Some of my best friends are . . .
Congratulations Mr. Jones!
I’m glad more Alabamans did the right thing. But I’m also appalled that so many, over 600,000, voted for a pedophile over a decent Democrat
3
Thank you, Alabama.
There were two kinds of predator on the ballot in Alabama - Roy Moore, the sexual predator and the Republican Party, an economic predator on behalf of its wealthy donors. Thank you Alabama, you may just have prevented the GOP from picking our pockets.
1
Blessing in disguise for Republicans with Moore's loss, They do not have to deal with the albatross that would have choked the Republicans in senate having a child molester and it puts pressure on the democrats to force the immediate resignations of sexual harassers in their party or face losing the women vote in 2018. The NY Times beaking bews states that the upsey win of Doug Jones trims the GOP senate majority to 1. Actually that 1 is a write off. In reality the senate Republicans have lost the majority and Pence will have to be the perpetual tie breaker. Also to set the record straight President Trump did not support Moore during the Republican primary but instead supported his opponent. Also Trump did not join Moore on any of his rallies and at best the support for Moore was lukewarm and mainly to not lose the 2 vote majority. As an independent, I wish the senators would be more independent thinkers than be the puppets in the hands of their respective leaders. Republican senators especially Shelby and McConnell deserve substantial credit for taking the moral high ground in defeating Moore knowing that they would practically lose majority in the senate. Also Ivanka gets upper hand for her comment that "there is a special place in hell for child abusers" So basically the contamination of the Republicans in senate by Moore was averted and they come our of this smelling like roses.
1
Looking at the county-level election map, my opinion of Alabama soars tonight. However, I still wouldn't want to be caught after dark in most of the northern part of the state.
2
With this historic win of a democrat in a deep red state won by Trump in 2016, Alabama can join the Union in the 21st Century to shed is dark and ugly past.
1
While the nation is focused on the Alabama debacle- Republicans in Con-gress are busy " Wandering to-and-fro.." seeking to see how much more they can destroy. Every corner of this administration's reach is a dangerous pit. We have Rex Tillerson admitting Russia meddled with our election but seeks to cut his Department.
We have the National Park Service raising park fees from $30 to $70 dollars and now- for 2018 will reduce free admission days from 16 in 2016 and 10 days in 2017 to a total of 4 for 2018. Why? It did not provide a reason. This has become the "Just Because We Can" Administration.
Whatever will be left of this nation in 2020- how many will want a part it?
2
Moore's wife used a 1950s cliche: Some of their best friends are Jewish
and African-American. Just the way she said "one of our lawyers is a Jew" grated on me as there is a subtle difference between that and saying that someone is Jewish that I can't explain except that it is offensive. And they know rabbis - imagine that.
GIven that her husband thinks the era of slavery was the best time in the US one can only imagine what these friendships are like. Moore is a throwback to the Jim Crow era in some respects and the 19th century in others, particularly his views about women, let alone his pedophilic tendencies with young girls. He is xenophobic, homophobic, racist, anti-semitic, and more. We will see tonight if that ticks all the right boxes in Alabama.
2
Not much of a horseman either
8
I think that horse is a paso fino, not a tennessee walking horse. The failing new york times! (kidding)
6
Now that Doug Jones has won and has relieved our angst with the restoration of decency that his win symbolizes, can we please start a crowd fund to rescue that poor horse that has Ray MooreOn it's back?
Seriously, I worry for that horse, Sassy, in the days ahead as Roy attempts to manage his anger over his defeat.
A man like Moore who takes advantage of the powerless is not a guy you want to see in action when he thinks no one is looking. His brutal jerking of that horse's mouth and head in front of all the cameras for everyone to see should confirm that.
I'll kick in the first $100 to save the horse.
19
So here are the recount procedures for federal elections in AL (https://ballotpedia.org/Recount_laws_in_Alabama ; Title 17, Chapter 16, Article 2 of the Code of Alabama)
Based on the latest numbers available:
Party Votes %
(D) 655,769 49.7%
(R) 641,393 48.6%
Write-ins (W) 22,360 1.7%
TOTAL 1,319,522 100.0%
Automatic recount number 6,598 .5% Total votes
Difference between (D) & (R) 14,376 Votes
Vote change needed to trigger recount 7,778 Votes
If the write in votes increase, the (R) votes increase, and the (D) votes decrease, all by very small numbers, AL is in the “Automatic Recount” by a function of law. Stay tuned.
5
Alabama told Roy Moore to get on his horse and ride to the sunset!
6
Egg on Trump's face. What a beautiful sight!
12
I bet the Secret Service are restraining Trump from getting his hands on his smartphone so he wont tweet something crazy.
8
The tide turns.
6
Moore deserves to lose for a lot of reasons including animal cruelty. The man should never be allowed on a horse. I hope this is the last we see of Moore.
13
The force is strong tonight.
5
It feels like the joy and relief from seeing a bully getting his comeuppance
9
His campaign signs all said "Judge Roy Moore."
The people of Alabama did (judge him). He lost.
Be careful what you ask for, Roy, because YOU GOT IT.
10
The African-American and Women's vote is more important then ever. Pay attention.
#2018/#2020
22
Thank God for those Alabamians who did the right thing. First time I ever made a campaign contribution to an out-of-state context. Wish I could have given more, but it was money well spent!
16
The race in Alabama has been called for Doug Jones. This means Steve Bannon is not a genius since he cost Luther Strange the Republican nomination for a race he would probably have won against the Democrat.
This also means Susan Collins has significantly increased her political capital in the Republican Senate caucus. The Democratic trend also suggests she should seriously consider switching to the Democratic Party by 2019.
She might want to start negotiating with Chuck Schumer now.
10
If this holds, despite the legalized voter suppression in Alabama, then it's huge. Trump and his army of neo-fascist trolls is REPUDIATED in the deep red South! While this is only "the end of the beginning," let us rejoice and give thanks for this glimmer of light at Christmas in the dark age of Trump.
16
Virginia, New Jersey, and now, of all places, Alabama.
The blue tide is rising, Mr. Trump. Grab your life preserver.
10
Trump, Merkel, the Pope and an eleven year old kid were flying on a plane.
The plane ran into difficuties.
The pilot came back to the cabin and said: "This plane will crash. There are 4 parachutes. I am taking one. The rest of you figure out what you should do." Then he jumped.
Anglea Merkel said: "I am the leader of the FREE WORLD, so I am taking a parachute and jumping." And she did.
Donald Trump got up and said "I am the smartest person un the world", strapped on a black object and jumped.
The Pope turned to the 11 year old and said "I have lived a long life. You take the remaining parachute and save yorself."
The eleven year old told the Pope: "The smartest guy in the world just jumped off the plane with my book bag. There are still two parachutes. You and I can each have a parachute."
16
Thank you Alabama!!
15
Amazing! This is what happens when black folks vote!
Congratulations, Alabama!
14
Looks like MLK's white moderates decided to provide some recourse for their history of oppression. Let's hope the rest of the country follows suite in the coming year.
7
Great job, Alabamans! Thanks for turning out to defeat an ethically-challenged bigot who was thrown out as a judge because he did not support the Constitution and our country's laws. That, much more than his being a creepy predator of young teens when he was in his 30s, is the reason I am glad Roy Moore will not be joining the Senate.
14
Praise God! Maybe we are turning the page against White supremacy, misogyny and xenophobia and electing officials with integrity and decency. As much as I detest Trump, perhaps his presidency will usher in a new era of politics.
11
I did not expect this
A pleasant surprise, though
8
The fact that this election is close proves that a lack of education and a population steeped in religion produces ignorance and immorality. A bit like the Dark Ages but it's 2017 in the United States.
7
Don't forget that a fair number of whites, even GOPers, voted for Jones, or just stayed home at the prospect of voting for the miserable Moore. That's a positive, at least.
3
Not only did Doug Jones win, but Trump and Bannon also got socked. The double whammy. Thank you for doing the right thing, Alabama.
16
I have nothing but faith (and very little of that) that the "good" people of Alabama will do the wrong thing.
Some people will vote for any candidate who opposes legal abortion, opposes all gun restrictions, and claims to be a Christian. A lot of those people live in Alabama.
