Alabama
Opinion | The Alabama Democratic Party is exhausting
I am tired of the Alabama Democratic Party.
So tired.
I’m tired of writing about the absurd things that party leadership does. I’m tired of hearing about goofy, petty fights. I’m tired of watching grown people argue over who gets to captain a ship that sank long ago and is now burrowing into the muck at the bottom of the ocean.
I’m tired of the insane headlines. I’m tired of the ridiculous press releases. I’m tired of the never-ending stream of letters back and forth between the party and the Democratic National Convention.
Tired of it all.
The infighting within this dumpster fire of a party has been going on now for more than a decade, with the worst of it coming over the past five years. And all of it is absurd. And unhelpful. And embarrassing.
The past week has been a microcosm of the whole mess.
It started with a challenge from chairman Randy Kelley to the DNC over the selection of delegates from Alabama. It was a worthless letter, which of course contained a threat. Kelley said he would be taking a second slate of delegates to the convention next week in Chicago to “challenge” the slate selected by the Harris campaign.
I don’t know what this “challenge” would entail – maybe a Jets and Sharks street fight on the convention floor – but rest assured that the threat of it is as patently goofy as anything you’ve ever heard.
But then, that’s the way this party has been operating – as goofy as possible.
Because the leadership, with Kelley at the helm and vice chair of minority affairs Joe Reed pulling the strings, is constantly aggrieved. There is constantly a plot to undermine them. There is constantly a secret vendetta playing out, perpetrated by white people, to wrongfully wrestle control of the party away from their capable hands.
It’s ludicrous.
How far has it gone? Consider this: During a phone interview with me, Kelley called former Sen. Doug Jones a “confederate Democrat,” and then stood by it when I asked if he could repeat what he said. Then he called DNC chair Jamie Harrison “a token Black,” who is “afraid for his position,” so instead of doing the right things, Harrison instead “does what he’s told by the whites.”
Kelley said all of this after I said his claims of racism – which he made in his letter to Harrison and others at the DNC – rang a bit hollow, considering he was complaining to the Black head of the party about selections made by the campaign of a Black woman.
That’s how we got to this messy point, after all. The Biden campaign originally – and the Harris campaign since – denied several delegates put up by the state party and instead selected their own slate of Alabama delegates. To do so, the Biden/Harris campaign turned to Jones, Rep. Terri Sewell and Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin.
To hear Kelley and Reed tell it, the whole thing was a sinister plot by a bunch of white dudes to undermine the Black folks of Alabama. It’s a story that might ring true if you forget that everyone involved, except Jones – the guy who prosecuted the KKK for the Birmingham church bombing – is Black.
But the reality is much harder to take for ADP leadership. Because the reality is actions have consequences, and these are ADP’s coming home to roost.
Reed has for years now thumbed his nose at DNC brass, bucked the status quo and did what he felt was best for him and the group of people loyal to him. I get it, and on some level, it is almost admirable to watch a guy so brazenly go against the grain and pick Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama in 2008 and Michael Bloomberg over Joe Biden in 2020.
But such decisions carry political consequences. As do decisions to essentially flip the middle finger to the DNC on the whole bylaws issue, while simultaneously trying to eliminate the voting rights within the party of several minority caucuses.
The consequences of doing such things means you don’t get the trust of the folks at the top of the ticket. And if they can’t trust you, they can’t trust your delegates. It’s really that simple.
But never mind all of that reality. Instead, we have to get another embarrassing show from ADP. Another chance to make headlines for all the wrong reasons. Another chance to call each other names and denigrate people who are pulling in the same direction.
In the meantime, the Democratic Party in this state does not appear to be any closer to picking up meaningful offices in this state. Which is a shame, considering there are numerous issues right now in which the party holds positions that are most favorable with large numbers of Alabama voters. We could be talking about the amazing gains ADP is making among suburban women and working-class white guys and young people.
Instead, the Alabama Democratic Party is making headlines for fighting with … other Democrats.
It. Is. Exhausting.
Alabama basketball is set to begin conference play this Saturday, and the SEC is no joke this year. The conference just had one of the best non-conference showings for any league in recent memory, meaning every game will be a challenge.
The Crimson Tide’s first opponent is Oklahoma, who holds a No. 12 ranking in the AP Poll as one of three remaining undefeated teams in the sport. Coincidentally the other two are also SEC teams in Tennessee and Florida.
The Sooners are an interesting case, having outperformed expectations by starting 13-0, but not receiving any love from the metrics. Oklahoma started the season rated No. 40 by KenPom, and has dropped one spot to No. 41 despite 13 straight wins to start the year. The schedule has been underwhelming, with one solid win over Michigan but playing seven teams outside the top-250 in KenPom.
Oklahoma’s non-conference strength of schedule ranks outside the top-300, and the Sooners have yet to play a road game this season. Every game they’ve played has either been in Norman or at a neutral site, which adds an notable wrinkle to this game.
