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Multiple GOP’ers are telling the Political Parlor that Republican state Treasurer Kay Ivey is definitely running for Governor in 2010.
We once expected a January announcement from her. But parents and grandparents of those enrolled in the Prepaid Affordable College Tuition Plan (PACT) were outraged when Ivey reported that the fund was underperforming and would have difficulty meeting obligations. She bore the brunt of that criciticism, and in the process many have expressed the belief that she took too big of a hit to run for Governor.
But if the legislature can soothe ruffled feathers by making the PACT troubles go away (if they don’t, it will be a PR fiasco for more than just Ms. Ivey), memories may be short about this issue.
Short memories or long… right now, she’s running.
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I guess at this point she has nothing to lose.
But its a tribute to how weak the field is that Ivey still thinks she has a chance.
The PACT was really the only thing she is responsible for and it went completely south on her watch.
So pretty hard to argue she should get the big promotion.
But even due to the mighty “frontrunner” having such low ID, I would not be suprised if on the first she is ahead Byrne.
Which would be embrassing to him.
Really sad.
Will wind up in the “Also Ran” column!
Delusional. Most unpopular woman in the state. What, is Judith Ann Neely inelgible to run?
right now its..when can i get a bedford yard sign???
Just curious CC, why don’t you go for Sparks?
If Kay Ivey thinks people will forget about the PACT fiasco she really needs a reality check. She’ll get one when she attempts to raise money.
Several state legislators have told me personally that nothing – not one other single issue – has caused as many calls to them AT HOME as this issue. It has staying power and they blame Kay first.
The dogged determination of Kay Ivey to run for higher office in the face of abject public failure in a lower one is the most bizarre thing I have ever seen in Alabama politics, and I have seen plenty . . .
I understand Rod Blagojevitch is her campaign consultant . . .he promised Kay he could help her make people forget all about embarrassing scandals in office . . .
On a positive note, Kay’s Campaign already has dveloped some catchy slogans:
Kay Ivey: She’ll END GOVERNMENT GRAFT – by bankrupting the state . . . .
Kay Ivey: You Think This Campaign is OVER? Well was it OVER when The GERMANS bombed PEARL HARBOR????
Lucy Baxley: Empty Skirt – Kay Ivey: Empty COFFERS
Kay Ivey: The state budgets are way bigger than PACT – no WAY she can lose THAT!
Kay Ivey: Don’t worry – We’ll hire DAVID BRONNER and DR. HUBBERT to ACTUALLY run the state . . .
lol..i guess i just like roger’s style..but its still up in the air for me, prince…i would have a few questions for bedford about his thoughts for southeast alabama before my mind could be made up…sure don’t wanna end up with another bob riley, who btw hasn’t done much of anything for this area…
I wouldn’t count her out. Kay has hired Shelby County political consultant, Rick Renshaw, as her campaign manager. Rick is very talented and a principled conservative – he’ll get her where she needs to be in a GOP primary. Plus, everyone forgets how connected Kay is with Republican women across the state – they are well organized, come out to vote for their ladies (see Sam Shaw and Terri Willingham), and they love Kay.
I wouldn’t count her out. She has hired Shelby County political consultant, Rick Renshaw, to run her campaign. Rick is very talented and a principled conservative – he’ll get her where she needs to go in a GOP primary. Plus, Kay is connected to an incredible network of Republican women across the state – they are well organized, come out and vote for their ladies (see Sam Shaw and Terri Willingham), and they love Kay.
With all due respect, From The Woods, if she had Karl Rove running her campaign she would still be just as D.O.A.
She has to raise MONEY and given her current troubles she won’t get that from the heavy hitters. And the GOP women you mention just won’t be able to raise millions. They never have before. This isn’t a state auditor race where you can win with less than $200K. She would need $10 million IF she had a great, scandal-free record. With HER record she’ll need millions for political rehab.
It just isn’t possible for Kay. She needs a consultant who will tell her the truth: that it is time for her to gracefully retire.
More voters want her to resign from her current office than to run for governor.
In 1883, Ike H. Vincent was Alabama’s Treasurer. He speculated in Cotton futures, and when they lost about $100,000, he took off for New York. Does Southwest fly into J.F.K.?
If PACT is so damaging then Folsom should be very worried about his future. It was his program and he’s one of the Directors.
