Posted on 09/24/2002 4:52:46 PM PDT by Pokey78
American actor and icon Charlton Heston came to Alabama on Friday to stump for Republican candidates and raise money for the GOP. But he also left something valuable for Democratic Gov. Don Siegelman -- an endorsement.
Heston, 77, appeared in Mobile and two other Alabama cities Friday with most of the state's major Republican candidates, including gubernatorial hopeful Bob Riley, a Republican congressman from Ashland.
But the night before, Heston met with Siegelman and agreed to back the incumbent's re-election, the governor said.
Siegelman's campaign released a three-paragraph letter from Heston, who serves as president of the National Rifle Association, but made the endorsement in his name only. Siegelman's aides said they withheld the letter, dated Sept. 19, until Saturday at Heston's request.
"I am delighted to endorse your candidacy for re-election to the office of governor for the 2002 general election," the letter reads. "I know I speak for countless firearm owners and sportsmen when I say that your commitment, dedication and leadership on our issues is greatly appreciated.
"During you tenure as governor, you have repeatedly demonstrated your willingness to defend the very freedoms that serve as the foundation of our great nation."
Siegelman appeared energized Saturday morning as he discussed Heston's backing after surveying volunteers picking up trash along the Causeway during the Alabama Coastal Cleanup.
"Really, (it is) just a long history of being involved in conservation and hunting-rights issues," Siegelman said. "I didn't know that he was going to give me a letter, and I was pleased by that."
Riley spokesman David Azbell said neither Heston, who announced last month that he has developed symptoms consistent with Alzheimer's disease, nor any of the three aides who traveled with the actor informed the Riley campaign about the endorsement.
"It's strange that Charlton Heston would sign a letter endorsing Don Siegelman the day before he traveled the state in a six-seat airplane with Bob Riley while campaigning with Bob Riley," Azbell said. "I just hope Don Siegelman is not taking advantage of Charlton Heston, but desperate people do desperate things."
State GOP chairman Marty Connors conceded that the National Rifle Association probably is happy with Siegelman's record on gun issues. But he portrayed the endorsement as a "damage control" effort by Siegelman to blunt the effect of Heston's GOP appearances Friday. He accused Siegelman of attempting to convince Heston not to make those appearances.
"This is brass-knuckle politics. I think Siegelman got desperate, so he turned on the Democrat machine and did everything he could," Connors said. "Siegelman wasn't on stage with Heston. Bob Riley was."
Rip Andrews, a spokesman for Siegelman, said he is aware of no such effort to stop Heston's visit.
Political analysts expressed surprise Saturday that the Republican-leaning Heston would back a Democrat in a close race, but they differed on how much impact it might have on a race that is a little more than six weeks from the finish line.
"I think it's a very definite boost for Siegelman. I don't think it guarantees his re-election, but among white male voters -- which has been a weak area for Democrats in Alabama -- I think that's important," said William Stewart, a retired University of Alabama professor. "The timing could not be worse for Riley. Heston was just in the state."
University of South Alabama professor Sam Fisher agreed that the endorsement is surprising but added that because the candidates generally agree on Second Amendment questions, it ranks low on the list of issues important to voters.
"I can't off-hand think it's going to have that much of an impact on the race," he said. "I don't think it (gun control) was going to be an issue."
Andrews contrasted the endorsement with Riley's appearances on Friday.
"To me, it's another indication of what a fraud Bob Riley is, running around making people think he endorsed him," Andrews said.
Connors laughed at that suggestion.
"Voters get to decide who's more Heston-like."
It comes with success. The North was the rustbelt where all the jobs were for decades and decades. That expanded our cities and turned the states Dem. The south is successful now. When you get too many people, the same thing will happen. The things that make you successful draw the type of people that will change your state into an a less efficient, liberal society. But what can you do? It's a catch 22. You can't stay down so no one will want to come, but when you rise, everyone comes to ruin it.
The problem with Illinois is we had a Republican governer (the only Republican I refused to vote for in my life, by the way) who destroyed the prospects for Republicans with his liberalism and corruption. He put a moratorium on the death penalty, was corrupt with the drivers license deal, visited Castro, etc. There is a little bit of hope for this state considering that the other Ryan is making a stand for the death penalty in his campaign now, and the Dem that ran against George Ryan last time was conservative on the 2nd amendment and some other things. We just have to hope that the Dems don't turn this state into California when they sweep in November, and maybe when we purge this state of the effects of George Ryan, we can make a bit of a comeback in a couple of years.
You may be right. Perhaps with the fall of unionism, it won't turn the South liberal like it did the North over the middle decades of the 1900s.
Take Houston, for example. It's the fourth largest city in the country. The city limits are a Democrat stronghold, but the greater urban area is conservative. Look at the map of the 2000 election you referred to. Even the city of Houston wasn't enough to make Harris County into Gore country.
That's one thing that gives me hope about Illinios after the effects of George Ryan are purged from around here, and that is when I look at the map around Chicago, there isn't much blue there, as compared to a lot of big cities. Of course the first thing we have to do is do something about the massive Dem vote fraud in Chicago. We won't get anywhere as long as the elections aren't fair.