Another interesting note is that head coach Nate Oats is 0-2 in his Alabama career against Oklahoma. Both losses came in Norman in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge, once in 2021 and once in 2023.
How to watch, listen and other key information
Opponent: No. 12 Oklahoma Sooners (13-0)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 4
Tipoff time: 5 p.m. CT
Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Venue: Coleman Coliseum
Capacity: 13,474
Television: SEC Network
– Play-by-play: Jon Schriffin
– Analyst: Richard Hendrix
Streaming link: WATCH
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network
– Play-by-play: Chris Stewart
– Analyst: Bryan Passink
Satellite radio: CTSN on Sirius / XM 134 or 201
Varsity Network link: LISTEN
Series record: Oklahoma leads 7-3
Last Meeting: Jan. 28, 2023
– Oklahoma 93, Alabama 69
Point spread: Alabama -10.5
Alabama Statistical Leaders:
– Scoring: Mark Sears (18.0 PPG)
– Rebounding: Grant Nelson (8.6 RPG)
– Assists: Mark Sears (4.0 APG)
Oklahoma Statistical Leaders:
– Scoring: Jeremiah Fears (18.1 PPG)
– Rebounding: Sam Godwin (6.7 RPG)
– Assists: Jeremiah Fears (4.5 APG)
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The death of Kareem Badawi, an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Alabama, has left the Episcopal School community in Baton Rouge grieving the loss of an exceptional young man.
He was killed in a terrorist attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Eve. Another former classmate, Parker Vidrine, was also injured in the attack and remains in the ICU.
ALSO READ| FBI confirms New Orleans attacker acted alone inspired by ISIS
Who was Kareem Badawi?
Kareem graduated from Episcopal High School in Baton Rouge, where he was a beloved member of the football team. He formed a close bond with his best friend and teammate, Ethan Ott. The two carried their friendship to college, becoming roommates and pledging Sigma Chi together. Both students excelled academically, earning 4.0 GPAs in their first semester.
Kareem’s former football coach, Travis Bourgeois, fondly remembered him: “Why innocent people have to suffer, especially a guy like Kareem, was well liked, not a hurtful bone in his body. He’s a very kind, gentle guy, well liked you know, people went to Kareem because he’s a positive guy.”
On New Year’s Eve, Kareem joined several 2024 Episcopal graduates in New Orleans to reunite and share stories of their first semester in college. At some point during the night, the group became separated. Around 3:16 a.m., Ethan informed Kareem he was heading to Bourbon Street. Shortly after, Kareem’s life was tragically cut short.
“He thought it’s a big city and New Orleans would have parties … He thought it would be a good idea, and there would be a bigger party than Baton Rouge,” Kareem’s father, Belal Badawi, told the New York Post.
“The next day was the Sugar Bowl and he loves sports so he thought New Orleans was the place to be for New Year’s Eve. The New Year’s Eve is not what he expected or planned for and unfortunately he got killed.”
ALSO READ| New Orleans truck attack: British man among 15 killed in rampage
Ethan and other friends honoured Kareem by getting tattoos that read “KB 1-1-2025.” Ethan explained, “Now I’ve got Kareem with me forever.”
The Episcopal School community held a closed memorial for Kareem, with the chapel overflowing to twice its capacity.
Alabama safety King Mack is entering the transfer portal, per 247 Sports’ Matt Zenitz.
The sophomore, who transferred to the Crimson in the offseason after one year at Penn State, totaled 14 tackles in 13 games at Alabama this season.
Mack becomes the 19th player to enter the transfer portal, following quarterback Dylan Lonergan, running back Justice Haynes, defensive linemen Jeheim Oatis, Hunter Osborne and Damon Payne Jr., edge rushers Keanu Koht and Jayshawn Ross, linebacker Jeremiah Alexander, cornerbacks Jahlil Hurley and DeVonta Smith, wide receivers Kobe Prentice, Caleb Odom, Kendrick Law, Emmanuel Henderson Jr., Jaren Hamilton and Amari Jefferson and offensive linemen Miles McVay and Naquil Betrand.
Mack is the first Alabama safety to enter the portal and the third defensive back, joining cornerbacks Jahlil Hurley and DeVonta Smith. He is also the third Alabama player to enter the transfer portal on Friday, joining Jayshawn Ross and Jeremiah Alexander.
The former four-star recruit and current 5-foot-10, 206-pounder out of St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was ranked as the No. 93 prospect in the class of 2023, the No. 8 safety and the No. 23 player in the state of Florida at the time of his commitment to Penn State on June 30, 2022.
It’s worth mentioning that Alabama made a couple of coaching staff moves on Friday, including the firing of safeties coach Colin Hitschler––this season’s mentor to Mack. However, it is uncertain at this time why Hitschler was relieved.
Read More: 2025 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Offseason Tracker: Coming and Going
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