Alabama voters Tuesday shot down the attempt by controversial judge Roy Moore, accused of child sexual molestation and preying on teenage girls, to get into the United Senate.
Instead, the win came to Doug Jones, the first Democratic Senator elected by Alabama since 1992. The defeat of Moore is repudiation of Republican president Donald Trump, himself an accused sexual predator, and of a Republican party adrift in chaos and division.
The always defiant Moore refuse to concede and promised to fight on, possibly with a recount, although the Republican National Committee is saying it will not back or pay for one.
Jones’ upset of Moore in a state where Trump won 60 percent of the vote in the 2016 Presidential race is a major game changer that validates the growing resistance to his bombastic, unfocused presidency that is defined by massive ego, childish temper tantrums and abuse of power.
The Alabama defeat follows state and local elections in Virginia where Democrats swept the governor, lt. governor and attorney general offices and unseated many Republicans in state house contests.
Republicans started blaming each other after Jones’ victory in Alabama.
“After Alabama disaster GOP must do the right thing and DUMP Steve Bannon,” tweated Rep. Peter King (R-NY).
Bannon, Trump’s former strategic advisor now back running right-wing Breitbart News, campaigned for Moore with appearances in the state and also in Virginia.
The RNC cut funding for Moore after revelations of his sexual antics with a 14-year-old girl when he was 32 and his penchant for pursuing high school girls during that period, but returned a few days before Tuesday’s election after pressure from Trump.
“I do put blame on a lot of folks who pulled out their support and came back in late,” says David Bossie, Trump’s former deputy campaign manager.
Rep. Bradley Byrne of Alabama blamed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell who backed Moore’s primary opponent and then cast doubts on whether or not the Senate would seat Moore if he won.
“Mitch McConnell should have stayed out of this race,” Byrne said on MSNBC. “If he would have, he would have a Republican Senator coming out instead of a Democratic one.”
Byrne is one of the Alabama Republicans who said they don’t care if Moore was a child molester. All that mattered to him was that the Republican candidate opposed abortion.”
If blame must be assessed — and the blame game is always present in Washington — it lies primarily with Trump, who ignored the advice of his own advisors and aides to stay away from the polarising race.
Instead, he listed to Bannon, who urged the President to go all in with endorsements and put his reputation and electability on the line.
But the state where Trump won with 60 percent of the vote now things he is not a good choice as president or a political leader.
Polls show nearly half of the state’s voters disapprove of his performance and antics as President. He told Alabama voters that electing Doug Jones would be a rejection of him and the voters took that advice to heart.
Roy Moore lost the special election in Alabama Tuesday night but the real loser was Donald Trump, the president who brags that he always wins and seldom does.
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© 2017 Capitol Hill Blue
1 thought on “Trump loses with voters — again”
You can fool some of the people, some of the time….
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