Alabama voters have a long tradition of sending politicians to represent them in Washington, D.C. that are not necessarily wedded to an ideology to the extent they would turn down federal money for projects back home.
To some, that pragmatic tradition contradicts the notion that Alabama voters are dogmatically conservative.
During a Friday appearance on Huntsville radio WVNN’s “The Jeff Poor Show,” former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2020, explained how there is a balance to be struck between the two, which benefits Alabama economically while not interfering with the values of the people of the state.
“I think I understand that,” Sessions said. “I really do. I’ve never been particularly confused about it. A United States Senator is a great august office. It’s very important. A United States Senator can, in fact, impact economic day-to-day activities of a state like supporting a military base. Or, if they’re going build a missile plant is it going to be in Troy, or is it going to be in Ohio? It is going to be built. It is not bad government to say ‘build it in Alabama.’ So, working with Senator Shelby and our delegation, we’ve had some really good success. You cannot tilt at windmills and ignore bread-and-butter issues of your state.”
“However, people want more than that,” he continued. “They want more than just GDP growth. They want more than even economic prosperity. They want a cultural confidence and security — that their country is not hostile to their values, that allows men and women of faith to be respected and exercise their freedom of religion in ways they chose not dictated by Washington. There are a lot of issues that go beyond just economy. But good Republican economics basically, effectively applied, will help create growth as we are seeing today. And in addition to that, we need to defend the moral and religious values of our people because if we move toward this ‘let the government take care of everything,’ socialism of the left, Democratic left, this will be a disaster for America. It is a big fight going on right now, and I intend to be a part of it.”
@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University, the editor of Breitbart TV and host of “The Jeff Poor Show” from 2-5 p.m. on WVNN in Huntsville.