3
It makes me happy the people of Alabama have decided after all that we don't need immoral people (sexual predators, rapists, harassers, etc.) in the Senate. My respect for Alabama goes up a notch. We need to purge similar people in leadership roles across the country - starting from the white house, congress, courts and all the way down. Then we will be fine as a country.
8
Remember the Republican position that ruled out giving PRESIDENT Obama's SCOTUS nominee a hearing? They said Mr. Obama was a lame duck although one whole year remained in his second term. They were holding out waiting for the "will of the people" to be expressed in an election 12 months away at the time. Are McConnell and company prepared to live by that principle now by ceasing the mad dash toward the grotesque tax bill? In fact in the situation at hand, even the deep south has rebelled against Republican misrule. So, how about taking a deep breath and contemplating the state of the Union for a minute or two?
3
McConnell announced today that he will keep Luther Strange around to vote for the unpopular and undemocratic tax bill at the end of the session. He claimed that he was doing so because tonight's vote will not be certified until after this session of the Senate comes to a close. McConnell avoided contemplating the possibility of letting the most recently elected senator have a say instead of the one who was appointed.
3
Glad to see that the voters in Alabama did the right thing. And no small measure of credit should be given to the women who have come forward in the last two months to stand up for their rights. This undoubtedly made it easier for the women in Alabama to call out Moore's predatory behavior after 40 years of shame and indifference. Maybe there is a glimmer of hope, after all.
8
Let this be true. After the video of the killing of Daniel Shaver and the starving polar bear, L.A. in flames -- and that's just the past week -- we need some hopeful news.
6
A person who deserves a part of the credit for the Doug Jones victory tonight is LBJ, who pushed Congress into passing the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. This victory would not have been possible without him.
4
Just thinking about LBJ tonight, in particular his comment that the civil rights legislation passed on his watch would lose the South to the GOP for a generation. Let's see, that was easily a generation ago that he said that ....
1
Please, when the tax bill comes before the Senate again, let this scare just one Republican senator enough to vote for what their constituents want instead of what their corporate funders are demanding.
8
there's going to be a re count?
The recount threshold (according to either 538 or NYT or both, I've been reading both tonight) is 0.5%, and Jones appears to have it won by a hair over a full percent. Apparently there will be no recount, and no chance for GOP mischief.
I grew up in Georgia -- we all knew Alabama as much more conservative than Georgia. Yes, Alabama is conservative, but the cities will surprise you: Huntsville, with its large proportion of earned PhDs, and Birmingham, with its vast middle-class suburbs. Urban and especially suburban voters in Alabama just sent a message to the GOP in Congress, to Steve Bannon, and to our illustrious president. I also suspect a Gillibrand Effect in this election. Those decidedly unpresidential tweets yesterday could not have come at a worse time for Republicans.
6
"Crucial Seat at Stake After a Divisive and Strange Campaign," your headline reads. Actually, following the Republican primary, Strange is out of the campaign. If this was literally a Strange campaign, it would be a lot less strange. And the Republicans would be well in the lead.
There is still hope in America.
We did it! Thank you, Alabama.
I have not been this elated in quite some time. Finally, I can go to bed.
6
Finally the Dems get a break. Congratulations Doug Jones! And I was about to write off 2017.
6
I'm an atheist but I have to say: there is a god. The sad part is how many hundreds of thousands voted for Moore. Despite that, Hallelujah!!!
7
Hope is alive and yes, we can.
5
Looks like a Moore loss. Good for the country.
6
If the "Good Christian White People" of Alabama elect an openly racist, openly homophobic, and credibly alleged pedophile to the Senate, then I think it is time for the West Coast to seriously consider succeeding. If given the voice, I think that the Pacific States of America will declare democratically that we are done subsidizing the 19th century, especially given the GOP "tax reform", and will instead seek a progressive future independent of the past. We can afford universal health care if we just stop subsidizing the rest of the country. Let the rest of the "USA" go. Let them pay their own bills. Let us go.
2
Congratulations America! The tide is starting to turn. We are with you!!!!
4
Somwthing's missing from the reporting unless I missed it. Who were the write-in votes for? I'm guessing they were substantially Republican votes and that's what threw the election to Jones.
3
Thanks to NYT Live Election Results. As exciting as watching thoroughbred racing at Churchill Downs! Maybe more so!
1
Jones is the declared winner. Red Alabama went Blue. Bravo to all the hardworking campaigners who got the vote out. Bravo to the forward thinking Alabama voters who want better for their state.
4
Good job Doug. Thank you Alabama!
And as a side note; Alabaman's, you watch, Doug Jones will be a great senator for you. For ALL of you. Mark my words.
5
I am a Northerner, but I have always liked Alabama.
Each summer during the late 1970s through the 80s my family used to stop and spend a night in Huntsville, AL, (first at the Holiday Inn, in later years the Best Western), on our way to vacation in the redneck riviera. Every Huntsville evening I would look forward to a meal of fried- chicken or catfish, with either mashed potatoes and gravy, or hush puppies, and a nice, big slice of pecan pie à la mode for dessert. As I recall, it was the best dinner I would eat all year. And the morning of our departure we'd have a big breakfast of scrambled eggs with sausage, white-corn grits with lots of butter and lots of salt, and homemade biscuits with gravy. Again, the best breakfast of the year.
The people of Alabama were always friendly and hospitable, and so I had faith that their good would come through today. Thank you Alabama, you never disappoint me. I have not been back through since the 1990s, but it is definitely time for another visit.
6
Wonderful!! Jones pulls it out.
2
Thank you Alabama voters for making a clear-eyed, moral, and sound choice that will do your state and the country much good.
3
Yay, maybe I don't need to move to Scandinavia after all.
2
I refuse to believe this until Wednesday morning. This is simply too close, and this nation has been burned at least twice... Al Gore, then Trump. I certainly hope Jones is the winner.
3
My faith in humanity was so shattered after last year's election that I honestly expected the worst today.
Faith is a bit more restored today.
Thank you, Alabamian voters with a conscience! Thank you!
6
Please America as a concerned global citizen North of the 44th parallel, continue to fight Trump. With every vote you can, no you will, make America right again.
3
The good guys won, and the good people did it!
3
I am exceptionally proud of the citizens of Alabama for their discernment and courage.
Even though their verdict is more likely a repudiation of sleaze, lies, and a wish to turn the page on Jim Crow than it is a repudiation of Trumpism, per se, ... still, there is no denying this is verdict of seismic proportions for such a Red state.
Republican members of Congress and the White House might wish to re-calibrate their thinking given that their "base" in Alabama has spoken.
5
I'm waiting to see what 45 says. Will he congratulate the new, fairly elected senator, or will he claim fake news? He is on the ropes. I know the work has only begun but we are fighting for the future of our democracy. This feels so deadly serious to me now.
What's up with the polling place picture? Most of us vote in actual buildings, not a hole in the wall in the middle of nowhere.
Some good news for a change. Like a sunbeam shining through a dreary black cloud.
2
A victory for decency, in so many ways.
2
If Jones wins, fingers tightly crossed), I cant wait to see the look of defeat on Steve Bannons face. You cant wage a war if you lose all the battles.
The people spoke, the Dems gain a seat.
Now Sen. Franken has to resign, right?
And POTUS can stay?
2
Doing a happy dance - on all 4 feet!
1
It's a good day for truth, righteousness, compassion, wholesomeness, and right. Thank you Alabama!
1
Yippee!
I've been saving that word for a sunny day.
1
I cannot believe this remarkable news! I fully expected Moore to win. It's Alabama, not Maryland!
Moore's consolation? Look for Trump to try to put him on the Supreme Court.
2
Are you tired of winning yet, Mr. Trump?
How's that deconstruction of the administrative state going, Mr. Bannon?
Thank you, good people of Alabama, for doing the right thing.
4
If Doug Jones somehow wins this race, how long do you think it will be before both Trump and Moore claim the election was "rigged"? Five minutes maybe?
4
Apparently Jones won. I did not believe it could happen but I could not be more pleased. This is a win for sanity and moderation against theocracy, ignorance, hate and xenophobia. The ignorant rural voters were willing to support a pedophile and racist. When I read how his wife talked about Jews, I wanted to throw up. I can just imagine how African-Americans felt. Fortunately, enough urban educated people finally came to vote. This is a win for women’s right too and not just because a pedophile is defeated. Jones is pro-choice.
