A recent television political attack ad against an Alabama gubernatorial candidate wallows so deeply in stupidity that it’s hard to imagine it’s not a satirical attempt to slander all Alabamians as a bunch of redneck morons. Or maybe its not satirical, but the folks behind it just think all Alabamians are redneck morons.
You need to watch the video to appreciate it, but the ad questions statements made by Republican candidate Bradley Byrne and his record as a true conservative because he (get this) accepts evolution.
A man’s voice that sounds weirdly like a cross between Beverly Hillbillies’ Jethro Bodine and South Park. Mr. Garrett says incredulously, “While on the school board, Bradley Byrne defends the teaching of evolution, saying that evolution best explains the origin of life?”
The man then adds, “He even recently said the Bible is only partially true.”
Pretty bad, right? But here is the truly awful part: the ad is paid for True Republican PAC, which received half a million dollars to target Byrne from the Alabama Education Association, the state teachers’ union and an affiliate of the National Education Association. Yup. Educators putting out attacks ads targeting candidates for accepting evolution.
According to the Montgomery Advertiser, via Bartholomew’s Notes on Religion blog:
The state’s powerful teachers union has given $500,000 to political action committees that contributed to an effort to attack Republican gubernatorial candidate Bradley Byrne.
…True Republican PAC, according to a review of campaign finance documents filed with the Alabama secretary of state’s office, has received most of its funding from PACs heavily funded by the Alabama Education Association.
At first, the union tried to obscure its connections, but once exposed, executive secretary Paul Hubbard, who is also co-chairman of the state Democratic Party, admitted to working with the Republican PAC.
I can’t believe there won’t be repercussions… Oh, wait. Byrne issued a statement in which he kills any sympathy I may have had for the guy.
As a Christian and as a public servant, I have never wavered in my belief that this world and everything in it is a masterpiece created by the hands of God. As a member of the Alabama Board of Education, the record clearly shows that I fought to ensure the teaching of creationism in our school textbooks. Those who attack me have distorted, twisted and misrepresented my comments and are spewing utter lies to the people of this state.
My heart still goes out to the children stuck in that woeful education system where educators and candidates alike have such contempt for Alabama citizens that they will cynically dime out their kids’ education for political opportunity.
