Presidential race in spotlight

MONTGOMERY - The 2008 presidential race, which is billed as one of the most historic and important in the nation's history, is overshadowing other races on Alabama's Nov. 4 ballots.

"That's true all over the country," said Lucy Baxley, the Democratic Party's nominee for Alabama Public Service Commission presidency.

The hot contest for the open presidency between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain is demanding most voter attention - not to mention drying up money for other federal and state elections.

Then there's the dire economic news that has been dominating political conversation. The issue may have been muted by Friday's congressional bailout of the financial industry, though. President Bush signed the $700 billion bailout bill soon after the House approved it Friday afternoon.

Also, some voters are more engaged in Tuesday's municipal runoff elections, which are taking place in numerous cities, including Tuscumbia and Sheffield.

"Presidential races typically overshadow everything else, even more so when the candidates are so compelling," said David Lanoue, political science professor at the University of Alabama. "Obviously, the huge (economic) bailout has dominated even the presidential campaigns."

Paul Johnson, a political science professor at Auburn University, said presidential campaigns soak up a lot of available political money, requiring many candidates to go without the advertising they'd like to have.

"There is a tendency in presidential election years to pay less attention to local races, partly because there is only so much money out there for contributions" for ads that capture voter attention, Johnson said.

The presidential campaigns are taking so much money that there's not as much left over for statewide or regional candidates, which affects how they campaign.

Statewide Republican candidates are on a bus tour that is traveling to county courthouses for "grassroots" campaigning.

"In our opinion, commercials can't replace the value of a firm handshake and looking someone in the eye to ask for their vote," Alabama Republican Party Chairman Mike Hubbard said on the party's Web site. "We plan to do a lot of that before this bus tour is over."

Baxley, the former lieutenant governor and 2006 Democratic gubernatorial nominee, knows only too well.

"There is no money," she said. "A TV campaign is out of the question."

For the open PSC president's seat, Baxley faces Republican nominee Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh.

Recent polls indicate McCain holds a substantial lead over Obama in Alabama.

Besides choosing electors who will vote for president and vice president, Alabama voters on Nov. 4 will choose a U.S. senator, all seven House of Representative members, four state appellate judges, including an associate justice of the Supreme Court and a Public Service Commission president.

There are local races and a proposed constitutional amendment asking voters to create a state General Fund budget rain day fund.

Still, there's nothing to grab the attention of a voter like a presidential race with the first black nominee of a major political party and only the second woman vice presidential nominee of a major political party.

"Typically in Alabama presidential elections, unless there's another hot issue going on, there's not a whole lot of local attention," said University of Alabama political science professor Patrick Cotter.

"Most Supreme Court and judicial races are not terribly interesting, although they are important."

Johnson wondered aloud if there will be enough straight-ticket voting to help down-ballot candidates. He said voters traditionally vote for a president of one party and sometimes vote the opposite political side of the ballot for Congress.

There's sentiment for vote-splitting since Obama has spent a lot of money convincing voters he's "not a regular Democrat" and McCain is trying to convince voters he's not a regular Republican, that "he's a maverick," Johnson said.

Voters, in choosing a congressman, also could be influenced by the $700 billion economic bailout that became law Friday, Johnson said.

"By all rights, Democrats may have an easier time in the congressional races because of all the things going wrong with Republicans," he said. "But they may not reach that conclusion in the presidential race."

The presidential race probably will increase voter turnout in Alabama that has voted for a Republican in every election since 1980. That might help Democrats in races other than for president, Cotter said.

"If the current polls that show Democrats are going to win (the presidency) are correct, you may have closer (other) races in Alabama, but not enough to move things."

Dana Beyerle can be reached at (334) 264-6605 or dtb123@aol.com.