6
So Doug Jones wins....I'm almost sure of it now. Good, now let's take this energy to 2018! I hope Democrats come up with a platform to believe in before then...
5
Many thanks to democrats for having a proabortion, literally right until the second before birth, candidate in Alabama.
If democrats ran a moderate they would have won
Also kudos for bowing thru another $10 million for a loss
So Jones wins -will all the 'bama and GOP haters now comment and post how great the Republican voters of Alabama are to put morality over politics? Hmmm, i think there will be something negative that will be spun out of this by the left.
I am felling better about the US voter right now. Thank you Alabama
1
JONES WON!!!! I'm SURE the GOP will be requiring a recount.
2
It all comes down to racism, y'all. All of it. And not just 30 years or so of Fox News and Murdoch propaganda. The rich folks have been spewing racism for 200 years in this country in a desperate effort to keep poor whites on their side, even when they were just marginally better off than the slaves. We may never be clear of this horrible infection. I'll feel a little better if Jones wins, but we must keep fighting, even if it seems like we'll never win.
2
Thank you Richard Shelby!
2
All all I want to say is...at last.
1
Roy Moore is not a "child molester" and people that have characterized him as such know little of the history of Southern law. Is Doug Jones to be characterized as a "murderer" because he would allow women to kill their unborn child/fetus? Of course not. So let's stop with the hyperbolic rhetoric. The really despicable thing about this election is the number of disqualified voters due to their melanin content. Anyone who's been around for a while on this old earth has done things they regret and if we disqualify everyone because of past sins then we won't have a government at all (see Romans 3:23).
Democracy has won tonight
1
Right now, it looks like the man with integrity is not going to win. NYT, will you please start posting the links to legislation and how our represented voted? They fancy legislation up and call it the opposite of what it is. People need to start reading the legislation, paying attention to how their representative voted and make decisions based on their votes. I have not found any publication that provides a link to the actual legislation. I feel like America needs you to get the truth out. Your reporters are awesome. Providing the link to the actual legislation and how our representatives voted could go along way to saving our country. Thank you.
Something's very weird with the vote counts right now. NYT shows 85% of the vote counted, 538 shows 82%, and 538 shows MORE votes for Jones than NYT does. Someone's made a mistake in the count.
It’s looking like Moore in a landslide. Now what’s our excuse?
The Republican Party is now officially in a GRAVEYARD SPIRAL.
To Doug Jones and his staff on the ground OUTSTANDING WORK.
A great candidate, a great message (healthcare, jobs, education,etc.) and his staff on the ground was tireless.
To Mrs. Moore--Have a HAPPY, HAPPY CHANUKAH!
You treated the country to a lot of FUNUKA!!!!
To the Three Stooges:
Trump- the gift that keeps on giving (so many gifts)
Bannon- the gift that keeps on giving
Moore- a pitiful, unqualified candidate for the U.S. Senate
Alabama-Thanks for another Chanukah miracle!
4
US rape culture takes a step back. A shred of decency still remains. Can we build on it?
Hilarious to see the early declarations of victory for Moore here! Butter goes well on schadenfreude, I hear.
3
"Butter goes well on schadenfreude, I hear."
haha! a dish best served cold...
I wonder when will our president tweet that the election was rigged
OMG, I’m gobsmacked! I really thought (and feared) Roy Moore would win it. I bet most Republican legislators, especially Senators) are sighing in relief. Moore would have been the proverbial albatross around their neck.
At last, some good news for the Democrats in the Senate.
Welcome to the 21st Century, Alabama!
That's one less crazy man complicit in the greatest political fraud of all time.
4
I live in California, why am I teary eyed?
3
I guess Trump is getting his.
With a Moore win, just think of the hope it will bring to sexual offenders everywhere.
There just might be a God. Yay!!!
Once again, here's proof that EVERY vote counts. It was closer than it should have been given that one candidate is an accused pedophile who yearns for the days when slavery was legal. It's amazing to me that nearly half a state could find a way to look past that. But in the end, it appears that Jones has won.
Thank you to those in Alabama who voted for Jones. You've done yourselves and the rest of the country a big favor.
I was just reviewing the Equal Justice Intiative's document on lynching in America. Alabama is writ large. Things change, and they also don't change.
1
On one hand "Holy goodness! There is hope for the world." Doug Jones is a wonderful example of good works.
On the other "yay. They didn't vote for a molester"
ICK to it all.
And WONDERFUL for Mr. Jones.
(if it sticks, it gives me high hope for humanity.)
2
Alabama....Thank you! I had canceled my trip to Alabama. I will reschedule ASAP!
2
Two things about Alabama voters in this race stand out: 1) women who accuse men of sex crimes are not believed, and 2) Christians in Alabama would sacrifice their daughters to keep the state Republican.
2
That's why we call them deplorables.
1
Time to take out the trash. The folks on Fox are truely pathetic discounting Mr. Jones victory.
3
I wouldn’t be caught dead in Alabama. Their flag is this one big red X
I wonder if the women voters in Alabama are cryptically gonna vote for Jones.
THAT would be so cool.
I can go to sleep tonight believing that there is decency in this country.
3
It's a Hanukkah miracle!
6
How do you like them apples Trump?
3
Please stop using the term fake news. Don't feed the beast. Lies are what are being said.
1
Furious, histrionic, covfefe-laced tweet from a gilded bathroom somewhere in the White House in 3, 2, 1...
6
This might well come down to a few thousand or even hundred votes. Jesus.
1
Wow I am really pleased...I thought for sure moore would win...but HE DIDN"T ...go Dems
1
2020 - Doug Jones, Democratic Presidential Candidate :)
3
YES!!! There is hope for Alabama.
2
Oh, please let it be true.
3
Woohoo!!!!!! When does he take the seat??? Can we stop this tax bill???
3
I'll be popping some Champagne tonight. And I am crying for joy that the sexual predators Moore and Trump have been repudiated.
A close vote, but a glimmer of hope this is the turning point in purging the criminal oligarchs and white supremacist from our government!
I doubted you Alabama. But you came through.
8
Moore defeated, barely. Amen!
3
Necessary, but not sufficient.
Where's that legislation, proposed in both chambers, to protect Mueller? 'Cuz the next stop for the crazy train is impeachmentville.
5
Sweet Home Alabama!!!
3
Maybe there IS a God!
3
Thank you Alabama. That's all. Thank you.
6
Alabama is home, and I am proud to tell you people made the right decision.
Send all hatemongers back home, keep America safe and Americans free.
Lot of other big names with sexual misduct in the past should have the same fate, pronto!
6
I heard someone being interviewed this morning on NPR saying that Doug Jones was a liberal and that meant pro-abortion. Baby-killing against pedophilia...loses every time. There are degrees of "sin-ness"
Wonderful! Great day for Alabama and the U.S.
The defeat for Trump ( our amoral president) is also wonderful.
Get ready for tweets from a poor loser!!!!!
2
20500 write ins was the difference....both were weak candidates...
1
Thank you, Alabama. Thank you very much.
4
No Moore
No Moore
No Moore
No Moore
Hit the road, Roy
And don't ya come back
No more!
Doug Jones is going to win thanks to the 2% of write in votes that might have gone to Roy Moore if a few Republicans did not demonstrate a bit of decency when they went to the polls today. Well done, Alabama.
8
Congratulations Alabama - you are showing the way forward for the South.
4
Thank you Alabama!!!!
4
Yes, Alabama, there really is a Santa Claus!
3
It's 10:26pm - Jones does it. Way to go, Alabama!!!
1
GBA: God Bless Alabama!!!!!!!!!!
2
I weep with joy!
3
If only this result would chasten Trump, or hasten any potential resignation.
4
Could it possibly be true? I need someone to pinch me because I think I am dreaming.
5
Thank you Alabama. We'll sleep better in Canada.
9
The write-in votes did it. About 20,000 people who couldn't bear to vote for Moore.
1
MOre than half of the voter spoke. Thank God there's no electorate college involve...
2
Wow! First good political news in months! It is obvious that Jones won because of the write-in votes. 14,000 decent Republicans couldn't vote for a Democrat, but they couldn't vote for a reprobate like Moore. Thanks to these brave Republicans, the nation has dodged a bullet.
11
NYT did wonderful job tracking this election. Thank you.
