the hill-martin race drew considerable national attention. the liberal columnist drew pearson wrote from decatur, alabama, that "for the first time since reconstruction, the two-party system, which political scientists talk about for the south, but never expect to materialize, may come to alabama.""the new york times" viewed the alabama race as the most vigorous off year effort in modern southern history but predicted a hill victory on the basis that martin had failed to gauge "bread-and-butter" issues and was perceived by many as an "ultraconservative."