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The Spectacle Blog
I’ll let somebody not already enthralled with just-retired (term-limited) Alabama Gov. Bob Riley write the definitive piece, from a fresh perspective, about what sort of a choice Riley would be for president. With Mike Pence out of the race, though, a hole still gapes in the presidential field, and it is my opinion that Riley could fill it. It’s not that he presents the same profile as Pence — not at all — but that he could enter as a mainstream, competent conservative with a proven record of success and no philosophical weaknesses and no personal baggage. The only reason he’s not better known nationally is because he kept his focus on his job of serving as governor of Alabama, rather than scampering for the cameras and a national audience every chance he got. In other words, he’s not all about his own ego: He’s just about doing his job.
By almost all accounts, he did that job quite well. Many on the right and in the center say he was the best governor Alabama has ever had. I covered his first race for governor and his first term at close hand, and kept very good tabs on his second term from a distance. I was tremendously impressed.
The ONLY reasonable knock against him is that CATO’s report card gave him some bad grades before giving Riley a “B” last year. I love CATO’s small-government perspective, but it should mean nothing in Riley’s case. Why? Because the governor of Alabama has almost no power of the purse. Yes, he has a veto, but — get this — it is toothless. It takes only a simple majority in the Legislature to override the veto. So the EXACT SAME legislative majority that passed the spending can override the veto and put the spending into law. And for eight years, Riley dealt with overwhelming Democratic majorities in both houses of the Legislature — majorities almost entirely in hock to the worst, most outrageous education union in the country.
The result was that Riley was hamstrung — but, for anybody who really watched closely, Riley found numerous ways to keep spending below what it otherwise would have been. Here is the statistic that should really get the attention of fiscal conservatives: While boasting a balanced budget and a rainy day fund, Alabama still has the second lowest overall taxes in the nation. So if taxes are incredibly low and the budget is balanced and there is a trust fund (actually, several trust funds) in reserve, that is an indicator of a well-managed administration.
Riley has a sort or Reaganesque look about him, and he lights up a room in person and on a podium. His accent takes getting used to, but it sounds friendly rather than Haley Barbour’s “backwoods tough” kind of Southern accent.
Meanwhile, Riley did wonders for economic development, education reform, and ethics reform, and he did a superb job (without fanfare) managing responses to Katrina and to the BP oil spill.
Riley has expressed no interest in running. He is, however, the sort of person whom conservatives should be trying to recruit into the race. Such a man can only improve the field of candidates.
C S Lewis| 1.30.11 @ 5:10PM
You keep searching for "your" man Quin.
As for me I already have my man, er woman!
Sarah Palin 2012
BorderPatriot| 1.30.11 @ 5:34PM
CAIN/PALIN is the ticket that will win....
C S Lewis| 1.30.11 @ 7:12PM
Maybe Palin/Pence or Palin/Perry. It might take awhile for Palin's VP to surface but I'm sure she's working on it. I think it will be a big surprise.
Occam's Tool| 1.30.11 @ 9:27PM
'Bama has lovely people in it. If it wasn't for the summers, I'd think about retiring there---pleasant young people, great BBQ, and Northern 'Bama has Humtsville, which is a lovely city just about an hour from Nashville.
Betty| 1.30.11 @ 10:32PM
What kind of drugs are you on or who paid you to say all of this Riley is the worst Governor Alabama has ever had.
Dale Allen| 1.31.11 @ 11:09AM
Worst ever? A little bitter? Let's see, Gov. Siegelman went to prison, Gov. Hunt was removed from office, Gov. James literally danced around like a monkey. The list goes on and on but Bob Riley definitely wasn't the worst Governor. In my view, he'll go down as the greatest and he finally brought some honor back to that office.
Oldefarte| 1.31.11 @ 1:21PM
Betty no doubt is one of these typical moronic liberal DEMOCRATS in this state. Maybe a teacher and member of its LABOR UNION, and afraid of the upcoming purging of its/their ranks [along with the exorbitent pensions]????????
Steve| 2.1.11 @ 10:10AM
After living in the state for almost 15 years. Riley has done an exceptional job of handling catastrophes such as the oil spill and katrina.
However, if anyone has been watching the news about the gambling witch hunt that occurred just prior to his exit, they would see how poorly handled that event was.
I'll give credit where credit is due, and under Riley's watch, we've seen a Hyundai Plant built and operational, we've received contracts for Airbus, EADS, and Northrup Gruman, and Alabama is slowing becoming a world player in economics. I know that sounds laughable, but the state has truly transformed since 2000.
And to Oldefarte, don't be such a dick.
Oldefarte| 2.1.11 @ 10:58AM
Suck mine, Steve!!!!!!!!!!
Oldefarte| 2.2.11 @ 1:24PM
Ant to Steve, IT'S ADAM AND EVE, NOT ADAM AND STEVE!!!!!!!!!!!
Gasman| 1.31.11 @ 3:30AM
Victor David Hanson or bust!
Oldefarte| 1.31.11 @ 1:26PM
As one with a very similar kind of '....."backwoods tough" kind of Southern accent....', I'll say that Riley was indeed a honorable man/governor [compared to some of the other sleezbags that have ruled this state]; but I'd recommend him, not for president [although qualified, but his age would be a destructive target for the CHICAGO WAY Democrats], but for a cabinet level position!!!!!!!!
Dave | 3.5.11 @ 9:06PM
Keep looking, Quinn. Riley is a conservative only in the really big tent sense. One of his first acts was to attempt the largest tax increase in the state's history. Dire predictions were made by Riley if we didn't pass his tax hike. It didn't pass and the state instead had a huge surplus. Thwarted in his attempt to raise taxes the proper way, Riley resorted to stealth. He raised property taxes by ordering yearly appraisals instead of the traditional quadrennial appraisals. Those facts alone should dispel any idea that Riley is our kind of conservative.
Mel Burns| 3.12.11 @ 12:30AM
This article must have been written by Riley's campaign manager. He was owned lock, stock and barrel by the Mississippi gambling cartel and its chief operative, Haley Barbour. His poll numbers were in the cellar as more and more citizens began to understand his perfidity.
Dan| 4.28.11 @ 6:58PM
For every big business that came into Alabama during Riley's terms, at least one left: GE and Sony both closed their plants here. Plus the whole bingo debacle was such a joke, and he was the biggest laughing stock of it. Plus the first thing he did as pointed out earlier was to try to raise property taxes and disguise it as a tax cut. Alabama is a very poor state, and everything Riley did was aimed at keeping it that way. As for bringing honor, how do you reconcile that statement with the fact that he awarded the biggest no-bid contract in state history to a company (paragon) that doesn't even have a website. As for the oil spill, he forced AL into settling for way less than they were entitled. I know many Republicans, but not a single one who would support Riley.