Campaign 2010: 4 Democrats seek to succeed U.S. Rep. Artur Davis
Birmingham News – May 6
…David Lanoue, head of the political science department at the University of Alabama, said Smoot and Hilliard clearly have the advantage of name recognition as the primary nears. And Sewell clearly has the advantages that come with better financing, including more advertising. But name recognition in particular doesn’t mean as much in a House race as it does in a Senate race, because it’s easier to make up ground with old-fashioned shoe-leather campaigning, he said. The more well-known candidates might appear to have the edge now, he said, “but that remains to be seen.”…
Campaign 2010: 4 candidates hope to return U.S. House seat for Alabama District 7 to GOP
Birmingham News – May 6
…And David Lanoue, head of the political science department at the University of Alabama, said Democrats are unlikely to give up the seat any time soon. “It’s hard to imagine a Republican winning that seat,” he said…
Mobile still faces tough building market
Mobile Press-Register – May 6
…Alabama’s new construction figures were more positive, with a 34.3 percent increase in permits when comparing January to the same month in 2009, according to the Alabama Center for Real Estate at the University of Alabama. There were about 4,000 new houses on the market in January statewide, a 40 percent drop from January 2009, the report showed…
Farmer, Oxford council dispute use of city road
Anniston Star – May 6
…“It’s kind of the classic problem of democracy superceding the right of the individual,” said Norman Baldwin, professor of political science at the University of Alabama… While Baldwin understands the need of the common good to sometimes supercede the right of the individual, he said he was concerned Oxford was not offering any kind of compensation for potentially hurting the ranch’s business. “Basically, if this is kind of ruining somebody’s business, it’s problematic,” Baldwin said.