Parker Griffith behind in polls as election day draws near

by WAKA Action 8 News

A new CBS Poll shows the democratic candidate running for governor, Parker Griffith, is trailing incumbent Robert Bentley by double digits. Griffith now has less than a week to convince voters he’s the one for the job.
      
Parker Griffith has three priorities; expanding Medicaid, bringing high paying jobs to the state, and creating a lottery for education. He says he believes most Alabamians want these things but says his affiliation with the democratic party is keeping them from voting for him.

“If I were not a democrat and I were not running with the head wind of the democratic party, there wouldn’t even be a contest,” Griffith says. “I would be so far ahead in this race. But I am a democrat. And the National Democratic Party is unpopular in Alabama.”

But gubernatorial incumbent Robert Bentley IS popular in Alabama. At least, that’s what a new CBS poll indicates. It has Bentley leading the governor’s race with 63 percent…to Griffith’s 25 percent. Griffith says he’s using the poll numbers to get more people to the polls.

“I tell my supporters and I tell those who are undecided, please, think about this. It’s the strength of America and we can change Alabama and make it better.”

Griffith says improving Alabama starts at the top, with leadership, and says recent alleged political corruption is only hurting the state.

“Can you imagine Mike Hubbard and Robert Bentley unethically discussing business deals person to person and Robert Bentley not walking out of there and reporting Mike Hubbard? “

Griffith also says Bentley’s refusal to debate him does a disservice to all Alabamians.

“We’re both MDs, we’ve both had great educations, we both had the privilege of earning a good living. I’m not taking a salary, he’s not taking a salary, the playing field is even except for one thing, I’ve got the courage to face him on statewide TV.”