"Some" are from the South, more are from the other areas. Or were you thinking of great Libs like Zell Miller. Or, better, great Conservative Republicans like Trent Lott or Jeffords?
But maybe you want to give me a lesson on NW Florida politics? Always willing to learn.
We can enforce clean elections if we only have the guts to go to the problem precincts and stick up for ourselves. We are in the right.
We also need video cameras and the skills needed to tail someone through city traffic. :^)
Clinton isn't a liberal; he's an opportunist.
Gore is a chameleon.
Carter and McKinney are the only southern Liberals in the group.
Care to comment on Illinios gun rights issues compared to the South?
Video cameras are an excellent idea, and are an excellent deterrent. Heck, they probably don't even need film in them to work. Illinois law doesn't prohibit them, I am quite sure. Just set it up, and watch the Dems squack, but they can't do a damn thing about it.
Florida is the South. If you want to get that specific, I could hold up Indiana, Indiana as conservative as any area of equal size in the South.
Clinton isn't a liberal; he's an opportunist.
He's a liberal from the South.
Gore is a chameleon.
He's a liberal from the South.
Carter and McKinney are the only southern Liberals in the group.
Clinton, Gore, Carter. The biggest troublemaking liberals to affect and threaten America since 1976, all from the South.
Care to comment on Illinios gun rights issues compared to the South?
What about it? I said we have liberal laws because our cities are bigger. You made the claim that your Democrats are more conservative than our Republicans, and that isn't true.
But I have to ask you, why don't you consider Boca Raton part of the South? Demographically, it doesn't have much to do with old Dixie anymore, but I've always considered all of Florida to be part of the South. What else could it be?
Station cameras at more than one polling station close to each other and take pictures of the buses that arrive to see if the same buses with the see people on them are pulling up to more than one polling place.
It also seems you don't know Liberal from Democrat. Although the two words are often linked, I'll tell you that most southern, union Democrats are many times the conservatives that others in the country are. Hard working, church going, gun loving and more prone to enlist to support the military than most of the rest of the country. Just dumb enought to vote Democrat because their pa and grampa did.
BTW, you don't know much about clinton or algore if you think they are liberals. Neither have any principles, not left, not right. I've actually corresponded with one and met the other when he was not prominent nationally.
FWIW, I've actually worked in Illinois and lived in south Florida. I'm speaking from some experience in the matter. It doesn't sound like you are.
Go back and re-read what I said.
It seems, however, that most of them good old boy democrats are quite a bit smarter than you.
Good politics. Plus, I wonder if a Democrat who is endorsed by the NRA may not get a little.... nervous? I mean, what do the sucker moms and Brady types and the rest of the goofball Democrat base think about their candidate being endorsed by the NRA? Actually, I wonder if it might not end up costing the endorsed Democrat some votes.
But no matter what, the NRA certainly gets the ammo (excuse the pun) to say, "No, we are not a Republican organization." This in turn could help boost NRA membership, as Democrats may feel more welcome. And there is surely nothing wrong with drawing Democrats into the fold for some conversion therapy. Smart politics all the way around. But it is a shame that a Democrat has to get endorsed.
Ok, then Massachusettes isn't part of the North.
It also seems you don't know Liberal from Democrat. Although the two words are often linked, I'll tell you that most southern, union Democrats are many times the conservatives that others in the country are.
Yes, I'd agree with that, but they're not many times the conservatives that most northern Republicans are, which is what you claimed. Unions wholehearted endorsed Tennessee's own Earth in the Balance Gore. Believe it or not, there are many people up here that own guns, go to church, eat watermelon, make homemade ice cream, have porch swings, and a lot of other things you think is unique to the South.
Hard working, church going, gun loving and more prone to enlist to support the military than most of the rest of the country. Just dumb enought to vote Democrat because their pa and grampa did.
Lot's of Republicans up here have been in the military, go to church, and own guns so I don't know how you think your Gore-suporting Dems are more conservative than our Republicans.
BTW, you don't know much about clinton or algore if you think they are liberals.
Clinton wanted to nationalize health care, Gore is an environmentalist wacko that wants to get rid of the gasoline engine. Those are two of the most liberal positions that exist.
Neither have any principles, not left, not right. I've actually corresponded with one and met the other when he was not prominent nationally.
They are lefties, 60s hippies lefties.
FWIW, I've actually worked in Illinois and lived in south Florida. I'm speaking from some experience in the matter. It doesn't sound like you are.
Florida looks South to me. Is left and right opposite in your world also?
At least I know which direction is south and which direction is north.
Since I didn't recall making that statement, I had to re read our exchanges. What I found was that I did make that claim, however, it was a mistake in what I meant to say. I meant to say that they are many times more conservative than they are given credity for, and I edited poorly and proofread even worser.
Democratic politicians undergo a transformation as they rise from local to national prominence. Outside the cities and at the local level they are about as conservative as anybody can ask. Usually more conservative than national Republicans. But they sell out as they rise.
Considering that this was a gun/gun control related thread, I'd still go back and compare Southern states' stance on gun rights to most any others. Not as free as I'd like, but better than most.
One last thing: the congressional disrict regarded as the most Conservative in the country in 2000 was District 1 in the Florida panhandle. Deep South.
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