Gerald "Dino" Dial - To Know Me Is To Loathe Me?

Huge tip of the tam to Danny at Doc's Political Parlor for this last salvo in their top ten politcal questions, with #1 being "Who will control the Senate?". I've just lifted his text, I hope without this being too poor form, as I'm very interested in the 13th Senate District with my friend Kim Benefield going against the Clay Combover, Gerald "Dino" Dial. Here's what Danny gave us, with my emphasis supplied:

District 13 (Chambers, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Lee, Randolph):Sen. Gerald Dial's race for his ninth term in the legislature was supposed to be an easy win for the incumbent. But, Randolph Circuit Clerk Kim Benefield's full coffers have allowed her to buy a lot of expensive Birmingham TV time to show her ads in Lineville. Former state Democratic Party Chair Phillip Kinney now does opposition research for Matrix. Kinney told one of the senators in the Preuitt group that they could not find anything negative on Benefield and that they were going to have to make something up. That is why you get the ad that tries to connect Benefield with Barron who "used $5,000 of your money to pay a shoeshine man to shine shoes for senators." I must admit that if that is the worst thing you can say about Benefield, you are really stretching.

Especially since news reports said that it was Sen. Bobby Denton (D - Muscle Shoals) who paid $5,000 to the shoeshine man (though Barron approved the payment from money allotted to Denton).

The polling has had Benefield a few points ahead most of the race, and the power of incumbency was expected to help Dial make that up, but the last I heard that has still not happened. It's a long district with Dial's hometown Lineville in the middle.

One source told me that the farther you get from Lineville, the better Dial polls. The closer you get to Lineville, the worse he polls. His point, I believe, was that the less well-known he was, the better he polled because of his incumbency. The more well-known he was, the better Benefield polled.

Dial was originally expected to win in a walk, but now he's running hard. He may well lose this one.

I'm optimistic! KIm has worked hard, as she has all her life. When you talk with her you can sense her decency and smarts, two things that are hardly associated with Dino. Maybe folks that know Gerald will turn out strongly, as the more you know about Dino the less you like him. Thanks again Danny! Peace ... or War!