3
Roy Moore is history!!!!!! A shameful history for this state...
2
Shame on those demanding to punish a man on 30 year old fables conjured up by a reporter just in time for an election.
We are a nation of laws....
The World is rejoicing!
Who would have thought the World following an Alabama Senate race.
Maybe this is the inflection point!
Let's hope....
3
The first casualty of a JONES win should be a DEFEAT of the GOP TAX BILL.
3
The democratic recoil is underway. This is truly terrible news for the Republicans. A horrendous tax plan that 65% of the country does not support, their seemingly innocuous support a pedophile, turning their backs to collusion with a foreign power over our elections and, the list goes on. Truly the worst and darkest year I have ever experienced in my life as a citizen in this country.
The ship is going to sink. And it won't disappoint, I predict the ending and I already know my emotions. Relief and gratitude.
5
A year ago the Times predicted a Clinton win almost to the last minute. I am treating the Alabama predictions with caution.
2
Funny they kept saying it would be the PC folk, liberals, gays, and atheists that would ruin society and it turns out to be the "fiscally conservative," "family values" "men" of "faith" who ruined it.
6
There IS a God!
2
Love you ‘Bama!!!
3
Good on you, Alabama!
1
It looked kind of bas there for a while fro Doug Jones. There is hope for this country yet, that moral and ethics can prevail over party politics and repulsive behavior. In this case a sexual predator president endorsed a would be sexual predator senator, and the sexual predator lost. Now so called "Judge Moore" should be judged, by a jury of his peers, convicted and should be to prison as a sexual predator. And let prison justice take care of him. Sexual predators, especially child predators, meet a horrible existence in prison.
Next on the agenda, stopping the so called :Tax Reform" bill. Only two Senators must be convinced to vote no, instead of three. Because Pence will vote for it, if there is a tie. Pressure should be put hard on Murrkowski and Collins, from all quarters of the United States. And, by the way, lets hope the Governor Dayton, of Minnesota, replaces Al Franken with another Democrat.
The best Christmas present to middle and working class America, is not to give Trump a victory on so called "Tax Reform". And, that Congress takes measures, also by citizen pressure, to impeach Trump for "high crimes and misdemeanors".
2
In some ways the GOP leadership are relieved that Doug Jones won.
4
Woo hoo! A "come to Jesus" moment in the best sense of the words!
3
THANK YOU, ALABAMA, for standing up for good. More specifically, THANK YOU, my Black brethren of Alabama, for doing whatever possible to not stay home on election day.
3
Mr. Jones' win should send a clear message to POTUS: keep doing what you're doing, sir, and you will drag down the Republican Party into a lake of quicksand. And we all know what happens when one ends up in it!
3
The union is preserved.
4
So, does this Jones win toss a life ring to Al Franken?
2
Congratulations on making the right choice, Alabamians.
3
Congratulations Alabamans! Way to go!!
2
A Moore win could be better for the Dems in the long run, but who cares? Go Doug Jones!
1
At 9:53 EST, in the state graphic, blue counties for the cities Birmingham, Mobile and Montgomery have a lot of precincts yet to report. Maybe Doug Jones can still pull ahead.
Well, looking at the numbers, I guess Doug Jones has to call it a night.
Obvious at this point that Moore will win. Alabama lives down to its reputation.
Alabama is WOKE!
2
Great job to the people that found and put forth a great, great candidate in what would have seemed like a lost cause.
1
Let's get some voter manipulation evidence here:
"Kristen Clarke, the president of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said voting-rights advocates were still investigating the reported failure of some Alabamians to receive absentee ballots they had requested, but neither of the officials said that there had been any systematic effort to disrupt or sway the election.
Benard Simelton, the president of the Alabama state conference of the N.A.A.C.P., said he believed some of the problems could have stemmed from turnout issues. Ms. Clarke cited long lines and large numbers of voters reported in Birmingham, but was not specific on the sources of the reports."
So non-delivery of absentee ballots were inconsequential and there may or may not have been long lines in Birmingham. Sounds pretty incriminating to me. Not.
We should all thank Senator Richard Shelby. He bravely called on people to write in candidates rather than vote for the candidate from his own party. That call made the difference in this result. I'm grateful some Republicans (although not nearly enough) have the courage to stand up for what is right. Thank you, Senator Shelby.
3
The difference in the way so many of us feel tonight versus last November is monumental; I could sweep. There is hope. Bring on the midterms.
In reality, Trump should of been more careful with his Cabinet or other high level appointments because each current sitting Senator that takes one of these positions triggers an election. As in this case it went the wrong way.
The Democrats should rethink Franken's resignation because with a senate race in Minnesota, a Republican might win the seat.
Yes, I realize there are serious issue's with Franken, but there's a grand scheme of things if the Democrats want to gain control of the Senate. Ditto for the Republicans.
1
The people of Alabama have restored the faith many had begun to lose in the democratic process. So nice to see character does, in fact, matter, even in Alabama.
Thank you, citizens of Alabama, for exercising your votes and for doing the right thing for your country. I am so proud of your state tonight. You may even have secured yourselves an outsize place in the history books, helping to put America back on track again, bravo, and thanks again!
1
The South may be changing. People who voted for Senator Jones have been affirmed. Other states - Georgia among them - have 40% or so minorities which are growing.
Women, African-Americans, and young people are now a force to be reckoned with. The GOP's patriarchal theocracy is being challenged.
The moral arc of the Universe is long (in 2016, it felt so very long), but it bends toward justice.
7
Every important journey starts with that first small step. Thank you, Alabama!!
8
Now we all get to enjoy how DT weasles out of having given More so much last-minute support.
4
Now the fight really begins with trump calling the election rigged and calls for recounts. It ain't over folks.
6
Congratulations to Sen. Jones for a well fought race.
And, kudos to the republican party for taking the democratic path to decide Moore's fate.
The people of Alabama know their candidates much better than a few people sitting far away in D.C.
The republicans taught the democratic party a lesson in true democracy.
4
I feel vindicated. I donated $125 to the Jones campaign. Nice to back a winner!
2
As a Democrat, my emotions are mixed. The negative publicity from a Moore victory would have been better for Democrats long-term than gaining this single Senate seat. Draining the Trump swamp will take a tidal wave in 2018 and 2020, not a dripping faucet.
2
If Doug Jones wins, let me be the first to say:
Best Hanukkah present EVER.
How we need a little light.
And may that light, that hope, grow and grow.
Thank you everyone who voted for Jones and everyone who worked so hard to get it done.
Thank you so very much.
4
This democratic win restores a bit of my faith, but how did Moore still manage to get as many votes as he did?
5
A great victory for the people of Alabama and the United States and a big loss for Donald Trump. Thank you to all those volunteers who worked on this campaign and especially to Alabama voters who did the right thing, Thank you to the African American community for voting in astounding numbers to make this victory possible, Hope for our nation was restored tonight.
5
It's ironic, but a Moore win tonight would likely lead to a year-long claim to unseat it, and the likely fall-ot of a one-term president, merely by association.
If Jones wins, which seems likely as much larger urban votes take longer to count, the Jones scandal could blow over fairly quickly and take its potential impact on Trump with it. I hope this doesn't happen.
It would be best for the outstanding democratic candidate to win, and for the Roy debacle to take to unfortunate president with him, to the dustbin of moral decay and history.
1
Thank you, people of Alabama. I believe even many of those who voted for Moore did so very reluctantly, because they knew in their hearts that he had abused young persons below the age of consent.
May this be a wake-up call for otherwise good Republicans at the national level, who caved during the last few days of the campaign to support Moore. They abandoned their initial opposition to him for political expediency.
Bannon is beyond redemption but perhaps he and his puppet will start losing so much that they will get tired of public life.
2
I've tried not to go here previously; I'm going to now.
We live in a place where capitalism is the national religion. Citizens United made the owners of capital holy men.
As imperfect as the Democratic Party may have appeared (and may actually be) to Susan Sarandon et al., by publicly denigrating Sec. Clinton, who was qualified for the position of President and sincerely wanted the job, you have handed the State (which with the exception of arms sales, was working on some groundbreaking progressive social reform) to a permanent hereditary aristocracy. Ms. Sarandon and I will probably be dead or incapacitated by age or infirmity before we see the full effects of this catastrophic miscalculation.
