corporations have little or no tax burden, an agreement made to lure them to the state.
Natalie Davis, a political scientist at Birmingham-Southern College (and no relation), believes Davis has a “better than even†chance of winning the Democratic nomination, with current Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom as his nearest competitor. She envisions a scenario of divided black support, as was the case during the state’s primary race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Initially, at least, the more traditional and older leadership in the black community may choose Folsom out of loyalty and because they think he has a better chance to win, while younger, more affluent and better educated blacks will likely support Davis.
Putting race aside, Davis says, it will be difficult for a Democrat to beat a Republican statewide. A Democrat would have to capture all of the black vote and approximately 40% of the white vote. By her tally, to eke out a win Davis would have to more than double the number of white votes Obama got there during the presidential election. “That would be a major change in the way people vote. I think Davis wants to make history and this would be making history,†she says.