The Nifty Fifty House Party - Part XVI: Alabama

Last time, I traversed through a state that straddles the line between the lower fringes of the Midwest and the upper tier of the South. Now, we travel across the state line into one state that clearly defines the Deep South...

ALABAMA

Alabama's early beginnings are very well divided into two separate stories, with its southern portion settled by the French, then settled by the British as "West Florida" before falling into the hands of the Spanish. Northern and central Alabama comprised "British Georgia" during British control of southern Alabama, and eventually fell into the hands of the Americans as part of the Mississippi territory. In 1819, Alabama, north and south, became the 22nd state admitted to the United States. After the Civil War, and a stint in the Confederate States of America, Alabama became known for its paramilitary groups and Jim Crow laws which not only disenfranchised African-Americans, but also poorer whites as well. The Montgomery Bus Boycott, in which Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger, sparked the beginning of the Civil Rights movement and the collapse of Jim Crow.

Today, Alabama boasts a thriving industrial corridor, thanks to its increasing automotive manufacturing base, which is second only to Michigan. A growing healthcare sector is evident in the Birmingham area, including the University of Alabama at Birmingham and its hospital, and HealthSouth, a rehabilitative health services company. Birmingham also boasts significant banking, insurance, engineering, construction and telecom industries as well. The NASA George C. Marshall Space Flight Center and U.S. Army Missile Command are key pillars of the economy in northern Alabama. Alabama's only saltwater port, located in Mobile, provides inland waterway access to the Midwest. The state is situated in the heart of the Bible Belt; a recent survey showed seven-tenths of Alabamians could name the four Christian Gospels.

As it has been historically with most Southern states, conservative Democrats (who tend to be economically progressive in comparison to the Republicans) control both houses of the Alabama Legislature, owing to its days as a pillar of the "Solid South" prior to the 1970s. At the federal level, Republicans run the show; the state last went Democrat for President in 1976 with fellow Southerner Jimmy Carter. At the congressional level, the GOP holds a 5-2 majority. With Barack Obama's presence on the ticket looking to put the South in play, conservative Democrats looking to add to its Blue Dog ranks, and Republicans hoping for a 2010 renaissance at the state legislative level, Alabama is starting to emerge as a congressional battleground in 2008.

District 1 (S-Factor 11.5 GOP): This district covers the Mobile area and southwestern Alabama and is heavily Republican. The incumbent is Jo Bonner, who first came to Congress in 2003 to succeed Sonny Callahan. The Democrat nominee is Washington County Democratic Chair Tommy Fuller. Prediction: Solid GOP.

District 2 (S-Factor 12.5 GOP): Terry Everett has decided to call it a career, throwing open his conservative congressional seat in the Montgomery and Dothan areas. State Representative Jay Love is the Republican nominee following a bruising primary and runoff. The Democrats have coalesced around Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright and have made this a top-tier race, but Love is an initial favorite. Prediction: Leans GOP.

District 3 (S-Factor 4.0 GOP): Mike Rogers represents the rest of Montgomery along with several areas of eastern Alabama including Auburn, Talladega, Anniston, and Tuskegee. A Democrat dark horse bid has emerged in attorney Josh Segall, whose fundraising has been fairly competitive with Rogers' warchest. The edge currently belongs to the incumbent, however. Prediction: Favor GOP.

District 4 (S-Factor 15.3 GOP): North central Alabama dominates this district, including Decatur and such towns as Jasper and Gadsden. The incumbent, Robert Aderholt, is expected to win re-election over Democrat attorney Nick Sparks. Prediction: Solid GOP.

District 5 (S-Factor 6.3 GOP): A dark horse bid for the GOP has emerged in this northern Alabama district that includes the Huntsville and Florence areas following the surprise retirement of Bud Cramer. The GOP nominee is Wayne Parker, an advertising executive who ran in 1994 and 1996 when GOP prospects were very strong. However, Republicans shot themselves in the foot when Parker failed to make it past the 50% benchmark and was forced into a runoff which he won last night by a lopsided margin (81 percent to be specific). The Democrats have recruited State Senator Parker Griffith, who falls along the same Blue Dog cracks as Cramer, to be their standard bearer for this district. Prediction: Favor DEM.

District 6 (S-Factor 24.8 GOP): This is one of the most Republican districts in the nation, dominated by many of the Birmingham area's affluent outposts and its suburbs. As a living testament, the incumbent, House Financial Services Committee Chair Spencer Bachus, isn't even facing a Democrat this year. Prediction: Solid GOP.

District 7 (S-Factor 16.5 DEM): Whereas the 6th is the reddest district in the state, the 7th is the Democrats' strongest suit, covering Birmingham, Tuscaloosa and much of the Black Belt including Selma. Incumbent Artur Davis, considered a rising star in the Democratic Party, will not be facing Republican opposition this year. Prediction: Solid DEM.

Next stop: Maryland.