FDR’s four freedoms are doomed. Freedom of speech is over. Repeal of net neutrality and pronouncement of speech critical of the government as ‘fake’ speech will see to that. It’s happening already. Freedom of worship? I guess if you’re a fanatic anti-abortion Christian. Freedom from want? Freedom from fear? Over.
The Republican Party has co-opted issues of genuine concern to the certain members of the public and promised them a devil’s bargain: neutered labor and unregulated capital in the hands of a few in exchange for the criminalization of abortion. To be fair, I don’t think they understood the ramifications of their actions.
If they were worried about ‘pre-born babies’ before, now would be a good time to start worrying about those of us unfortunate enough to have been born.
4
Replying to myself:
So, slightly after I posted my comment above, the paper is reporting Mr. Jones has won.
I'm going to go to bed and hope when I wake up at 6 a.m. nothing has changed.
I stand by my earlier comment, however. If we do not have a dramatic shift in political/economic thinking across the board (and an educated electorate), we are doomed.
Spare us any further pain, Mr. Trump, and resign now. You have no political capital or, apparently, coattails. And a year from now you may well not have a governing majority in Congress.
3
Well liberals you can now celebrate. Your candidate, Doug Jones, won the senate seat you so craved. It was a very close win but a win is a win.
Doug Jones is really a coastal elite type liberal and would fit in perfectly in progressive New York or California. That is not something in which the people of usually conservative Alabama can be proud. Not everyone thinks this is a plus to be called a coastal elite. I certainly do not think it is a compliment.
1
Do you perhaps think that there may have been other more consequential reasons why Doug Jones won.? Perhaps, Bannon, Trump & Moore’s behavior may have turned the votes towards the Democrats. The bottom line is that Alabama will now be able to move forward with business ,corporations will readily be wanting to negotiate with Jones ,and bring economic success to Alabama. Mississippi is the next target for change.
2
I do!
3
Wonderful news. America's better self still there, every battle is still worth fighting.
4
Alabama economically eviscerates itself with a Moore win or a close race where Jones wins. Alabama proves its a backward state if either of the two aforementioned outcomes prove to be true. Thats OK though as the people of the state are just confirming what outsiders think of the state.
Mercedes I'm not buying your GLE, GLS, or any of your C class vehicles (I was seriously looking at the C class convertible but no more). No one in Alabama is getting any of my dollars.
2
This is a Hanukkah miracle. A Democratic win in a bright red state. Congratulations to Steve Bannon for helping create this miracle and dragging Trump into it.
4
Perhaps we have, as a nation, turned a corner. Perhaps the fog is clearing. Perhaps, just perhaps, everything is going to be okay.
3
Congratulations to the Democrats and the people who worked so hard to get voters registered. This is a very important moment in the revival of this country returning to a compassionate and equal opportunity, civilized country again. A lesson for the Democrats also,not to abandon those red states, but to throw full support into those states. Another Trump Failure.....
3
For a brief moment, it is fun to imagine how the Diet Coke swilling, TV-Addict-In-Chief is dealing with this stunning defeat....
12
JONES WIN! Total repudiation of BANNON-TRUMP, the consummate outsiders trying to dictate to Alabama.
16
President Trump won by 28 points over Hillary Clinton in the presidential election in Alabama. They love Mr. Trump and this is in no way anti Trump.
1
You should all know that Roy Moore is yet another Republican John Brown who precipitated the Uncivil War. I recommend you all be prepared for the worst.
How so? I'm curious.
1
If it holds, Jones wins. Huntsville, Birmingham, and Mobile are all a.) slow to report, b.) the major population centers, and c.) going for Jones. A tie at this point, with no full reports from HSV, BHM, or MOB means Jones is in.
2
We should well remember Churchill's words when the allies successfully invaded North Africa in 1942. To paraphrase him "This is not the beginning of the end but it is the end of the beginning."
5
There you go again saying this trims the GOP majority in the senate to just one. That is not correct. Since the Senate has an even number of Senators and a tie is possible -- and Pence is the tie-breaker, they have an effective majority of 2. 51-49 -- two.
4
Um, if it's 50:50, and Pence breaks the tie, doesn't that make it 51:50 = 1 as well?
1
The Republican majority in the Senate will now the one seat. Pence is not in the Senate, despite the fact that the holds a tie-breaking vote. To put it another way, in a partisan vote, the Republicans can only afford to lose one vote.
I started to cry when I read this. For the good of the country, please let this be true.
83
Good news for the whole country ! A child molester is defeated .
56
Child molester is the least of what's wrong with Moore. Enemy of the Constitution; enemy of the people.
"Alabama got me so upset"....NOT. Go Doug Go!
42
It’s over. Jones wins.
And, it’s over for Steve Bannon.
104
Bannon couldn't deliver a pizza.
Make no mistake, Bannon is dangerous and he will use this to agitate the rabid base.
I so hope you're right about Bannon., Paul. That treacherous ghoul's support of ANYONE should mean an automatic vote against them.
Moore wins. More sadness.
1
no. Moore LOST.
you meant Moore sadness
1
It's not over 'til the fat lady sings! Alalalalabama!
If Mr. Moore wins then Nathan Bedford Forrest will have achieved his greatest victory.
6
This is astonishing to me, given all the voter suppression efforts that must have occurred prior to this day!
68
The Secretary of State of Alabama was on air today speaking to how they had registered over 800,000 new voters in the past three years. He pointed out that there are 10 different ID types that can be used to vote in Alabama. I was prepared to believe that voter suppression was doing well, but I had to listen the his arguments and wonder if this is something that some smart people in Alabama were already working on - in spite of the suppression efforts that did occur
1
Yes, approximately 110,000 people were not able to vote because of the strict photo id laws in Alabama. This is where the Democrats need to concentrate on changing that voter suppression climate.
1
It’s pretty evident these days that the North and the South still hate each other. Had Lincoln lived longer, he might have discerned this and recognized the wisdom of requiring the South to free its slaves in exchange for allowing it to go its own way as the Confederacy.
Blacks -- along with civilized Southerners -- would have quickly migrated to the North where they would eventually have been fully accepted as citizens. Without their labor and skills, the economy of the South would have foundered. Roy Moore or Donald Trump would today be the President of the Confederacy, the South would be an economic basket case and no one in the North would give a hoot about Alabama. Sometimes two countries are better than one.
31
I think Lincoln's failure was to appreciate the property rights and sheer value of the slaves that Southerners owned. It would have taken a significant financial settlement to get the slave owners to sell their slaves. But the result following would have been deportation, not migration to the north. Even many abolitionists were racists and would not have treated freed blacks as their equal; certainly not welcoming inter-racial marriage and integrated school systems. The war that resulted from Lincoln's shortcomings was a bloody tragedy that has consequences to this day.
1
Lincoln was obsessed with turning the United States from a "they" to an "it". He admitted he didn't care one way or the other about slavery, was a white separatist at best and a supremacist at worst, shut down newspapers who criticized him and imprisoned their publishers, suspended Habeas Corpus, and used the military to suppress civil disturbances.
1
I completely agree. If the southern “bible” belt (sorry, but the Bible has two books, the Bible Belt only likes the first one) states wanted to secede now, I’d be delighted. Off you go.
Personally, I see Roy Moore winning as a gift. Why? Because it will only speed to the demise of the GOP as we know it.
The GOP didn't expect TRUMP to win but were willing to ride it out as they had nothing else to offer and would sleep with the devil to undue what was 8 years of Obama. At any cost. Roy Moore is yet another example of winning at any cost. The cancer that rots the Republican party from within is now on a roll that is unstoppable. In 2018 they will begin losing power and ultimately be relegated to a nothing burger for generations to come. Can't wait.
13
If Moore loses it is voter fraud for sure. They almost did it with hillary and no way they were going to mess up on this one.
1
Sometimes your guy loses, fair and square. Moore as a weak candidate.
1
Get a grip. There's not a conspiracy under every rock. The GOP owns the response in 2017 with how they've governed.
2
What evidence do you have to support your claim?
2
Okay, so you’re deeply religious and have routinely demanded that your American leaders live up to proper family values; then you help elect a guy who molests little girls. Well, we all compromise. But you burned your Family Values card today, so don’t bother trying to play it again. Ever. You can’t sell your soul to the Devil and call the transaction Holy.
