Jennifer Foster

I’ve received two news releases from Alabama gubernatorial candidates on President Obama’s State of the Union address last night. It’s interesting how these two candidates take different looks at the same issue.

First, from Republican candidate Bradley Byrne:

America cannot afford the spending path charted by President Obama and his Democrats in Congress. The focus must be on creating jobs, not creating larger debt.  A good government fosters private sector growth by paving the way, not getting in the way, and only then are jobs are created.

Alabama cannot wait on Washington.  We will not emerge from this recession by waiting for our taxes to be redistributed in the form of bigger government and more federal intrusion.  The challenges facing our home state are great, but our resolve is greater.  We will provide the right support for business and industry, we will train the best workers in America, and we, in Alabama, will create an environment that is second to none for attracting capital investment and allowing our small businesses to thrive, and jobs will be created.

And, from Democratic candidate Artur Davis:

President Obama’s powerful speech tonight showed that he has heard the voices of Americans who believe that Washington needs to reset its focus to jobs.  I also was heartened to hear President Obama endorse an idea that I have proposed to use TARP funds to shore up businesses who are struggling to survive.  Americans and Alabamians have already lost patience with a year of partisan bickering and ideological warfare.  I hope that 2010 will bring a practical focus on rebuilding our job base and on finding common ground on vexing national problems like the economy and health care.  As a candidate for governor, I will continue to prioritize my strategy to revive Alabama’s economy and to overturn the dominance of special interest influence in Montgomery.

I noted the tone of each of these releases. Byrne’s statement was much more aggressive, incorporating some of the partisan rhetoric Davis notes in his statement. Davis’s statement took a measured tone to the release, almost seeming to express relief that President Obama “has heard the voices of Americans who” want federal lawmakers and the president to “reset (their) focus to jobs.“

Byrne’s statement looked to emphasize his conservative credentials for Republicans and fiscally conservative Democrats. Davis’s statement underscores him as the pragmatist of these two candidates.