In 1776, Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet to the Colonists titled Commons Sense. The thesis of the pamphlet was that common sense justified supporting American Independence. The Alabama Senate is not as important as the American Revolution, and we are not fighting a tyrannical government. However, common sense still has a place in our political discourse. Common sense, while in rare supply, is something the people of Alabama use often. Politicians often claim that they are the common sense candidate. They make this claim, but it is rare that they can substantiate it. This race is an exception. In this race, one candidate is plainly a better choice for the state than the other. Jeff Sessions rose to prominence in a way that few Alabama politicians have. He was one of the first, most vocal supporters of President Donald Trump. The President awarded his loyalty by appointing him to be his Attorney General. For a while, it was going well for Sessions; he had national recognition, a seat by the President, and his dream job. Everything changed with the announcement of the Russia investigation. This investigation led to Sessions losing favor with the President and eventually resigning from the Department of Justice. Now he is running to retake his old seat in the Senate. While he was a late entrant in the race, he brought name recognition and a history of winning state elections. Yet, he is trailing Coach Tommy Tuberville in the most recent polls. I am going to make the case that Sessions is the best choice for the Alabama Senate seat. There are three reasons why Alabamians should elect Sessions to represent us. He has exponentially more experience in politics than Tuberville, his falling out with the President is not as bad as it appears, and Tuberville would objectively not adequately represent the state of Alabama.
Jeff Sessions served 20 years in the U.S. Senate. During that time he was widely considered to be one of its most conservative members. One of the most important qualities that someone can bring to Washington is consistency. As a voter, I am confident that Sessions will go to Washington and represent conservative ideals. My confidence stems from two facts: he has been a Republican for his entire career, and his votes are in the public record. Sessions’ time as the Attorney General makes him highly competitive for top spots on powerful committees. For those who do not know, committees drive all legislation in Congress. They are in charge of marking up bills, and they decide when a bill will be given to the Majority-Leader to be brought to the floor for a vote. Having a Senator on powerful committees increases Alabama’s leverage on policy decisions. Another benefit to prior experience is eliminating the learning curve. It’s common sense, knowing what you’re doing makes you a better employee. In this case, Sessions has experience, and we as constituents can expect more from him right out of the gate. There will be no freshman delays for adjustment; he can hit the ground running. This is especially important because of the current political landscape. Ideally, the Senator will have 4 more years of a Republican White House and if things hold, at least 2 years of a Republican Senate. It is senseless to waste valuable time while the Republican Party is in control training someone who has no experience in politics. The best thing that Alabama can hope for in a Senator is someone who represents our state efficiently and effectively. Sessions previous experience places him ahead of the curve in this two man race.
The fallout between then Attorney General Sessions and President Trump soured him in the eyes of many Alabama voters. The prevalent story is that Sessions was not willing to stand-up to the Democrats at the start of their Russia investigation. President Trump has publicly denounced Sessions and his response to the investigation. At face value these accusations are enough to justify not voting for him. However, I would caution Alabama voters not to value a one sentence accusation over a two-page explanation. I’m not going to go deep into the details for my brief explanation. I do not speak on the former Attorney General’s behalf, but I do know that there is more to the story than what has been presented. Sessions made himself known to President Trump early by being one of the first supporters and contributors to his campaign. The critical issue is that he was contributing to the campaign. What has never been properly explained is why Sessions recused himself. There is a Department of Justice ethics regulation that imposes mandatory recusal on investigations involving a campaign that the investigator was involved in. This effectively left Sessions with limited options moving forward. He was bound by the regulation and decided that it was more important to follow the law than conform to political pressure. This is important for two reasons: 1.) It keeps the Department of Justice independent. 2.) It shows that Sessions, as the chief enforcer of the rules, does not think he is above them. In a perfect world, Justice is blind. However, this should not be an empty aspiration but a foundational goal of the Department of Justice. The Department has gotten a bad reputation in recent years because it has been viewed as taking political positions on behalf of the administration. None more obvious than when Eric Holder, President Obama’s Attorney-General, said that he was the president’s “Wingman.” Personally, I do not want someone who enforces laws on a partisan basis; it is bad for the government, and it is bad for the country. If Sessions had not recused himself, he would have continued this trend. His action alone probably does not stop the trend, but it is commendable that the actions Sessions took were against his own interests and in furtherance of the rule of law. As the chief administrator, Sessions could have ignored the regulation. However, he held himself to the standard that was expected of any other member of the Department. It was a decision that I am sure was hard to make, but it is admirable that he was willing to follow the law to his own detriment. This translates perfectly to the U.S. Senate. We as Americans should want someone in office who practices what he preaches. Respect for the law should be a fundamental requirement for an aspiring senator, Sessions fits that requirement.
The final reason Sessions is the best choice for the Senate seat relies heavily on common sense and who he is against. Tommy Tuberville has no loyalty to the state of Alabama. His only tie to the state is his time at Auburn. When he retired from coaching, he moved to Florida; not Fairhope, not Gulf Shores, not our state. The only reason he has taken up residence here is to run for our Senate seat. If he cared about our state, he would have chosen to live here. The simple truth is that he is using the citizens of Alabama. I hope every Alabamian really thinks about what that means. It should make you angry that this man thinks he can benefit from our state but is not willing to live or pay taxes here. Alabamians need to consider what his real motives are for running. He does not hold the state of Alabama’s interests above his own; he is using our state to obtain power. Tuberville has taken the easy way out every time it has presented itself. Auburn had a couple bad seasons? He left. Texas Tech? Same story. It’s not just his coaching record either. Tommy Tuberville was named in a lawsuit that alleged he and a business partner defrauded Alabama investors out of 1.7 million dollars; he settled the case out of court in 2013. He talks about draining the swamp, but he already has a swampy past. He talks about supporting the President’s agenda, but he is a known liar, just ask Ole Miss fans about when he said they would have to take him out of Mississippi “in a pine box.” Tommy Tuberville has not earned your support or trust. Do not let this man manipulate you into electing a Floridian as our representation in Congress. He had the opportunity to choose us when he retired, but he didn’t. Do not reward that by letting him be our voice in Congress. I cannot emphasize enough how wrong it is to vote for a man who would not willingly choose to live in our state. I urge the people of Alabama to really think about which candidate will put our interests first. It should be common sense; the man who actually wants to be in Alabama cares more about the state than the one using us for a seat in Congress. Jeff Sessions is not perfect. He comes with baggage, but at least he is one of us.
I began this article talking about common sense. Alabamians are smart enough to see through Tuberville’s fraud. Alabamians should vote for Sessions because common sense dictates electing an Alabamian to the Alabama senate seat. Common sense dictates that the man who has shown loyalty to our state his entire life is a better representation of our state than the man who would rather live in Florida. Common sense dictates that following the law is a good thing. Jeff Sessions is the common sense choice for the Alabama seat.
Daniel Chism is a law student at the University of Alabama and is a native of Winfield, AL.
