By Craig Ford
Was anybody really surprised when Artur Davis announced that he is now a Republican and considering running for office in Virginia?
For the past two years, everyone in Virginia and Alabama has watched this man’s public breakdown. But in defeat, we have seen the real Artur Davis – a man with no principles, and no understanding of what it means to be a statesman and public servant.
Let’s consider how Artur Davis handled defeat compared to the other candidates in the race. When Artur lost the Democratic nomination for governor, he chose to leave the state and use the Internet to whine about the people who didn’t vote for him. He’s like a little boy on the playground who got mad because he didn’t get picked to be on the team, so he took the game ball and left.
Compare Davis to the man who beat him for the Democratic nomination, Ron Sparks. Commissioner Sparks lost the General Election to Robert Bentley. But rather than sulking on the internet, Ron Sparks joined the Bentley administration so that he could continue to try to make a difference for the people of Alabama. Even the top Republican candidates who lost in the Republican Primary stayed in Alabama and continued to be involved state and local affairs.
Artur Davis wanted to be Governor of Alabama. But what his behavior shows is that Artur Davis does not care about the people of Alabama. I doubt he cares any more about the people of Virgina.
Artur didn’t run for governor because he cares about the people. He ran for Governor because he wanted to go down in history for being the second black governor of a Southern state. No doubt, that is why he is starting a new political career in Virginia instead of Maryland.
His hubris was evident in his gubernatorial campaign. Artur Davis is a man who expected African American voters to support him just because he, too, is African American. But he learned the hard way that African American voters are just like other voters: if you want their vote, you have to reach out to them and earn it.
Artur Davis has built his career on cutting back-room deals with Republican-backed business groups and telling lies about those who opposed him. He turned his back on the people who he was once elected to represent because the only person Artur Davis has ever truly been interested in helping was himself.
Now the people in Alabama and Virginia understand what the political circles in Montgomery and Washington, D.C. have been saying for years about him – that Artur Davis has no principles, and will say anything to advance his own career.
Artur Davis did not just betray the Democratic Party; he betrayed every man, woman, and child in Alabama. I hope for the people of Virginia’s sake – both Democrats and Republicans – that they will learn from Alabama’s experience and never elect Artur Davis for any office.
Representative Craig Ford is a Democrat from Gadsden, Alabama. He has served in the Alabama House of Representatives since 2000. In 2010, Representative Ford was elected House Minority Leader by the House Democratic Caucus.
