Alabama Megathread: Bombshell allegations

[Yank2133]

I will lol if D's win AL, but lose VA.

[Yank2133]

Only on atlas does the AL senate thread devolve into a discussion about WV.

My general rule of thumb is that I don't bash any state/district/county etc, because either way, it's unproductive. Now before anyone calls me an "MD coastal elitist", Trump won my precinct by double-digits, so I'm not exactly a "coastal elitist".

The main attraction in bashing constituencies that are considered the "other" is that it riles up the core base. The GOP (and to a lesser extent, Democrats) have learned that stoking cultural divisions is good for short-term political gain, but no one thinks in the long term these days, so it's unwise as a Democrat to bash states like AL and WV, and vice versa.

Getting back to the original point, I'll agree that what Jones said was a bit of a gaffe, but in a low-turnout special election, who knows if it'll matter. Either way, it would've been better if he hadn't said that.

Of course, maybe this was actually calculated, and what Jones said is what a lot of Alabamans are thinking.

Turning a state/city into a bogeyman is definitely strategic long-term. Why do you think Republicans do so well when they run against city and coastal elites? Democrats would be wise to make a bogeyman of a state where they're never going to win like Alabama, just like Republicans do to Massachusetts and California. It's not like Doug Jones has a serious shot at becoming a long-term senator. Democrats would be well-advised to brand their opponents as "no different than an Alabama Republican" in suburban districts. I guarantee you the median voter in one of those Romney-Clinton seats would have a negative view of the stereotypical Alabama Republican.

I don't think this would work.

Republicans can get away with this sort of thing because they are punching up (cities=elites). If Democrats do that with rural areas, it is them punching down. It just looks mean-spitted (even though a lot of them are just awful people).

[Yank2133]

Only on atlas does the AL senate thread devolve into a discussion about WV.

My general rule of thumb is that I don't bash any state/district/county etc, because either way, it's unproductive. Now before anyone calls me an "MD coastal elitist", Trump won my precinct by double-digits, so I'm not exactly a "coastal elitist".

The main attraction in bashing constituencies that are considered the "other" is that it riles up the core base. The GOP (and to a lesser extent, Democrats) have learned that stoking cultural divisions is good for short-term political gain, but no one thinks in the long term these days, so it's unwise as a Democrat to bash states like AL and WV, and vice versa.

Getting back to the original point, I'll agree that what Jones said was a bit of a gaffe, but in a low-turnout special election, who knows if it'll matter. Either way, it would've been better if he hadn't said that.

Of course, maybe this was actually calculated, and what Jones said is what a lot of Alabamans are thinking.

Turning a state/city into a bogeyman is definitely strategic long-term. Why do you think Republicans do so well when they run against city and coastal elites? Democrats would be wise to make a bogeyman of a state where they're never going to win like Alabama, just like Republicans do to Massachusetts and California. It's not like Doug Jones has a serious shot at becoming a long-term senator. Democrats would be well-advised to brand their opponents as "no different than an Alabama Republican" in suburban districts. I guarantee you the median voter in one of those Romney-Clinton seats would have a negative view of the stereotypical Alabama Republican.

I don't think this would work.

Republicans can get away with this sort of thing because they are punching up (cities=elites). If Democrats do that with rural areas, it is them punching down. It just looks mean-spitted (even though a lot of them are just awful people).

Cities are also poor minorities, so how is that not punching down? Of course, that just makes it a great twofer for Republicans. I do think the hicks need be taken down a peg though. They never stop bashing Americans who live in urban areas, but the second you target them they have a spastic snowflake safe space SJW triggered meltdown.

It is.

But Republicans get away with it because the beltway press doesn't give a **** about poor minorities.

But go after poor hicks in rural areas and the media loses their collective minds. It is a double standard that Democrats will never win.

[Yank2133]

And yet he is still going to win....

[Yank2133]

Voters are too smart to believe this news which I believe is obviously fake news.

Well, this is one way of putting it.

[Yank2133]

Honestly, this likely will get worse for Moore.

Expect more victims to come out in the coming days.

[Yank2133]

Again if it’s true he needs to drop out ASAP but right now he is calling it false so till more info comes out I’m calling it fake news.

Well, what else do you expect him to say?

[Yank2133]

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Lmao!

[Yank2133]

Well, I'm skeptical that anything will change. After Access Hollywood, everyone and their brother in republican politics wanted to make Pence the Presidential nominee, but Trump said he was staying in, pointed to some random Clinton accusers to distract, half-apologized, and threatened to Prosecute Hillary in front of 70,000,000 TV viewers at the 2nd debate. Two weeks later, all was forgotten and forgiven. There are more than two weeks left in this thing, and Alabunga is way more conservative than the country.

