On Thursday's episode of Mobile radio FM Talk 106.5's "The Jeff Poor Show," State Sen. Chris Elliott (R-Josephine) discussed Alabama Democrat Party vice chair Tabitha Isner's recent comments urging liberal voters to take part in upcoming Republican primaries.
"She said the quiet part out loud," stated Elliott. "I like to see the conflict and the confusion amongst Democrat leadership. That's a good thing for Republicans, and they can infight all they want to. Let them go at it. But what the vice chairman is saying there is that Democrats need to try to impact and influence an election...It'll be interesting to see if they do that and if they show up and if they listen to her, or if anyone is really paying attention."
Added Elliott, "I think we'll have less than 10% voter turnout altogether."
The legislator argued that any effort from Democrats to sway GOP races towards less desirable candidates will be an uphill battle.
"I think the front-runners, if you look at polling, are really so far ahead that it would be unlikely," explained Elliott. "But it's possible that they could impact the elections. This is not anything new. Democrats in Alabama have been playing in Republican primary elections for a long time. That's not a secret, and that's not a new thing. Until we decide that closing primaries is the right way to go, and I'm not confident that it is, it needs more discussion."
Elliott delivered a parting shot to Isner.
"I think that Tabitha is going to find out that her megaphone isn't quite what she thinks it is, and that it doesn't have nearly as much impact as she would like for it to have," he asserted.
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