Obviously if Roy Moore had any character or class he wouldn't want tRump's endorsement. Birds of a feather. Neither is qualified or fit for any office.
9
The people of Alabama must choose between an alleged sexual predator and pedophile and a confirmed democrat. As crazy as this sounds, it is a close. My have the democrats fallen.
2
I was born and raised in Alabama and lived most of my 72 years here. I will be voting for Doug Jones because he is the most qualified candidate. I am so embarrassed about the number of political scandals in Alabama politics . It is beyond my comprehension that candidate Roy Moore can have any support. NYT readers are calling us out so I am just saying that some of us keep informed and have progressive thoughts. I just hope there are enough who vote for Jones for a win and a message. Please do not write Alabama off yet. I have great hope for Jones because he seems to be a man of integrity. We desperately need integrity at all levels of government.
21
To get Alabama you must understand Alabama's history. Alabamians are tired of other people especially Yankees telling them what to do. It's a holdover from the Civil War and they see Federal intrusions all the time and thus the feeling stays.
Roy Moore is a a character in Trump's mold who has bigger inspirations.
Religion is big in Alabama, and in faith, truth (or approximations of truth) don't matter. Roy Moore's Campaign Manager is working hard on red button issues in Alabama without any fact: Soft on crime, 2nd amendment, etc. Think!!!
Roy Moore is more of a competitor to Trump (in the mold of George Wallace).
We Tennesseans at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville used Social media to block the administration's hiring of a coach with past issues in the Sandusky child rape cases. The truth there is opaque but I believe the Washington times report.
We here in Tennessee do not put up with rape and abuse of women and especially children!
I hope my Alabamian brethren can understand that these allegations demand they think! The allegations seem very credible and a Grand Jury would probably let it go to trial (but for the statue of limitations). There are other politicians.
And in a corrupt one party state it would be good to elect someone from another party. Northern Alabamians seem more realistic on this. I can only hope people rise up and put an end to ALL THE ABUSE (from either party or person)!
Vote Alabama 12/12/17! Your vote is VERY IMPORTANT either way!
5
The people in Alabama don't seem to have a problem taking federal money from those bossy Yankees.
8
Actually they take less than other states. I disagree with you on that one.
Nope, they rank 4th place in how much money they take from the Federal government ( https://wallethub.com/edu/states-most-least-dependent-on-the-federal-gov... ). Only Kentucky, Mississippi, and New Mexico take more, and the last one is partially an inflation from the military presence.
3
Dear Lord, May SNL Gods sprinkle Prime Tine with Heavenly Skits of Roy Moore and Aidy Bryant as "Defiant to the Stratosphere Sarah Sanders". Masterful Sanders doing 180 degrees in briefing plus Trump babbling Pocahontas tirade. Yes, Please.........
6
"He may be a child molester.... but at least he's not a Democrat"
Welcome to Alabama....and to the passions of Confederate anti-Christs.
11
I believe that the Jim Zeigler in the article is the same one who compared Roy Moore and Leigh Corfman with Joseph and Mary, remarking that both Roy and Joseph were men in their 30’s and Leigh and Mary were teenage girls. Also, either he or another of Moore’s supporters commented about the “purity” of young girls. Another Roy Moore supporter declared he would sooner vote for a child molester than a baby killer, referring to Doug Jones’ support for a woman’s right to choose.
1
The fact is Roy Moore's ability to serve the people of Alabama is and will continue to be hampered by these ongoing revelations and accusations. They will plague him throughout his tenure and his ability to carry out his duties will suffer.
So where does that leave the voters? With a guy who can't do the job who refuses to step aside. What next? Let him run, but hope he loses?
National politics is in desperate need of level headed adults in the room. Unfortunately they seem to be getting fewer and farther in-between...
2
The Senate race is too close to call at this point. What we can predict with certainty is Trump's claims at the results. If Moore wins, he will take the credit. If Jones wins, he will blame everyone but himself and say it was Moore's fault for not being strong enough in attacking his accusers. We can count on it being mean and nasty no matter what.
2
Here's a FACT about Alabama:
The size of a Family in Alabama is 2.55 for the 5 year period of 2009-2013.
