We'll give Tommy Tuberville credit for either being a great politician or surrounding himself with people who know about politics. As a football coach he studied the playbook of his opponents and as a candidate for the U.S. Senate he stole the playbook from President Trump and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey.
Trump ran as an outsider who wanted to drain the swamp of career politicians. Tuberville did the same.
Gov. Ivey ran her campaign by staying away from the microphone and wouldn't debate her Republican challengers in the primary or her Democratic challenger Walt Maddox for the General Election.
Both were leading in the polls and neither wanted to be exposed by debating their opponents. Ivey said she was too busy being governor and working to bring jobs to Alabama to debate her opponents. It worked.
Tuberville has his talking points and he knows he doesn't want to get into a debate with Jeff Sessions about foreign affairs or how the federal government works.
Once President Trump called Sessions out, Tuberville pulled in the tent. He's leading by two touchdowns late in the fourth quarter and all he needs to do is run out the clock.
Sessions called him out Monday night in Brewton about his failure to show up and talk issues. I don't blame Sessions, people trailing late in the fourth quarter need a fumble or interception and Tuberville is kneeling on the ball.
We do applaud the Escambia County Republican Party for getting Sessions and GOP U.S House of Representatives candidates Jerry Carl and Bill Hightower to come to the Hourglass in Brewton for the forum.
We never thought Tuberville would show, but were pleasantly surprised that Sessions took time out to visit Escambia County. We knew Carl would be there, he's been every time something happens in Escambia County.
One thing we do know is that Alabama's member of the U.S. Senate and our district's representative in the U.S. House of Representatives is important; very important.
Whether you support Sessions or Tuberville or whether you support Carl or Hightower really doesn't matter. Support doesn't mean anything unless you take that support to the polls on July 14. Please vote.
