four states:
Washington, Montana, Alaska, and Hawaii.

Giuliani, Romney, and McCain all received less donations than Ron Paul in New Mexico.

Also Giuliani and Romney received less donations than Ron Paul in Kansas and North Dakota.

These state totals only include donations over $200 so there are probably more states where Dr. Paul was in the lead.
49 percent of Paul's donations were not included
32 percent of Thompson's donations were not included
21 percent of McCain's donations were not included
18 percent of Romney's donations were not included
11 percent of Giuliani's donations were not included

I wish some of these states were in the early Primaries. But in Iowa he received $32,904 while Romney only received $33,515 after winning the straw poll.
That is less than a 2 percent difference.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t5OYUCWf7oa

It will be a good race.

blue dog dem for ron paul

www.ronpaul2008.com

[scooperss]

Doesn't he still vote with what bush wants all the way?