The average size of a Family in the United States was 2.63 for the same time period. (US Census.)
The state of Alabama is BELOW the average of the US.
That's a FACT.
My interpretation of that fact is that there are MANY, MANY persons in Alabama availing themselves of methods of contraception - and, where you have "contraception" you have "failure of contraception", necessitating abortion. That, too, is a fact.
And, THAT is the CHOICE facing Alabamans: Do they vote for Roy Moore and Donald Trump who are bent on removing access to birth control AND abortion? Do they vote for two sex abusers? Do they vote to trade in the Constitution for Covenant?
Or do they vote for the man, Doug Jones, who will uphold their rights as Alabamans and US citizens in all matters - including the right to abortion?
That's a simple choice.
And here's another FACT:
The country with the highest family-size average is the country in Africa called Niger.
Their average number of children is 7.
Look around you, Alabamans.
How many families do you see that have 7 children?
Do YOU have 7 children?
Why not?
For decades the Lefties have been puzzling over the number of people who vote "against their own best interests".
Alabama: You're not going to get a clearer example of that than in this election.
Think on it.
1
I’ve always thought of fundamentalist Christians as basically decent people who have sometimes fallen short in their responsibility to be sufficiently charitable to sinners like me; but when I consider the fact that tens of thousands of them are now preparing themselves to go out and vote for a man who -- on moral grounds -- has been refused permission to enter shopping malls, I think again.
8
My prediction is Alabama will elect this two-faced joke of a 'politician' and he will be seated in the Senate. In addition to our alleged president who was caught ON TAPE bragging about assaulting women, the Republican party already seated in the House a candidate who physically assaulted and injured a reporter, and went on to win the race. Why would the grow a spine now, especially when there's money to be taken from the middle class and poor?
5
National coverage of Doug Jones and his every move is not going to help Doug Jones garner votes in Alabama. Those who want coverage of Doug Jones should simply take a moment and Google his name. Put it in quotes if it makes a difference to you, but simply Googling Doug Jones will do just fine.
Meantime, I just hope Mr. Jones and his campaign are doing their best to encourage turnout, particularly of those who stayed at home in November 2016. They are the ones who can make a difference.
10
As a lustful teenager, I once made out with a girl, and during so I attempted to become more familiar with her. However, she said "no." Truthfully, I was shaken; I hadn't expected that answer since we were already kissing. To say the least, the passion was over, and we stopped all activities.
I believe the men who get accused of harassment continue to push even after the women says "no." I've been told no, and I stopped. To continue despite so is revolting and cruel. Creating a situation that limits a woman's power to say no is also despicable.
I have no sympathy for these animals who cannot control themselves, or their supporters. They are a burden on our society.
23
Thank you for speaking up.
2
One sex offender supports another. Shocking!
15
Slap the words “God” and “Bible” on everything and you’re excused for anything, including criminal behavior.
In Moore, we see why the Republican elite causcuses mostly in the South. Voters there elect Republicans and then blame Democrats for the results. As blind and gullible as it gets. Even Republican politicians and carnival barkers - but I digress - privately must marvel at how easy it all is.
14
Please give Doug Jones some press. Is he decent? Spread the word, please. It may help appeal to a sense of morality. We are not going to convince people who are steadfastly supporting a pedophile, because their opinions are that anyone is better than a liberal. You can't have a battle of wits with that. You can appeal to people if they don't feel they're being told what to do by "elitists."
13
Has Mr. Moore expressed his desire to sue his accusers for defamation of character yet? I would think he’d be pursuing that course of action if he was innocent...
6
Hi, I'm President Trump and I endorse [fill in name] for office. GLAD!
...
[filled in name] doesn't win
...
Hi, I'm President Trump and I endorse [fill in actual winner's name] for office. GLAD!
How could people not be convinced about the sincerity? It would be like not believing a bad salesman.
4
Trump may question the veracity of the women's recollections of 40 years ago but I can tell you no woman even in their 80's will ever forget the sexual unpleasantries of their young teen years! Just ask the elderly who didn't dare mention them to ANYONE. I know.
