Common Ground and UA College Democrats hosted an election autopsy with former Alabama Govs. Don Siegelman and Robert Bentley in ten Hoor Hall on Thursday night.
“This was a great opportunity to hear from the most experienced politicians in Alabama and actually learn something about our political process,” said Sam McKinney, vice president of UA Democrats and president of Alabama College Democrats, which spans statewide.
McKinney said he contacted Jason Odom, president of Common Ground, to organize the event.
Odom explained that both governors were interested in discussing the election, and he described it as an opportunity too significant to pass up.
Sielgelman, the Democratic governor, believes the Democratic Party lost because its entire campaign was about Donald Trump.
Siegelman also talked about how the topic of education was not mentioned in this election.
“There were some issues that Democrats should’ve focused on, like education and high-paying, good-quality jobs, but we didn’t hear that from them,” Siegelman said. “I was hoping we would have discussed these issues. I believe we can make our state and country everything we want it to be.”
Agreeing with Siegelman, Bentley, the Republican governor, said he just wants everyone to be happy and work together to fix what he sees as the country’s lacks, such as good jobs for middle-class families and education for the upcoming generations.
“There is a lot of them [problems], and I don’t care what party you’re in,” Bentley said.
Bentley believes that while there may not always be agreements with those who run for office, it is essential to prioritize the people.
He also mentioned how those who run for office serve both those who voted for them and those who didn’t vote for them.
“You might not agree with them, but it’s their country,” Bentley said.
A major topic discussed by both governors was division and personal attacks in politics.
“What bothers me about politics is the hatred, and you get it from both sides but the same problems affect both the Democrats and the Republicans,” Bentley said.
Odom said he was most curious about how both governors started working together. He further explained that the UACD works alongside both Republicans and Democrats, emphasizing the mission to find common ground between the two.
Siegelman emphasized the importance of voting because whoever wins will determine what gets fixed. He also told the audience members they live in a real world with real problems that need to be fixed, and it can’t be done without facing those problems
McKinney said the event was valuable because it showed students that what they say matters.
“I think tonight shows that there are people that have held power that actually care about our voices,” McKinney said.
