Roy Moore is going to win the election, not in spite of alleged sex scandals, but because of them.
…the Democrats’ own sexual scandals have helped Moore. It’s not obvious they would. If the Democrats had condemned their own members promptly and forthrightly, when the evidence against them was compelling, then the party could stand on solid ground condemning Republicans. The cascade of scandals would highlight the seriousness of the problem and give Alabama voters a clear-cut opportunity to rebuke Moore’s alleged predatory behavior and, with it, the atrocious conduct of many others.
That’s not what Democratic congressional leaders did. Instead of standing on moral ground and condemning sexual misconduct, regardless of party, they dug a bunker to protect their own.
Color me unsurprised. Allegations of the man’s sexual misbehavior (which I consider largely irrelevant) have become the central, and only, only election issue — ensuring that there will be no serious discussion of the man’s atrociously bigoted views.
It’s such a blessing for the campaign that you’d almost think his campaign staffers dreamed it up themselves.
Moore, for his part, is blaming the accusations of sexual misconduct on the homos. Alabama voters will of course fall for the deception.
Hoping that he might rot in the hell he claims to believe in would be wishful thinking, just as it would be wishful thinking to see him having to actually debate and defend his position on the issues. Far from being an ordinary anti-gay bigot, the man actually believes “sodomy” is prohibited by the Declaration of Independence.
Too bad the people of Alabama will not understand that they’re electing an absolute loon.
Comments
8 responses to “Thanks to popular hysteria, a fringe loon will soon become a senator”
I’m actually an Alabama resident right now, and while I generally agree with you, I also want to point out that there’s no shortage of Alabamans that fully understand how fringe Roy Moore is, but will still vote for him because they feel they to some degree have to. It may be hard to believe about a state where campaigning against gay marriage is still a winning strategy, but as anywhere else Alabama isn’t immune to the ‘two evils’ phenomenon.
During the Republican primary, the two evils were Roy Moore and the ‘establishment’ candidate Luther Strange, who was appointed by the previous governor amid a scandal within a larger corruption scandal surrounding that governor. From the little I heard of that campaign, Moore didn’t even bother with issues, he just repeatedly said that he’d “drain the swamp”, targeting the shady dealings that got Strange appointed to the senate in the first place. Now, we have Roy Moore against a Democrat that’s only moderate compared to Bernie Sanders. Personally, I would not have even bothered to vote between them under normal circumstances, since I find them equally abhorrent, but I’m just so disgusted by this hit job that I’m seriously considering voting for Moore purely out of spite.
Now I’m stuck deciding between helping out an asshole to spite another asshole or spiting an asshole by helping out another asshole. And I’m not alone in seeing these ‘options’ for what they are.
My feelings are with Matt Matic. Further is the interesting line of thought that you accuse Judge Moore of being a biased anti-gay bigot as you make a biased proclamation that the people of Alabama are what…stupid, loons, religious nuts etc.
I would submit that Alabama voters are on the verge of doing what they (and a lot more of us) did in Nov. 2016, and determine that Trump, whatever his flaws, is a better choice than Hilly. They are deciding that Moore, whatever his flaws and beliefs are, is less of a problem than the media, democrats, Beltway Republicans, the never Trumpers, and most importantly the breathtaking double standard in charges of sexual harassment and rape.
The Laws of Physics apply to the political world. The problem is the political world is a non-linear system, and you do not necessarily get an equal or opposite reaction to any perturbation of that system.
The non-linear reaction in Moore’s case is that the WP charges, Allred grandstanding, and Republican congressional leadership all worked to turn out Republican voters who would have otherwise stayed home in this special election.
I am reminded of HL Menken’s observation that “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” There are a lot of people about to get it good and hard. Cheers –
Moore was always going to win.
His opponent is a left-wing fringe loon. A Blue-Dog Democrat would win easily if such a thing still existed.
” A Blue-Dog Democrat would win easily if such a thing still existed.”
There are a few – but not, evidently, in Alabama, more’s the pity.
It’s nutcase vs. nutcase there.
Alabama knows Moore is despicable. He’s had floats in a few holiday parades recently, and people literally stop cheering when his floats drive by. The issue is, there’s no one better. The left-wing candidate is trying desperately and pathetically to convince Alabama residents that he’s not so far to the Left as to be out of touch with the voters. If you have to say that, you’re lying, pure and simple.
Alabama residents aren’t stupid. The average person down here has a knowledge of American history that rivals that of professors in the topic (they get a kick out of correcting their professors on the subject). Most rocket scientists I’ve met grew up in the state; there’s a reason the Marshall Space Flight Center is here. The problem is, no one worth a damn is getting into politics. (Don’t tell me that I should run–I’m a carpet bagger, so have no chance.)
I don’t think that most people from outside the South understand the history and culture of the area, and consequently cannot appreciate the roll of visceral emotion in this race. The desecration and destruction of Confederate war memorials reopened a grievous wound and poured on the salt. The worst thing you can do to a Southerner is insult them, and they have long memories.
Too bad the people of Alabama will not understand that they’re electing an absolute loon.
Oh they understand. This is the state that elected George Wallace, remember? It’s also the state that had a lynching – in 1981!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Michael_Donald