15
I can't believe that, all jokes aside, the people of Alabama are much different from the rest of the nation. When Moore won, he did so by a few percentage points. And that was before the current scandal. I think Moore will lose, notwithstanding Trump's support. He didn't support Roy in the first place, more because he didn't know the guy than for any attraction to Strange Luther.
But if Moore doesn't lose -- if he shows up in the Senate -- i don't believe McConnell will find 67 votes to unseat him.
That would be the imprimatur the Republican Party puts on sexual predators and child molesters. That will flip Congress.
8
If Roy Moore wins, he will be the face of Alabama in America, and Alabama will become the face of America to the world.
2
Has anyone else noticed how few of the comments on Roy Moore stories appear to come from people in Alabama? Yet more evidence that conservative, white, southerners live in an alternate universe -- or, perhaps, a "Fox den."
6
Republicans would elect Roman Polanski if it meant holding on to power.
4
If Alabama doesn't make the final 4 college football playoffs, that will immediately become an issue in this race, the republicans claiming media bias and well as evidence of the war on Christmas.
6
Why should the endorsement of a sexual predator help a sexual predator, for people who care about such niggly stuff? And if you don't care, Trump's endorsement doesn't matter.
How can he NOT endorse him? That would mean that he has to explain his own behavior?
The world has gone mad.
5
We need conservative Democrats to run in states like Alabama. Yes, someone who is not pro-abortion and gun control so openly. When will we get it into our heads that Northerners do not vote down there? Just because Jones is a good and decent man and a great lawyer is irrelevant. Abortion and gun-rights will most likely doom Jones' run.
2
So let's stop calling it gun control and abortion. Let's call gun control "gun civilization" and abortion "pro person." The branding is awful...
1
The Post’s latest reveal only confirms what Alabamans wants to believe: The Post’ll fish and publish, or take bait and spit. Either way, for the everyday Alabaman, The Post look a lot worse than Moore.
In the meanwhile, Al Franken denies nothing, doesn’t rule out more revelations, paints a sorry face, insists on sticking around. In parallel, Pelosi’s working on keeping names from the Clinton administration secret. Except, of course, for Michigan Democrat Conyers, who, like Franken, refuses to count the skeletons in his closet.
Go Figure? No, don’t figure. This party is in permanent decline.
All of which means things couldn’t be better for Roy Moore. Or for the President. Or Mulvaney. Thanks to a Democratic Party that takes every GOP misstep it gets and converts it to an even deeper hole they can all fall into.
Sad. Funny. Yeah, funny.
1
In any civilized state Trump's support would be devastating to a candidate for a Senate seat. But this is Alabama where the governor would rather support a child molester than let a Democrat win.!
7
This election isn't about the outer limits of Trump's reach, it's about the outer limits of what people will vote for, in this case a pedophile, to protect their perceived interests. If Moore wins, the shame is not on Trump, it's on the citizens of Alabama.
10
Or all of the above. It's kind of like the knee jerk animus I witnessed over and over again toward Hillary Clinton: ANY MALE rather than she! Hillary could have been an amalgam of all the Theresa saints (of Avila, mystical and sexy; of Calcutta, nurturing and caring; of Lisieux, young and innocent) she was still going to be unacceptable because she was a women who was able and wanted to wield power. Both Moore and Trump represent the unbridled libido making it's way to positions of great power. Some guys, and some gals, are attracted to that.
4
Why would Alabamans care if a pathetic half-hearted sexual predator is endorsing their own top-tier professional one?
11
I can't wait until the votes have been tallied in this senate race, for they will show that neither Roy Moore's incessant whining on the tail of his alleged sexual misconduct, nor Trump's kingpin endorsement of his good ol' boy, will succeed in bringing home a Republican victory in this campaign.
On the contrary, under the natural laws of goodness and decency, this Alabama senate race will culminate as the recent midterm elections in New Jersey, Virginia, et al -- with a Democratic victory.
5
I do so hope it works out that way.
