ipl-logo

Bob Riley Profiles In Courage

722 Words3 Pages

“Profiles In courage” is a book written by the then senator, John F. Kennedy where he highlights American politicians who went against the flow and against their own party to do what they thought was right. Their actions were actions of political courage. While it is common for politicians to go with the wind in a bid to get reelected, some have shown the spirit of true service, at the expense of political expediency. One such individual would be Alabama’s governor Bob Riley who was elected on a Republican ticket in 2002. During his campaigns, he aimed at appealing to the upper and middle-class of society. However, after election, he appeared to be ‘kicking back’ at the same people who supports him. While governor, he realized that Alabama …show more content…

Riley faced opposition from many quarters, with the leading opponents being industries and farms who thought they would have more taxes levied on them. His own party’s steering committee opposed his decision. As indicated before, the people of Alabama did not want government interference and were anti-tax. Hence, the opposition that Riley received was massive. However, he did have some support, especially from schools which would benefit from his plan. Business advocates also supported him, with some launching grassroots organizations to support Riley’s decision. The parties that supported Riley include progressive non-profit groups that saw the need to have changes made in the Alabama taxing system and saw it as an opportunity for Alabama to invest in better education and government …show more content…

These opponents based their campaign on the complexity of the plan, to convince people that taxes would go up. However, the major risk he stood was losing ratings and support from the people he hoped to govern. His predecessor, Suegelman who had come into office promising to bring change in schools through operating a state lottery. His proposition required a referendum, with supporter and opponents taking it to a bitter campaign that led to the failure of the measure. Siegelman had given up after failing to provide another alternative, and had hence been defeated by Riley. Hence, from Siegelman’s experience, Riley’s decision could also be suicidal to

Show More
Related

  • How Did The Fall Of Richard Baker

    749 Words  | 3 Pages

    To go across the grain, instead of with, is not an easy task. Many political leaders in history have gone against the grain, in a sense. They have gone against all odds and done what they think is right rather than do the more popular, appealing thing. Sometimes they come out on top, however, others fall behind. One who did not fall behind was Tennessee Republican Senator Howard Baker.

    Read More

  • Edward Murrow: Moral Courage In My Connotation

    489 Words  | 2 Pages

    Moral Courage in my connotation, is the ability to act truthfully and wholly just in the midst of turmoil, as well as unpopular public opinion. I find Edward Murrow to be a prime example of moral courage. Edward Murrow was a reporter during the McCarthy era, as well as the host of the NBC show “See it now.” Edward Murrow took on a seemingly corrupt government in the name of justice as well as the preservation of the proletariat, despite the government being his own. Edward Murrow has shown plausible measures of moral courage from attacking McCarthy, as well as offering an airing of his rebuttal.

    Read More

  • Rick Perry Consequences

    442 Words  | 2 Pages

    Rick Perry, governor of Texas for the past 15 years, announced his campaign for president with the quote “We must do right and risk the consequences”. Perry stated this within a quote slightly directed to President Obama, footing how he seems separated from the rest of government and yada yada politics. The reason I chose this quote was not just how it equates to our current political standing, but how doing the right thing has its consequences. As such, I find the reason that a backlash exists to what 's right is because any view, right or wrong, will challenge someone as wrong, and no one wants to be wrong.

    Read More

  • How Did Eugene Talmadge Contribute To Government

    507 Words  | 3 Pages

    Eugene Talmadge was born in Forsyth, Georgia on September 23, 1884. He was the 67th governor in Georgia. He was a democratic politician who served four years in his first term He from 1933-1937. He was elected as governor four different times. His third time being elected he was in office for two years.

    Read More

  • Opposition To Civil Rights Essay

    1111 Words  | 5 Pages

    Also, in the amendments that had been made, they promised change but in reality change didn’t always occur, and this was due to the people, who didn’t support African American’s. Opposition is also seen from the Supreme Court, however, it was not always predominantly opposition, as support for African American’s was also seen very often. One form of opposition that occurred was by the

    Read More

  • 15 Amendment Research Paper

    563 Words  | 3 Pages

    The 15th Amendment (Amendment XV), which gave African-American men the right to vote, was inserted into the U.S. Constitution on March 30, 1870. Passed by Congress the year before, the amendment says, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” Although the amendment was passed in the late 1870s, many racist practices were used to oppose African-Americans from voting, especially in the Southern States like Georgia and Alabama. After many years of racism, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 aimed to overthrow legal barricades at the state and local levels that deny African-Americans their right to vote. In the

    Read More

  • Faulkner's Speech Rhetorical Devices

    456 Words  | 2 Pages

    Would you rather sit back and let lying and greed take over? Or never be afraid and stand up for what is right? In Faulkner’s speech to young adults graduating in 1951, he sets the mood for change. Faulkner uses historical anecdotes, sophisticated but comprehensible words, long and complex sentence structure as well as use of second person with diction in order for the students to comprehend good versus evil in the world.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Obama's Speech

