The Undisputed Winners of Alabama's 2022 Election...

Straight-ticket voting AND the most restrictive ballot access laws in the nation; which will once again block political competition in Alabama.

Most notable, even with mass straight-ticket and ‘write-in’ gubernatorial race votes (trumping up signature requirements to impede competition) was Dr. James ‘Jimmy’ Blake’s 3% result. This would suffice for ballot retention in most States. Some voters, who actually take voting seriously (didn’t mindlessly bubble-mark the Blue or Red socialist party) first learned of competition reading the Nov. 8th ballot when carefully considering the candidates in each race on Election Day. Indeed hard to believe, after being blocked for TWENTY years, the Libertarian Party of Alabama [LPA] was on the ballot.

The duopoly [Democrat and Republican Parties] wants the LPA blocked and forgotten again for another twenty years. They certainly benefit from straight-ticket voting in Alabama, one of the last with six other States to still allow this anti-competitive device. No surprise now a supermajority Red State with many politburo members who recently wore the Blue political gang colours under past, different ‘turf’ allocations in Alabama.

Thankfully a few in the media did have the courage and integrity to cover LPA candidates and efforts to bring political competition to the most anti-competitive State in the nation. Most notable to Gazette readers may be John Martin’s November column. Hard to imagine much improving in Alabama with straight-tickets (not candidates) winning elections for these two old, broken parties and continued success blocking others [like the 50 year old LPA] from competing. Difficult to take a candidate(s) seriously receiving millions of dollars in campaign contributions and/or highly paid lobbyists but won’t give voters a debate in their race.

By some estimates about 265,000 straight-tickers only voted in three [Governor, US Senate and AG] Statewide races in another low-turnout election where over 60% of eligible voters did not participate. Worst turnout for a mid-term election in 36 years; hyper-corrupt Lee County continued to be the lowest in the State with 33% turnout. If the media had done more informing/reporting, there may’ve been more participation given how many said they didn’t know there was competition on the Nov. 8th ballot to express their voice against the duopoly. Perhaps when poor jurists like Myron Thompson are gone and we have a Secretary of State who runs their office more in the Spirit of liberty and competition, things may change.

In closing, few things were more revealing of duopoly collusion (outside of explicit text in AL Dist. 79 Lovvorn race) than Democrats putting up a throw-away candidate for Governor but no Lt. Gov. candidate to trump-up signature requirements for ballot access; aided and abetted by Republican losers like Odle’s write-in campaign. All Statewide LPA candidates which earned more than 10% in their race would’ve retained ballot access in every other State in the nation except Alabama. Why did duopoly PACs press straight-ticket voting as Nov. 8th approached? Fear of the LPA breaking the most anti-competitive 20% barrier in the nation and having to really compete with other candidates on a more level playing field for a complete next election cycle. This is why the Blue and Red socialist parties in our State have little worry of being removed from the hyper-gerrymandered political turf they’ve agreed upon.

Postscript: Long-time readers may recall past columns about widespread malice and corruption at AU, including ‘All the Speaker’s Men and the Collapse of Auburn Athletics,’ ‘The Auburn Greed,’ ‘AU Horror Picture Show,’ etc. Professor Michael Stern, former and I pray restored Chair of the Econ Department, made numerous contributions to these important columns as well as major media articles which appeared in the Wall Street Journal and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Honored to be a Gazette writer making a difference in Alabama seeing it submitted in federal court along with the WSJ and Chronicle.

Stern suffered a four-year legal battle defending his (and others) First Amendment civil right to speak about important matters concerning the integrity of AU. The justice delayed, long awaited two-week trial commenced on Halloween in the downtown Opelika Federal Courthouse. An eight-member jury of honorable Alabama citizens found Professor Stern’s civil rights had been violated and most revealing, those rights had been violated with malice. Many pray AU will change course to the righteous path of this once great university. If recalcitrant, further prayers this Federal Court continues the noble task of having the courage and wisdom of justly shepherding AU away from their malice and greed.

Congrats to Prof. Stern’s victory on our behalf against one of the most corrupt administrators I suffered during my 30 years in academia. I did my best to get this corrupt Dean removed for his wrongdoings soon after he was installed, upon observing his malice against one of the top English Instructors in my college. AU settled to avoid airing a small sample of the pattern and practice of corruption throughout Auburn, made public due to Prof. Stern’s successful efforts in the federal court. In spite of past efforts to expose and remove this malicious cancer from AU and attenuate further harm, the President and legal counsel KEPT him employed as Dean to continue getting his jollies.

AU malfeasance has now cost students and taxpayers another $700,000 for this corrupt administrator’s malice who was reward with handsome paychecks and continued harming and polluting AU. https://www.theplainsman.com/article/2022/11/verdict-determined-in-former-economic-chairs-lawsuit-against-former-auburn-officials I forecast many future civil rights lawsuits against AU will be similarly successful at curbing ‘Auburn Greed.’ The corruption at AU from sham majors to ‘cluster’ athletes to an FAR (Faculty Athletic Representative) who did nothing when complaining softball players were being raped is despicable. Shame on recently reinstalled Gov. Ivey who’s allowed this malice to continue out of control for so long... of course voters have a long history of allowing a BCA prostitute of this sort harm college students with the tax-deferred college savings program scandal.

God’s speed on future civil rights cases against AU malice and corruption - esp. the one against the recently installed AU president which began when he was Dean... much like football coaches, the more incompetent/corrupt administrator you are, the more you get paid. Amazing how few seem to understand this perverse reward structure. I’m ashamed of what AU has become under our corrupt Governors, Board of Trustees, Presidents, Provosts, Deans, et al... Stern’s victory makes me hopeful sound juries will continue to discipline AU corruption and make it a place worthy for me to work again, Deo volente.

***Last month’s article was printed from my proof article which was not up to my normal standard. Did not mean to disappoint my readers!