I'm not sure the situations are equivalent.  With Trump, the alternative was Hillary Clinton, who was anathema to Trump voters.  Jones is probably a lot more acceptable, or at least not unthinkable, to most AL Republicans.

Comey's letter also played a major factor, hopefully nothing like that happens to Doug Jones.

[Yank2133]

If the state GOP does decertify Moore and runs a write-in Strange campaign, does Strange win?

Nope, it would make a Moore win even more likely (if that's possible) by splitting the sane vote.

Come on, IS. You're treading perilously close to Obnoxious Twat territory.

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And now you're firmly in that territory. Goodbye, IS.

I don't know why you are acting like this is crazy. Donald Trump is President and this is Alabama.

[Yank2133]

Statement from the Senate Leadership fund

"There is no place in our party for sexual predators."

....

[Yank2133]

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Jesus Christ (no pun intended.)

[Yank2133]

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This is getting to reach onion level of absurdity.

[Yank2133]

The main thing that is telling here: where are the character witnesses for Moore? Where are those who are saying he is honorable and just? The most we have heard is: "Liberal attacks! Leftist lies!" or even worse "Even if...I will not vote for Jones." No one is choosing to testify on behalf of Moore, just attempt to undermine these women's credibility.

Very telling--maybe they know there's more allegations on the way?

That is usually the case with these stories.

Don't be surprise if there are 15-20 alleged victims when it is all said and done.

[Yank2133]

Grain of slat but a DC strategist from Bama is tweeting this

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https://twitter.com/rockrichard/status/928766823939624960

Interesting...

[Yank2133]

After thinking about it overnight, my wife and fully hope the citizens of Alabama  will elect Moore.  The Democrats, who for over 40 years supported a man who allowed a young woman to die in pond and helped his nephew tear apart a woman who accused the nephew of rape have no moral standing to attack Moore.  The same folks supported a President who provenly took advantage of a a 21 year old lady, who was accused of  rape and numerous other sexual offenses.  They even wanted to let his wife piggy back him into the White House again.

Where was the Republican leadership in those 40 year not denouncing Kennedy and demanding every year that he leave the Senate.

I registered this summer to post here.  I hesitated because so many of you seem to have so much more knowledge than I do.  This is my first post because I am really angry.

All I got from this is that you are cool with pedophilia.

[Yank2133]

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True.

On top of that Jones isn't Hillary, who has been a lighting rod for the right for over 20 years. They may never vote for a Democrat, but they may not be motivated to come out and vote for a suspect pedophile.

[Yank2133]

Also, Democrats deserve to lose if they don't hang Roy Moore around the neck of every single remotely vulnerable Republican in 2018. Use the Pelosi strategy on steroids.

Agreed.

Make Moore the 2018 version of Mark Foley.

[Yank2133]

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This is from Harry Enten.

[Yank2133]

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The only reason the Bushes are irrelevant is because they are both failed presidents. Hell, if Dubya hadn't been such a failure, Jeb Bush might be president right now.

[Yank2133]

I never even voted for Ted Kennedy, but ok.

It just typical whataboutism.

The fact remains is that people like Arkansas are ok with having a pedophile represent them in the US Senate.

[Yank2133]

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Ha.

[Yank2133]

https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/locals-were-troubled-by-roy-moores-interactions-with-teen-girls-at-the-gadsden-mall?mbid=social_twitter

Damn, Moore was banned from a mall for bothering teenage girls.

[Yank2133]

I can't wait to hang Moore around the necks of every Republican.

This makes the Nancy Pelosi stuff look like child's play.

You still have time to do the right thing, GOP.

Knowing Democrats, they'll probably be too stupid to use this strategy because it's "insensitive to Southerners" or some BS.

Wouldn't surprise me.

You are already seeing some dumb liberals using the Moore stuff to reevaluated Bill Clinton (cough Chris Hayes cough).

And these people wonder why the right runs circles around them...

[Yank2133]

What needs to happen is that Luther Strange must immediately resign. A new senator would be appointed to fill his seat, and a new special election would be called. Unfortunately, it's too late to take Moore off the ballot at this point. Strange gives no indication that he'd do this, but it would be the right thing not only for the GOP but for America. If he doesn't, the best thing that can happen from a republican perspective is Moore winning then being forced to resign, which would also lead to another special election.

 you, that would be everything wrong with America's electoral system if we did that.

I don't like the system forcing people to make a last minute decision on whether or not they believe allegations about events from decades ago that conveniently only pop up right before the election (not like Moore hasn't been in the public eye for a long time). Had these come out before the primary, it would have been Brooks over Strange in the runoff or had they come between primary and runoff, Strange would have won.

lol

You get no do overs.