With experience as a law enforcement officer and member of the Alabama National Guard, as well as being the owner of two small businesses, M

The stunt—er, “campaign strategy”—was designed to challenge front-runner Tommy Tuberville to a wheelie contest. McFeeters claimed it was to expose Tuberville’s secret identity as a non-resident of Alabama, alleging the Senator would surely decline the challenge because, well, he doesn’t live here. Plus, nothing says “true Alabamian” like a politician wheeling a two-wheeled death trap.

They're here to get our agriculture equipment technology and they go out to the fields and steal seeds that we have spent hundreds of

Critics were swift to label the incident as a calculating political maneuver to win sympathy for Padilla, especially with an election looming. According to a survey conducted by Public Opinion Strategies, 67% of voters said they were concerned about the reliability of political actions leading up to the elections. The arrest seemed to distract the public from pressing concerns like the economic downturn, which reported a 5% increase in unemployment, and inadequate healthcare