3
History tells us that in Alabama, 'natural laws of goodness and decency' may not apply. Ever hear of a fine gentleman named George C. Wallace? Perhaps the name 'Bull Connor' rings a bell? For that matter, Robert Bentley and Mike Hubbard are in the same camp of smarmy bible thumping hypocrites where Good Ol' Boy Roy Moore pitches his circus tent.
There are now and always have been good, decent and progressive people in Alabama. Sadly, in politics, their will usually has been overborne by considerably less beneficent elements of Alabama society.
4
Moore may or may not win the seat. If he does, what happens? Several Republicans say that he should not be allowed to hold the seat even if elected. But I wonder. If he wins, would the Republicans remove him from the seat and loose that vote in the Senate? Really? They have not exactly shown adherence to principles over power in any regard. In the end, would they acquiesce to a child molester voting their way over loss of a Senate vote?
23
Yes, the absolutely would. Kellyanne Conway ran afoul of the Hatch Act last week by for stating this quite plainly.
4
He is elected, denied a seat, governor picks the next man up....
“The average voter in Alabama doesn’t pay much attention to outsiders, to out-of-state support,” says the state auditor.
That dark ages, backwards attitude expresses just why Alabama gives a pass to politicians who aspire to the US senate while casting a jaundiced eye at the women who were victims of Roy Moore's predatory behavior. Alabama is thumbing its nose not only at the president but common decency as well. The voters there are saying that, like it or not, they'll darned well send whomever they please to Washington to represent Alabama. Roll tide.
18
The New York Times appears to have forgotten that Trump traveled to Alabama to campaign against Roy Moore during the Republican primary runoff election. When Moore defeated Luther Strange, the Times gloated, “The outcome in the closely watched Senate race dealt a humbling blow to President Trump and other party leaders days after the president pleaded with voters in the state to back Mr. Strange.”
4
He can deny all he wants as that is a situation of he said, she said, but the fact that he was banned from a mall is a fact that's documented.
So Alabama you have to ask yourself which one's telling the truth.
27
truth don't count for nuthin'. he's our guy and we're sendin' him.
4
Trump did not endorse Moore, he endorsed a pedophile -- as are those that still support Moore.
29
Trump: "She wasn't YOUR 14-year-old daughter, so vote for Roy Moore!"
Alabama Christians: "Yeah, he's right!"
49
Why is it that a takeout article on the Alabama senate contest does not include mention of Moore's Democrat opponent, Doug Jones, his campaign and resident response? With two reporters on the story, is it possible one of them could have done some reporting to show some balance?
15
The Times often focuses solely on GOP candidates and barely mentions Democratic ones. When Hillary was nominated at the DNC convention, did the Times put HER picture on the front page? No they put the image of two banners in support of Hillary but the message was broken into two parts --one on one banner, the other on another. Shameful neglect. I also notice that when they seemed to hope that Ed Gillespie would win in VA they often put his picture about that of his rival (who won--but who knows what his face looks like?)
It's a peculiar editorial decision and I for one find it highly questionable. Remember the GOP / Trump knows that even bad publicity is publicity. Just like the broad --too broad -- coverage of Trump's Twitter propaganda messages loaded with lies.
3
Trump and Moore are playing the media well. After all, bad press is better than NO press, right?
Who cares what Moore has to say in Henagar, Alabama, a town of 2,344 souls, of which 96% are white.
What I care about is the lack of coverage the Doug Jones is receiving. THAT is shameful!
38
Has anyone else noticed that the NYT (and most other news outlets) aren't giving much press coverage to Democrats?
7
A 'sign of the immorality of our times' is Christians supporting a man who chased (and worse) young girls.
Here are two facts: Roy Moore was barred from the mall to keep him away from those girls; and the police at the time were told to keep Roy Moore away from the cheerleaders at high school games.
What else do you need to know?
47
Moore is definitely less.
13
I would like to believe that the majority of Alabamans care that Roy Moore is likely a pedophile, but I don't. I suspect he will win by double digits.
An ignorant, uneducated, deeply-prejudiced, tribal America is what the Republicans need to stay in power and they have done a masterful job of creating it.
