Politics & Power Quote by Bob Riley

That opening feint - “before we make the mistake of patting ourselves on the back” - is a politician’s way of laundering praise. Bob Riley isn’t actually rejecting credit; he’s reallocating it. He frames any self-congratulation as not just premature but a “mistake,” then pivots to a familiar small-government thesis: the state can’t “create jobs,” it can only shape “conditions.” It’s a line designed to sound humble while smuggling in an ideology about what government should and shouldn’t claim responsibility for.

The subtext is tactical. By insisting government merely sets the table, Riley avoids being pinned to outcomes he can’t fully control: layoffs, plant closures, national recessions. If the economy sours, the logic protects him: conditions were right, but the private sector (or broader forces) didn’t bite. If the economy improves, he can still take partial credit for having engineered those “conditions” - taxes, incentives, regulatory posture, workforce training - without admitting to interventionist job-making. It’s hands-off rhetoric with a very hands-on political purpose.

“The real credit... belongs to the people of Alabama” is the closing embrace: a populist nod that flatters workers and entrepreneurs while reinforcing a moral hierarchy where citizens and businesses are the protagonists and government is the stage crew. In a state economy often shaped by manufacturing recruitment and public-private deals, the line also smooths over the messy reality that “conditions” frequently means targeted policy choices. Riley’s intent is to claim stewardship without owning authorship.