An Open Letter to Artur Davis

Dear Congressman Davis,

Word out of the Federal City says you're on a short list for Attorney General. I'm of two minds about that, sir, and I will now humbly explain:

First, I have to touch on something tangentially related. On election day, I read the smug bloggery of Andrew Sullivan (don't get me wrong: I often agree with him and check his blog about a gazillion times a day), and I must admit: I got offended when he sarcastically castigated the Deep South and central Appalachia for its overwhelming Nobama sentiment. Surprise, surprise, he says. The racists voted for McCain.

Is he wrong to think racial bias affects voting patterns in the American South? No. It most certainly does. He is very wrong, however, if he thinks he's doing anything interesting or insightful or -- dare I say it -- particularly helpful in pointing it out. It might seem smart or bold or...something in P-town or DC, but everywhere else it's just chatter. Or no: it's chatter that, if anything, helps in some small way to further entrench the ignorance and provincialism that is at the core of such racism in the first place. And it also allows P-towners and Federal Citizens to pretend like that ignorance and provincialism isn't their problem.

But it is.

Here is where you come in, Mr. Davis. You have made it clear that you want to run for governor here in Alabama in 2010. My sense is that you, with your Ivy League pedigree and your Black Belt roots, have always had your eyes on this prize. I suspect that you always knew you would go out into the world precisely so that you could return with a well of insight and experience to draw on as you tried to break what have always seemed like unbreakable barriers.

The conventional wisdom is that no black politician can win statewide office in Alabama. An anecdote: Last night, I went to a high school football game with a man I respect and admire a great deal. He's in his late forties, Alabama born and bred, profoundly successful in area business, and white. On Tuesday, he voted for a Democrat for the first time in his life. That Democrat happened to be black. There is not a racist bone in this man's body and though he is a pretty reliable Republican, I'm pretty sure he'd vote for you. Still, we talked about you last night, Mr. Davis, and for what it's worth, neither of us thinks you can win. There are Alabamians like this very good man -- more than Andrew Sullivan gives us credit for -- but not enough of them.

Not yet.

So. A part of me hopes very much that the President-elect offers you the Attorney General post and that you accept. You are smart and talented and good. You will make an excellent Attorney General.

But then there's another part of me. That part of me is pretty convinced that you don't want to be Attorney General. You want to be the governor of Alabama because you know you will be a good one, you can see that your competition is weak, and you know that you can help your state --and your country and maybe even the whole damn world -- most if you try your damnedest to break that unbreakable barrier.

Sir, I have never volunteered for any political campaign. And, again, I think the odds are incredibly, incredibly long -- infinitesimal, even -- on you winning. It's nothing short of quixotic.

However: here is my pledge to you. If you run, I'll work for you. Stuff envelopes, make calls, knock on doors. Whatever. Here's why: if I don't, I'm just another liberal/elitist who sits back at a safe distance and points at intractable problems -- namely ignorance and provincialism -- and doesn't do anything about them.

There's obviously no shame in being Attorney General, Mr. Davis, and I'll be happy -- for you and for the country -- if that's what happens in the end.

But if you take the chance I think you're going to take...well, then, I'm ready to take a long, strange ride with you. Just running will agitate for change down the line, and there's nothing but honor in that.

Of course, on the off chance you actually win -- well, that really would change the world and I couldn't forgive myself for not being a part of it.