87
Looks like Jones is going to win. Not that disagree with you though.
Look at what a cruel horseman this man is. Just seeing how he rides shows how little he cares for anything. Wildly yanking on the bit with no care about the creature he tortures. Terrible person.
71
Moore should pick on a horse his own size. That poor thing he rises looks like a pony.
He made a mistake in riding that horse up to the polling station. He demonstrated yet again his distain for his god's creatures.
If his tack fit better and he was a much better rider that horse would be OK with a man of his size.
He could hardly control this horse, a larger one suffering the abuse he dished out would be beyond him. He was not collected in the saddle, gave the horse conflicting information with his seat and reins, and the poor animal hardly knew what to do.
His stirrups were too long, he had no balance in the saddle, it looked like the girth was loose, the curb bit and bridle did not fit well, and he didn't know how to use the reins or the bit. He looked like a lump of cement on that poor horse's back.
There are horse welfare organisations in the US, I hope they take off after him. If he has a dog, I feel sorry for it too.
I find the whole democratic party's emphasis on sexual harassment at this juncture just extension of identity politics. The effect creates barriers and does not foster bridges of commonality, which should be focused on economics and legal justice (not to mention the environment and healthcare).
Don't get me wrong, men who rape must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. But the laws ain't doing a great job protecting women or people of color these days. And trial by twitterverse won't change that. Electing people who run on changing laws to protect people will.
The word pedophile and sexual harasser are being thrown around so loosely these days that it diminishes the crime and is counterproductive to actual justice for those harmed.
12
No.
20
Oh yes, please feel free to justify this however you want to.
Sexual harassment has everything to do with economic and legal justice. Ultimately it is about work, not sex. The point is to hound women out, because a certain type of man still thinks women shouldn't "take the jobs away" from men.
If Roy Moore wins this election it would be consistent with my opinion that there has been repeated election hacking. Our government, national intelligence agency, banks, yahoo, Equifax, etc. have all been hacked, why are we so trusting that our elections have not been. And looking at all of the similar turmoil and division that have sprung up recently in many foreign countries, it is something that needs to be investigated. Yes, this administration has many supporters, however not enough, there are far many more who are appalled and disgusted at our current administration, and Roy Moore.
14
It has been going on since 2000, when democracy - a relative novelty in or Republic anyhow - died.
Going on the live results, Jones is in and Moore is out. Sanity prevails. QED.
25
Once again it looks like the difference in votes are exactly the voters who lack picture IDs. And I wouldn't be surprised if we see something similar in 2018. I modestly suggest that the Democratic Party, while it fritters away the months trying to come up with a persuasive platform, launches a Manhattan Project to make sure all its supporters can vote. There is no law against paying for picture IDs on a mass basis. Is it wrong that they're required? Yes. But the electoral college is wrong too. If that's the needle we have to thread, let's get to threading. Picture IDs seem to be the way this game is played. Let's stop pouting and start making sure all Democratic voters have them.
40
ALL voters need to be sure they VOTE!!.....get off the party line.
That a GOP candidate won with a single digit lead in the reddest of the red states shows you how awful the GOP candidates are.
6
The Dems should have run Vincent Guardino. He's originally from Brooklyn, but now resides in Alabama after succesfully defending 2 young men on 1st degree homicide charges back in the early 90's. Although he loves utes, he would never abuse them.
7
It's one thing to destroy the Republican party, but why take down the entire nation with you? Voter suppression through photo IDs and gerrymandering, sex predators in office? Demeaning a free press, a vital part of any democracy? Tax cuts for the rich and lies for the rest of us? Religious nuts who are blind to others? Pro-lifers who love their guns and capital punishment and who will do everything to make life miserable for others?
This is nearly 20 years into the 21st Century and we are still thinking and behaving like cavemen.
22
Though I hope Moore loses tonight, knee-jerk claims of voter suppression in Alabama are patently false. Voter turnout in Alabama today appears to be around 20-25%, a pitiful number. Ask the rest of 75% of Alabama's electorate why they didn't vote, and you won't hear anyone argue they were prevented from voting.
How can they be "Pro Life" if they approve capital punishment?
Ashamed, ashamed, ashamed.
7
Now we will see what Alabamans (Alabamians) are really like: Will they elect a man who prosecuted and got men who MURDERED LITTLE GIRLS IN CHURCH or do they elect a man who has recently said that the 1850s--when black people were enslaved--was a more moral and ethical time in American history?
7
Oy, Harvey Green. Every state in the country has lamentable pasts. Are you also holding them to account for actions that took place decades and centuries ago?
Harvey's talking about the words and deeds of today's actual candidates.
1
Hey Upshot,
While I would love the model as it stands at 9:29 to be valid, your the only model that has it this far out for Jones and you even got a post from the founder of five-thirty-five on how far out you are.
If you miss this one, the Upshot needs to just go away
2
I'm thinking about running for public office:
I have Jewish and Black friends and have not been accused of anything nasty.
I think I would have won this race.
OJ
5
Gee, history tells us that the North won the Civil War. But now it looks like the old Confederacy--with all savage prejudice, white nationalism and hypocritical Christianity--rides again.
11
I never met more racist people than in Michigan and other parts of the Rust Belt North. Your racially-tinged hypocrisy is rich, Lewis Ford.
Yes, racism in Michigan as elsewhere in U.S. But last I checked there were never any white-owned plantations with black slave labor here. Nor Jim Crow until the 1960s. Nor George Wallace and the heart of the KKK. Your lack of historical grounding is very poor, my anonymous friend.
Why is he yanking that horse around so?
11
he's a terrible rider
For argument purposes, let's give Roy "Donald with a drawl" Moore the benefit of the doubt and set aside the unproven (though highly plausible) accusations of child molesting, etc against him.
In fact, since these accusations of him only surfaced relatively recently (a fact the shameless GOP has brought up at every opportunity in an attempt to discredit the accusers), it's easy to recall pre-accusation candidate Moore.
Even then, he was an embarrassment. Blatantly bigoted (Jewish lawyer notwithstanding: what a howler that one was! -- but I digress), twice removed from the bench for defying court orders, ethics violations, and on and on.
In short, a judge with contempt for the law. Utterly unelectable in a rational world.
Now let's go back to the present and add in the accusations. That could only make a terrible candidate even worse, like adding another layer of manure to the pile.
Yet here we are, and in a few hours there is a good chance an accused child molester who was a terrible judge will become a terrible Senator.
All of the above applies with only the tiniest of contextual tweaks to his protégé, the guy at 1600 Pa ave.
Dark days indeed.
11
Only if you've shorted the stock market and bet on higher unemployment!
1
You're right..."the guy at 1600 Pennsylvania" from 1992-2000 set a robust precedent for rapists, molesters and predators achieving high elected office - and was feted and celebrated by we on the left for being such an adorable scoundrel. That chicken has finally come home to roost. Looks more like a vulture now, though.
The GOP has become a carny hustler with a dark, smelly, gooey mess where it's heart should be. Shame on all of them.
14
If I were an Alabama voter, I wouldn't vote for the drugstore cowboy simply because of the way he sawed his horse's mouth back and forth. THAT was animal cruelty!
21
Alabama has their "Scot Brown" moment. Congratulations. Now, at midterms, perhaps you;ll realize sooner than the citizens of masssachusetts that this was a mistake.
4
I was wondering if Mr. Trump would allow Roy Moore to babysit Trump's granddaughter Arabella or whether he'd encourage his daughter Tiffany to intern for Moore.
14
Sure wouldn't take the younguns around Biden. Have you seen the videos??
It does not matter who wins. Congress and the nation are run by the Military. This is all a show for the public.
4
My father was a WW2 veteran and I was born in Germany after the war. I grew up with stories about how the average German supported Hitler and was told how he used to socialize with nice intelligent Germans who were former Nazi's who had close relatives who had been tried and executed for war crimes. I thought this was the future of America with the rise or Trump/Moore. Now, the preliminary results at least give some hope that American's will instead listen to the better angels of our nature.
3
Alabama,
We here in Colorado would respectfully ask that all of y'all and this midnight cowboy senator of yours to remain in the state of Alabama, and please do not visit the other 49 states of the Union.