45
It appears that you do not read about politics regularly. Moore is considered an extremist even in Alabama, and outside of his base is widely disliked. Even before this scandal hit, he was clinging to a much smaller lead than any regular Republican candidate should have been holding. All the tea leaves point to him losing, but if he does win it will be a squeaker at best. To suggest that he could win by double digits, something that was most unlikely to happen even before this mess, is to completely fly in the face of reality.
From the article it sounds like the answer to the question is: No, Alabamans don't care about Trump's endorsement. That's good. But for anyone still supporting this lecherous man, they should be prepared for what is going to happen to his career in the Senate. Either way works for me.
5
Doug Jones is also running for Senator in Alabama.
Jones served as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, and is known for prosecuting two Ku Klux Klan perpetrators of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing which killed four African-American girls, and for securing an indictment against the Olympic Park Bomber.
Jones is a white Christian male - just like Roy Moore - but he keeps his Christianity mostly to himself and his church, Canterbury United Methodist Church.
Jones is a "moderate Democrat.
Jones supports increasing job training for workers and better education, and increasingthe minimum wage.
Jones opposes allowing insurance companies to deny coverage for preexisting conditions and supports expanding Medicaid coverage, citing the problems with rural Alabama hospitals.
He supports the re-authorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program and has repeatedly criticized his opponent Moore for his lack of a clear stance on the program.
Jones also supports the reversal of mandatory three-strikes laws for non-violent offenses to give judges flexibility in giving sentences.
Jones has condemned corruption in Alabama and said "the people of Alabama have been embarrassed by corruption and a string of ethics investigations and convictions of people they placed into positions of power and trust. They deserve better. We all deserve better."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Jones_(attorney)
Doug Jones For Senator on December 12 2017, Alabama
125
this should be an article.
5
Thank you for explaining why Doug Jones is the better candidate. It is unfortunate that a newspaper of the NY Times caliber seems to have forgetten that any press, even negative press about Roy Moore and Donald Trump, helps Trump and Moore more than it hurts them.
4
Roy Moore's sexual predator activities - and those of men in the news today - seem to be very titillating to the press/media. They seem to make great news fodder and it's about time the systemic, institutionalized sexual harassment/abuse of women took center stage and is ended NOW.
However, the best reason to stop ROY MOORE in his tracks is the fact that
HE WAS KICKED OFF THE ALABAMA SUPREME COURT - TWICE!!!
He is unfit to serve in any public capacity and belongs in prison.
Please, press and media representatives, tell the public the full of the story about how dangerous democracy-destroying Moore is.
75
Trump's endorsement of Roy Moore is relevant. It will energize at least some democrats to vote against Moore.
22
Trump is irrelevant; Moore is already a brand. Framing this race as a referendum on Trump is dishonest. It is really a test of the morals of Alabama’s electorate. If they fail, as I predict, he will be wrongfully credited. The media narrative will create an illusion of success that will embolden Trump and his supporters and intimidate his critics on the right at a time the country cannot afford more of their cowardice.
29
Alabama didn't overturn it's ban on interracial marriage until 2000. I think that says a lot about Alabama and it's with that in mind I won't be at all surprised if Roy Moore wins the election.
65
What an ignorant comment. Alabama's ban on interracial marriage became illegal at the same time every other state's became illegal. The law -- an unenforceable, irrelevant law -- just sat on the books, doing nothing, until someone finally thought to remove it in 2000. Why so long? Because in Alabama you cannot remove a law like that from the books without a referendum, which meant putting the issue on the ballot. Anytime Alabama tries to do anything related to race, even something good, it gets negative national media attention. So what politician was going to volunteer to put his/her name on that referendum?
Agreed. But Loving vs Virginia decided in 1967 mooted any Alabama statutes or needs for a state referendum. Any couple in Alabama from 1967 forward willing to fight for their rights would have won their case, just as the Lovings finally did.
Not that simple. Only Southern states bothered to pass such laws in the first place, and other states repealed them much sooner. And why would a politician doing the right thing attract negative attention? Even in 2000, 40% of Alabamians voted to keep an unconstitutional, unenforceable law, for no good reason.
