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Alabama politics is a stage, and lately, some politicians are starring in their own culture war comedy of errors—fumbling through performances that reveal how little they understand about the real work of governing. They grandstand about books, bathrooms, and bans while the state’s real problems—crumbling infrastructure, failing schools, and struggling hospitals—go unattended. It’s time to call out this political theater for what it is: a distraction from the hard work of governing.
Social issues don’t build bridges. They don’t fix schools, feed hungry children, or expand health care access. These issues are the great distractions of governance—they tear down instead of building up. And while Alabama faces monumental challenges in infrastructure, education, and public health, too many of our so-called leaders would rather campaign on outrage than roll up their sleeves to solve real problems.
It’s a familiar trick, and it works—for a time. These headline-chasing lawmakers have built entire careers on performative outrage. They bank on slogans and stunts to keep voters distracted. But the hard truth is: outrage doesn’t keep hospitals open. Slogans don’t recruit teachers. And stunts won’t fix the infrastructure we all rely on.
As Will Rogers once said, “The trouble with practical jokes is that very often they get elected.” And in Alabama, too many of our politicians have turned governing into a running gag—getting a laugh, stirring outrage, and winning applause without ever addressing the state’s real needs.
And when the cameras turn off, it’s the workhorses who keep Alabama going. They’re the small-town mayors fixing roads with shoestring budgets. They’re the teachers who spend their own money on supplies for underfunded classrooms. They’re the nurses and doctors working long hours to keep hospitals running in communities that politicians have long since abandoned.
As Thomas Edison famously said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Alabama’s workhorses don’t get the headlines, but they do the heavy lifting. They don’t care about applause—they care about results.
Alabama deserves better than show ponies prancing across the political stage. We need workhorses—public servants who understand that governing is about hard, unglamorous work. It’s about balancing budgets, building infrastructure, improving schools, and ensuring that every Alabama family has a fair shot at a better life. It’s about putting your head down and pulling the plow, even when no one is watching.
Here’s the reality: it’s two years until the next election. That’s not a lot of time, but it’s enough for those who care about good governance to start looking for candidates who can actually do the job. Alabama’s business leaders, civic organizations, and community advocates need to take notice of who’s working and who’s merely shouting. They need to take names and make a plan to replace the grandstanders with problem-solvers.
Good governance doesn’t happen by chance. It happens when voters demand more from their leaders—when we stop rewarding antics and start requiring accountability. We need leaders who care more about fixing what’s broken than inflaming what divides us. We need leaders who will pull the state out of its rut with hard, steady work.
The road ahead won’t be easy. But progress was never made by standing still—or by standing in the spotlight. It’s time to retire the show ponies and let the workhorses lead.