24
Well, Yankees? Do you still think you won the civil war? The founders saw slavery as the nation's original sin; the national challenge the resolution of which would determine whether its hope for greatness could be realized. But a deviant religion of domination grew in aid of, and to justify, slavery and its evils. Today the defeated South calls it "evangelical," with just enough proof texts to pose as a valid religion, but it's as immoral and unethical as the slavery it was formed to justify. Slavery is replaced by sexism, creationism, military spending national bankruptcy, predatory exploitation of the commons, discrimination re-branded as "law/order," and other social injustices. If the civil war was lost, it is because USA could not outrun the original sin and its deviant religion, analogous to “conservative” sects in the two other faiths. Is it now inevitable that USA could not progress fast enough, so it must be eclipsed by a powerful dictatorship, China w/ its 2039 target to become hegemon? If so, it is because USA calls on other countries to control their zionists and suffis, but refuses to have the courage to call out its own deviants, and so yet another great civilization decays under the weight of its most corrupt elements.
3
Just vote,
1
If a sexual pervert like Moore wins, it might be time to move out of a country that is no longer recognizable.
16
Good bye, have a nice trip.....
Why does Moore dress up like a cowboy? He's from Alabama, right?
11
How would you expect him to dress?
Boots and a whip like a slave master?
That would be too over the top.
Why does Seattle have homeless drug addicts under every highway overpass and on every street corner? They're from Seattle, right?
Captivated?
Better: Dumbfounded, confounded, appalled, repulsed
7
Please Alabama. We know you're better than this.
4
No, we don’t.
It looks like Roy Moore is going to win which means the majority of the nation, including myself, will lose all respect for the people of Alabama. This is a terrifying example of the dumbing down of America.
17
Its the end of the world as we know it. Grace, truth and trust..all gone; never to return in this country. Deterioration of a society at the speed of light (actually more like a darkness)
By ya'll
4
I don't trust this election. I was perusing some Alabama papers, and read some stories of black voters being hassled at the polls, and it was weird how Moore never really campaigned. Was he somehow assured that the fix was in? Is the political climate today pushing me to a new, possibly not quite sane, level of paranoia?
5
It's unfortunate that today's Democratic Party has such radical and scary elements in it that even a poor Republican candidate like Moore is elected. The Dems need to reject and repudiate all the identity politics and all the focus on sexual oddities, and refocus on normal working people.
4
C'mon folks, look at the bright side of Moore winning. Things, which in this case means Congress, always get worse before they get better? Think of all the great lampooning opportunities ahead. This is a Gold Mine.
Did anyone really believe Jones had a snowball's chance in Alabama? Why is this even the headline when the only thing iffy about the outcome is by how much Jones loses? I feel like the headline is just to continue to stir up bad feelings that have already been put through the mill multiple times.
Let's get back to relentless, intense coverage of the tax bill, education, the environment. NYT lose your addiction to Twitter. Forget about Trump's tweets. Ignore him until and unless he's making a policy statement.
5
As Moore was leaving the polling place, it was obvious that horse is a democrat.
6
WILL the straw that breaks the camel's back (euphemism for our Union, that of this country) ever arrive? How many outrageous injustices are we supposed to accept in those parts of the country that repudiate the vile stench of racism, bigotry, homophobia, White supremacy and so on that have begun to take hold over this land since the destruction of last year's election? For a man like this person to be supported by the leader of this country without a hint of shame confirms in my mind that the time has come to begin to look at our relationship with our fellow citizens and the federal government and start to fight back harder than just accepting the changes in rules which have allowed the GOP to hijack our government and impose hateful policies on the rest of us. States like NY can CA are too big and too important to simply ignore should they refuse to implement laws that we know to be unconstitutional regardless of what GOP operatives and appointees might say. I would NEVER accept a law voted upon by Moore and approved by the Senate by the slightest simple majority as one that I should ever respect. ON THE CONTRARY....
3
Well, it's looking like Moore is going to win this one. Makes you sort of wonder if the Civil war was worth fighting. I know the New York Times doesn't like divisive comments, but if this reflects the views of Southerners, It's pretty hard for me to see them as my countrymen. Are Democrats really worse than a pedophile now?
7
Whoever wins, Moore’s the pity for Alabama, thanks to Bannon.
No thank Alabamians....the ones who voted, and the ones who didn't!
9:11PM, 25% of precincts reporting: Mford from ATL is calling it for Doug Jones. Trends are pointing in his direction. Tonight Alabama will turn blue, if only for a while...
1
Maybe Steve Bannon really does have his finger on the pulse of America and maybe people should dissect every sentence of his speech in favor of Roy Moore. It might give the public a realistic view of the country going forward since it is not coming from the "Fake News" department. Now suppose Trump gets a second term. Most libs think it is not possible but it certainly is.
The fact that this election is even close proves the bankruptcy of the Democratic Party's Identity politics. Better if they had campaigned on a $15 minimum wage and guaranteed health care.
1
I find it interesting that now the Republicans are emphasizing innocent until proven guilty. Clearly, they only believe in that for Republicans and not Democrats.
7
My mother used to go on yearly business trips to the company headquarters in rural South Carolina and she described eating at a diner one day that featured a "Jewish style ham and cheese sandwich".
3
If the people of The State of Alabama vote Roy Moore into office, they have gotten what they deserve and will get more of what they have gotten over the last 50 years. 47th in Healthcare. 50th in Public Health. 49th in Higher Education. 48th in Low Incarceration Rate. 47th in Economic Opportunity. 48th in Employment. 48th in Business Environment.
Good Job, Alabama.
23
But they're #1 in college football and that of course what's really important.
Krantz, that explains a lot. Thanks for the information.
The city I live in has roughly twice the population of the entire state of Alabama, but those voters now have the power to change my way of life (for the worst).
And they wonder why half a million of us gathered in Pershing Square for the Women's March?
18
We may be a few hours away from a false narrative, that Democrats can't win elections. Push back against this nonsense; Moore winning by a few points is a win for Democrats. This is Alabama we're talking about.
12
I sure hope God can save us, because we are all going to hell in a hand basket between Moore and Trump.
7
I most surely hope that H. L. Mencken was wrong this time as relates to the South: but I fear once again he'll not be.
4
Ah, Alabama will get a Senator who was not only thrown out of the Supreme Court, but also from the Food Court.
21
"I'm a God-fearing Christian patriot, so I'm going to vote for the pedophile so he can further enable the traitor in the White House". We are watching the Social Media equivalent of Nero fiddling while Rome burned. This country is broken - is there ANY hope for an amicable divorce, or does this have to end in another civil war?
19
I’ve thinking, for a while now, that Lincoln may have been too hasty in fighting to keep the South within the
Union.
3
As a highly educated intelligent daring Brown woman who has traveled extensively in the US, and dared to go where even no Liberal Whites or Democrats go, and opened my hands, my heart and my mind to possible dialogue and discussions...I have come to the conclusion that: 1) Some cultures, like the Middle East, are not going to listen, learn and change easily. They resist new information, and actually kill the messenger. 2) If you keep killing off the messengers, or frighten them away, or distort their information, goodness and the real truth...who is left behind to make changes? That is what Taliban does to social workers, activists and social change agents? 3) Like color blind people who cannot see certain colors even if you shout it or thrust it in their face because of their neurology some can never ever understand Liberal issues no matter what. What are you going to do? You cannot pressure or persuade people to change. It is their beliefs, and if they don't believe in women's education, women's rights and choice what are we going to do?
We who differ have to merely move on! As Dallai Lama said, "You may not like the way they treat their women, or do other things in the ME...but it is their reality. They change by their own actions or they don't. Who are you to go pick fights?"
Democrats don't get this? Why do they keep hanging on...and arguing, attacking and aggressively trying to change a bad, battering and patriarchal marriage? Why?
You maybe on to something.
The pic says it all. I hope I live long enough that old white people don't dominate voting. I'm looking to move away from the social conservative / military industrial complex voting bloc values.
11
If Jones wins this, I see a bright future for the Democrats. All they need moving forward are more states like NJ and VA, and more opponents to run against who have probably molested teenagers.