    1608 Words  | 7 Pages

    “Nobody cares how tough your upbringing was. Nobody cares if you suffered some discrimination. And moreover, you have to remember that whatever you 've gone through, it pales in comparison to the hardships previous generations endured - and they overcame them.” (Obama 6) In the speech Obama had presented at the graduation class of 2013 at Morehouse College, he wants them to remember their struggles and be able to overcome them to do what is right.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Techniques Used In Lyndon Baines Johnson's Speech

    556 Words  | 3 Pages

    “We shall overcome” is a speech by Lyndon Baines Johnson on March 15, 1965. This speech took place one week after Selma. “We shall overcome” was created to convince the Members of Congress, into joining him in his fight against racism by approving a bill meant to abolish racist voting restrictions. Lyndon Johnson’s speech to convince Members of congress to help him pass a bill to abolish racist voting restrictions by using a strong tone to create the sense that what he was saying was important, and in his speech he used Pathos and Logos to make the crowd feel sympathy for the black community because of the harsh truth.

    Read More

  • John F Kennedy City Upon A Hill Speech Analysis

    602 Words  | 3 Pages

    John F. Kennedy was known for his charming, charismatic, and relatable personality which significantly attributed to him winning the presidency in 1960. These admirable characteristics of his were easily seen in his speeches as U.S. senator and as president, in which it was apparent he not only had the charm, but also incorporated his personal values into his administration as a public servent. One speech in particular which highlights this fact is his “City Upon a Hill” speech. John F. Kennedy’s “City Upon a Hill” speech was given on Jan. 9th 1961 as his final speech prior to being sworn in as president, which he delivered to the general court of Massachusetts. In this speech, Kennedy compared the impending challenges of his presidency to the troubles facing the first Puritan settlers of Massachusetts in the 1600's in John Winthrop’s original “city upon a hill” speech.

    Read More

  • Theodore Roosevelt's Speech, Strength And Decency

    1008 Words  | 5 Pages

    Theodore Roosevelt’s speech, Strength and Decency, included a variety of rhetorical strategies that allowed him to persuade educated, mature, and, strong men to become powerful and decent human beings. Roosevelt’s purpose of presenting this speech was to persuade the audience to behave like the strong men they are but with decency and manners because, in the 1900s, men behaved in a very manly fashion. However, men lacked manners and morality. Due to the very questionable propriety of men, Roosevelt was driven to address how men should act the way a real mature man would in order to further improve society. By using rhetorical strategies such as repetition, Christian appeal, and a serious tone, Roosevelt is able to show his audience how strength and decency go hand in hand.

    Read More

  • Hardball By Chris Matthews: Summary

    525 Words  | 3 Pages

    How did a person never before in government run for president? He asked for help. Matthews writes “The best way to win a supporter

    Read More

  • Ethos In The Great Debaters

    1184 Words  | 5 Pages

    Martin Luther King Jr., an African-American activist, once said, “It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that’s pretty important.” In the Jim Crow South in the 1930s, the setting of the film The Great Debaters, directed by Denzel Washington in 2007, King’s words were particularly relevant. James Farmer Jr., the main character of the film, argues King’s point in the final debate about civil disobedience between Harvard and Wiley College. Although the Wiley debaters rely effectively on the strategy of ethos, the keys to their victory are the strategies pathos and logos.

    Read More

  • We Are Better Than That Dale Peterson

    774 Words  | 4 Pages

    One Too Many Exclamation Points Voters want to choose the most efficient leader, but politicians’ manipulative natures and the different types of propaganda in politics make it difficult when trying to decipher which politicians are frauds. Dale Peterson tries to sell himself to the people of Alabama in his campaign video titled “We are Better than That!!!!!” It opens and closes with a photograph of The Constitution and his and military and a farm setting, showing Alabamian voters something personal about him (his most significant strategy). Paterson believes his leadership can best suit the Alabama Agriculture Commission because of his patriotism and love for American farms, but more specifically, the farms of Alabama.

    Read More

  • Charles O Riley: A Short Story

    628 Words  | 3 Pages

    The careful steps of Charles O’Riley sank deep into the thick, muffling pillow of snow without the slightest evidence of sound. The flakes settled softly in his wake, whirling flurries of a tender blindness, slowly, gently tucking away all traces of noise into the deep caress of forsaken dreams. The late hours of evening had yet to pass over the day, and O’Riley’s worn leather soles, peeling and brown-black from years of trudging through the winter snow, halted their steady march, paused, and settled their weight firmly to both feet, as their owner craned his head. Right hand absentmindedly clutching a tattered old tweedy hat to his head, as squinted through the snow at the bold, red “Condemned” letters spelled out across the cracked and dusty

    Read More

More about Bob Riley Profiles In Courage

Open Document