Did Ike run for Governor the next year?
Rick Renshaw is well respected in GOP circles, especially in Shelby County where GOP votes are significant. He’s run other statewide races very successfully. Who is running the campaigns for some of the other candidates? Rick will be a hard man to beat.
He ran. But not FOR anything except anonymity.
What campaigns statewide in Alabama has Rick Renshaw run?
Sounds like Rick would be a better candidate than Ivey.
Larry the Cable Guy would be a better candidate.
Bryne cannot not be happy. Ivey goed after the same base as him.
Far more important, her candidacy insures a lot of discussion of PACT.
And it will make it far harder for Bryne to get people to forget he was on the PACT board and went along with everything.
If Bryne had just ONCE raised concerns all the heavy stock investment or who PACT was using to handle the money etc… it would be one thing, but he did not.
And Bryne wants us to believe he knows business and how things should be run.
Then he should have been the first on the board to issue a warning. After all as the Riley crowd keeps telling us …Bryne is SOOO SMART!
princeliberty, you can’t even spell BYRNE’S last name correctly…so I would give it a rest.
I didn’t realize Rick had run any statewide races. Did he run Beth Chapman’s or something like that?
Rick Renshaw is a fine individual. I would never question his character as a Christian and a Southern gentleman.
However, I would question his judgment if he is involved with such an eccentric individual as KK Ivey. Ms Ivey’s lack of credibility as a gubernatorial candidate will tarnish the image of anyone who hitches to this wagon.
There were two moments I can remember when the public got really focused on someone or something and were stunned.
1. Birmingham trial of Richard Scrushy
2. Melt down of PACT program
Typo my bad. My apologies to Mr. BYRNE is regards to spelling his name. The rest I stand by.
Thank you.
I would still like to know about statewide races run by Rick Renshaw. I had never heard of him and I talked yesterday to the head of a major statewide association who had never heard of him which is very odd for someone who has run statewide races. Maybe the races he ran were lower profile, but the guy I talked to would have known Renshaw even if he had run a county commision or state rep race . . .
Rick ran and won Glenn Murdock’s race for Supreme Court. He has also run and been involved with a number of races at the local and county levels. He’s very tapped into Republican grassroots (he’s former chairman of Young Republican Federation of Alabama) and is a real up and comer among political consultants. I would not underestimate him — especially in a competitive GOP primary.
Is this the same Rick Renshaw who works/worked in the Treasurer’s office in Jefferson County?
Glen Murdock ran Glen Murdock’s campaign. Anybody else? To quote Ben Stein in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, “Anyone???? Anyone???”
You said “statewide raceS” – plural.
To anybody who thinks Ivey can’t win, think John McCain, down to single digits in the summer of 2007, nominee seven months later. This GOP field is astoundingly weak, Byrne is Romney redux with no name rec, James is a non-starter outside the conservative blogosphere, and Bentley is a joke. There will be some fix on Pact, and Ivey’s strategy will be to say that she stayed the course while others played politics. And how is Byrne going to attack her on PACT when he served on the Board and joined a task force with her to fix the problem.
You heard it here: by the spring of 10, when this race actually begins to matter, she will be at the top or near the top of GOP polls.
Comparing the AL races to national races is never a good bet. Kay has baggage that outweighs her name ID and is one of those candidates who people like better before the hear her speak.
Ditto with Tim James. Republicans better come up with a likeable informed candidate.
I’ve heard that Sue Bell switches parties and runs as a republican. Her husband lobbies for BellSouth and he can work her switch among the Birmingham business community. With their backing she can win and then defeat Davis in the general.
Good theory except she’s not a Republican and I doubt the party would qualify someone who has been wholeheartedly backed by the trial lawyers, AEA, other unions, and generally any Democrat with a pulse.
#29 here is the problem with that straegy: Kay won’t be doing the fixing – Bronner or someone else will.
She had ONE MAJOR RESPONSIBILITY in the public mind as state treasurer and that was taken away from her and given to someone else. Why are people OK with that? Because people believe DAVID BRONNER IS MORE COMPETENT THAN KAY. That fact lurks just below the surface and is very real.
Why promote someone who has been stripped of her responsibilities at a lower job? Obviously the strong implication is Kay can’t fix this, but Bronner can. She’s done.