From Wikipedia: "In 1967, 17 Southern states (all the former slave states plus Oklahoma) still enforced laws prohibiting marriage between whites and non-whites. Maryland repealed its law in response to the start of the proceedings at the Supreme Court. After the ruling of the Supreme Court, the remaining laws were no longer enforceable. Nonetheless, it took South Carolina until 1998 and Alabama until 2000 to amend their states' constitutions to remove language prohibiting miscegenation. In the respective referendums, 62% of voters in South Carolina and 59% of voters in Alabama voted to make the amendments. In Alabama nearly 526,000 people voted against the amendment, including a majority of voters in some rural counties.
In 2009, Keith Bardwell, a justice of the peace in Robert, Louisiana, refused to officiate a civil wedding for an interracial couple. A nearby justice of the peace, on Bardwell's referral, officiated the wedding; the interracial couple sued Keith Bardwell and his wife Beth Bardwell in federal court. After facing wide criticism for his actions, including from Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, Bardwell resigned on November 3, 2009."
Can we please hear more about Doug Jones? There IS an actual election going on between Roy Moore & Mr Jones and this story never mentioned the Democratic candidate once. I fear that the frequent stories about Moore in the national media just encourage the idea that he’s a maverick, independent thinker who’ll stand against the “big, bad government,” instead of the law breaker that he is—twice removed as Chief Justice in AL. So tell us why Mr Jones is a better choice to represent Alabama. Trump says he’s “weak on crime”— is he? Is the NYT going to let trump’s words stand or is it going to provide some facts that refute that claim? This is exactly what happened in 2016–covering the horse race instead of the issues. And that’s how we ended up with the most ill-equipped person ever as our current president. You’d think the NYT would’ve learned by now.
136
Jinx! We both had the same thought at the same time. :-)
3
Not that I disagree with you, but Moore's voters do not read the NYT. In fact I suspect they stick to Fox News, and Breitbart. This is an area of the nation that is behind in education,(that is a small percentage hold any college level education) and still believe the bible is the first and last word on everything. It is also an aging area of the nation - older folks are not open to new ideas. So regardless of what the NYT prints on either candidate - this constituency has shown it's willingness to stand behind this flim-flam man that uses the bible only to get what he wants.
2
Listen to the teacher! We appear to be in the "slow learners" section of the classroom. Yes, let us hear about positive reasons to vote for Mr. Jones. Roy Moore has become a household horror story having been booted off the Alabama Supreme Court twice, and stalked teenagers in the Mall. Democrats, I hope you are on the job in Alabama working precinct to precinct telling voters why they should vote against Moore and FOR Jones.
7
The Times is still spending a lot of bandwidth on Moore and his prospects, and very little on Doug Jones. The latest events have put a Senate seat in play, and the Jones campaign is taking advantage of it. There's national interest among Democratic voters, many of whom are assisting with calls, postcards, contributions (carefully phone banking because Alabamians don't really want to hear from Yankees about who they should vote for.) Should Jones win the special election, you, and a lot of other major media will be caught flat-footed, not having followed the same kind of grassroots upset that characterized this fall's elections.
51
Sadly, I believe the likely scenario here is that Moore wins and the Senate, in total acquiescence to Trump, allows him to be sworn in and seated. Our national willingness to disregard proof of sexual misbehavior allowed Trump to win the White House. What has changed in the past year to suggest Alabamans and the Senate leadership will behave any differently here?
31
And if Moore wins Mitch McConnell who said he believes the victims and called for Moore to exit the race will immediately do a 180 and say, "the people of Alabama have spoken and we should respect that."
14
Moore supporters must feel the way I do about Al Franken. I don't believe people who pile on once the publicity has been established. I try to minimize the seriousness of the accusations (Al pretended to touch her breasts; If tongue kissing somebody who had agreed to a kiss is all he did, then he is in the company of the majority of men). I hope that men as well as women acknowledge what they know deep inside and reject Moore. I hope that we all know that the majority of men are as guilty as Al and a substantial minority are as guilty as Roy. I hope we can change, but that will require putting truth above how we were raised, much less above political ideology.
19
The majority of men? None of the men I know behave this way towards women.
1
It's all out war between the left and the right. Civil war.
14
Yes, and the right is good at it.
The left gotta up their game!
11