By Sherri Blevins
Tommy Tuberville, former Auburn football coach and current candidate for Alabama’s United States Senate seat, stopped by North Jackson Press (NJP) for an interview. Nathan Hall, son of NJP sports writer, Nick Hall, spoke with Tuberville about his decision to seek the United States Senate seat currently held by Democratic Senator, Doug Jones.
Hall asked, “What made you decide to throw your hat into the political ring?”
Tuberville responded, “ Everybody asks me what your training for politics is? First of all, I don’t like being called a politician. I want to be known as a public servant, as somebody who can go up and help the people from Alabama and the country in the U.S. Senate. I grew up in a military family. My dad was in the military most of his life. Unfortunately, he died when he was 53 on a military training mission. Right after that, I started coaching. I never served in the military. Over the years, I began to think that this was going to create a real void in my life. I love this country. I love the military, and I think we have the greatest country on the face of the earth. When I retired from coaching two years ago after forty years of coaching, I told my wife that I am still young enough to get into politics, and I think I can help because of everything I have learned about leadership, motivating people, selling myself, and getting along with people. That is what you have to be able to do in the Senate. You must be able to sell yourself before you can sell the state of Alabama. Of course, you know you must be able to be trusted. I have learned all those things in my career as a coach. I want to be able to give back. I want to go back and help the state of Alabama and our country.”
Hall then asked Tuberville, “In the last Senate election with some of the controversy surrounding Roy Moore, the U.S. Senate seat seemed vulnerable, and there was a large influx of outside money to support the Democratic candidate. It is likely to happen again. Are you ready to handle that situation?”
“Oh yes. I think we know what is coming on both sides even in the primary. I am an outsider, and I think we need more outsiders. We need people to go to Washington who have had jobs and been around real people and understand both the good and the bad. I told my wife and kids that if we do this, it won’t be like Paul Finebaum coming at us, it will be people coming at us from every angle. If they can’t find something, they will make it up. You see that in every political race. It is unfortunate. I am going to try and be as positive as I can while I am running. I don’t know anything about the other people running, but if you can’t sell yourself, why should you put down anybody else? I know what is coming from both Republicans and Democrats. I am an outsider, and I haven’t been in politics. I am strong. I am doing it for the right reasons, and I believe the people in Alabama will like what I have to say for the next ten to sixteen months,” replied Tuberville.
Finally, Hall asked, “ For the past two years, Republicans have had a majority in the House, the Senate, and in the White House. Obama Care was not replaced, and we never got comprehensive immigration reform. What would you say to frustrated Republicans?”
Tuberville responded, “ That is one of the reasons I am running. I am frustrated. Basically, my motto is ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. We had the executive office, and the House and Senate and still couldn’t get anything done. It was all about people doing things for themselves rather than for the people they represent. Our founding fathers created the constitution years ago. Thank God for the constitution. I have seen things now to where they are trying to change the constitution to make it work to suit themselves. There is no reason that we should not have been able to get things done having the House, Senate, and White House, but the president is an outsider, and the politicians fought against him both Democrats and Republicans. I don’t know if it is because they are jealous, or if it is the idea that we don’t do things like that around here. The president is a doer. He is a get things done kind of guy. Thank goodness he was elected, and we need to re-elect him again. He can get more things done than anybody I have ever seen. He is headstrong. He is an American. He doesn’t need the people’s money. He is going to do what is right for the American people, and I want to do the same thing. I don’t need a paycheck. I am going up there to represent the people of Alabama the way they want to be represented, not how a party wants to be represented.”