So, short of not having any policies that people actually want, lacking a record of economic growth, and immigration and open borders policies that make sense outside of the heads of college students at Oberlin and adults in a permanent state of arrested development, 2018 should be a bang up year for the Democrats. Maybe they can chalk up their close losses in ND, MO, and WV as "so-close-for-a-red-state-it-was-actually-a-win," like they did in GA-6, Montana, and KS-4 earlier this year. That and praying for more pederasts to run against. Perhaps that should be the new tagline; "kind of crazy and not that popular, but superior to people who date teenagers."
Behind what may turn out to be a horrible choice is the subject of abortion which rules the minds of some Alabamans
4
Visualize Doug Jones!!! Dems, we need this win--desperately!!!! Yay Doug Jones, Senator-elect from Ala, (D), 2017!
4
It’s not happening. Moore is winning
2
I believe Jewish friends, not Jew friends, is correct, Mrs. Moore.
15
Alabama, elect Roy Moore and I shake your hand. The only problem will be trying to get the stench off.
2
Yup. some of my best friends are jewish. What Mrs.Moore said was pejorative and with an undertone of antisemitism. Hate to hear what she thinks of Muslims.
6
She doesn’t even pretend to have Muslim ‘friends’.
2
Yes, that was the way she spoke in public. Imagine what she says about the attorney in private.
Who cares. Jones won.
If Republicans voted for the representation of evil (Trump) why get surprised about them voting for a pervert in the South?
evil/ adjective
1. profoundly immoral and malevolent.
3
Doug Jones is a good man. A man of honor.
Roy Moore is a pig, and a loser. If he wins, Alabama should draw us articles of Secession. Cut them off from all Federal funding and build a wall around them.
If Roy Moore wins, these religious extremists make America less safe. Build a wall.
8
I know it is still much too early, but I did dig out my old LP of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Second Helping" from up in my storage room (sometimes being a hopeless romantic collector pays off...) and if something truly surprising does indeed happen, you know I am going to be slapping that album down on my turntable, and you know what song I'm gonna blast -- windows open.
1
Turn it up!
Green County, Alabama: Jones got 117 votes and Moore got...8
3
Awesome!!!
The polls favoring Jones were only the live-caller polls, which are susceptible to social desirability bias, (the tendency for respondents to self-report inaccurately on sensitive topics in order to present themselves in the best possible light).
Electoral examples: the Bradley or Wilder effect, where the polls overestimated the vote for the two black candidates. Will there similarly be a "Moore effect," i.e., an underestimation by the live-caller polls of the vote for the accused pedophile? I suspect the answer is "yes."
6
Pedophilia allegations aside, Roy Moore thinks women should not have the right to vote, homosexuality should be illegal, Muslims shouldn't be allowed to serve in Congress, and the United States was great when slavery was permitted.
If he wins, he'll have to take an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution. Based on his views he will not be able to uphold that oath and should not be allowed in the Senate.
23
Time for a full-tilt boycott of all things Alabama-related. Disgusting.
34
The New York Times is doing the same thing with Moore as they did with Trump. Moore gets big headlines and photos, following every move.
They are showing Moore on his 'high horse', then footnote Jones.
It was, Trump, Trump, Trump and now it's Moore, Moore, Moore.
54
And then they will blame Doug that nobody knew what he stood for and it wasn't enough to be the anti-Moore candidate.
14
Whatever the results, it is a sad thing to have to go thru this at all.
19
As a former resident of NJ, I’ve thought about how I would vote should Bob Menendez run for re-election if I still lived in NJ. He’s in trouble with the law and I don’t care for him as a person, but would I be willing and able to vote for a Republican because I don’t like Menendez? Could I vote for someone who wants minimal gun regulations, tax cuts for the rich while sticking it to the middle class, moving further away from real healthcare reform? Could I vote for someone who is against women’s reproductive rights? Those are important issues to me and I’d probably have to hold my nose and vote for the despicable Bob Menendez.
Along the same lines, Alabama voters that want looser gun regulations and oppose reproductive rights would prefer to hold their nose and vote for Moore even if they find him disgusting. In both cases it’s more about the overarching ideals as opposed to the senator himself brought to us by divisive partisan politics.
6
Would you vote for Menendez if you thought he was a child molester and a sexual predator? It's not a binary choice. Write in another name. Folks in Alabama can offer all the excuses they want, but it doesn't change the fact that they that they are electing a child molester to the Senate.
I could not care less about the state of Alabama if it weren’t a reflection of the whole mess this country is in. I have been living in this country for over 20 years and it saddens me to see in which direction it is going. Alabamians (or whatever) are about to elect a bigot pedophile as their leader. How can this even be possible. I see absolutely no hope for 2020. The core is so rotten that it even defies common sense. The dismantling of education is finally bearing fruit. This government will do such extensive damage to the foundation (education, healthcare, infrastructure, environment) that I am deeply worried about the future of the young people in this country.
29
Perhaps a quite civil and polite national divorce is in order. This really has not been one united country for decades, if not longer, say 160 years or so.
Like a long-term marriage that has run its course, the time is now for both sides to say good-bye.
I know you good folks on the coasts do not like us here in the heartland, and, for the most part here, the feeling is mutual.
So why pretend anymore? There are lots of sharp attorneys on both sides that could draw up the papers and everyone would — finally — feel better about their lives.
Deal?
1
Karen: the core wouldn't be so rotten if more people would take the time to get out of their armchairs, off of their couches, and out from behind their computers to cast their vote...
Paul...go do it! Get out there and start working for secession. Many of us know that is what you want...and all this debate, discussion, etc. was a waste with too many screams, shouts and tears painfully shed. I have heard this from people from Alabama and Texas who want California to secede...and many New Yorkers want Texas to secede...It has been going on back and forth, back and forth...it is not even funny anymore.
If Moore wins, Bannon wins. Who's running this horror show?
14
Bannon.
3
I felt bad a few weeks ago when Charlie Manson passed away. It seemed to be in the middle of all this GOP, Roy Moore controversy.
I thought to myself "If the GOP needed a candidate to run for a California seat in the future, Charlie Manson would be a good next step for the party."
7
Stunning, to me, is the failure of so many to distinguish between "blunders" by these people and intentional dog whistles. What "raises eyebrows" for some is a direct appeal to a base that elected as president a man who bragged about sexual assault and is accused of same by many many women. a man who got his initial bump in the 2016 debacle by declaring mexican immigrants to be thieves and rapists. Anyone who thinks the wife's statement was something less than a calculated appeal to that base should take a step back and re-calibrate their expectations of the American electorate, especially the one in Alabama.
10
So looking forward to this being over tonight!
4
The Alabama election irregularities will likely by exhibit #27 in the litany of voter disenfranchisement efforts by certain red states after the pre-clearance section of the Voting Rights Act was repealed. Voter suppressing legislation was literally taken up the next day in Texas and other states known for discriminating against people of color. It's not a good look for democracy.
7
If Moore wins he should send a thank you note to Supreme Court Justice John Roberts who cast a deciding vote in favor of vote suppression.
20
I am just sad as two men who are both on so many levels unacceptable to most Alabamans reduce a political selection process to a crass, mob baiting game of tribal winning or losing. Both sides have made the other completely unacceptable to their own bases, Moore by emphasizing Jones' support for abortion, and Jones by making clear the allegations of child molestation regarding Moore are in everyone's face. Now that each is unacceptable, it is only about tribal hate, rivalry and resentments. It is not even about winning - neither Democrats nor Republicans like their own candidates that much. But it is about making the 'other side' pay, make them weep, make them gather their own bitter harvests. It is not much different than the last accursed Presidential election, and it is sickening.
1
Looking at the video of him riding the horse away from the reporters it appears he has no idea of how to handle the reins. Then he almost falls off to the left. Looks like a publicity stunt almost gone wrong to me.
11
That poor horse, tho! Ears back, eyes wide open & ready to bolt!
2
I would like nothing better tomorrow than to comment I have been wrong for 37 years and there is a future for the USA. I am afraid however the voters of Alabama will say maybe we can kick this can down the road another three years. There is only one viable future for America and that is reasonable dialogue which the GOP, Donald Trump and Alabama seemed too much against.
Much like sexual orientation the ability to believe is not a choice!
3
This has international implications as well. Because if the Trump-era GOP succeeds in getting people like Moore elected, it's just one more confirmation that the U.S.-led trend is no longer a choice between truth-destroying, populist autocrats and the forces of decency and democratic government. The next stage will boil down to simply choosing between one vile autocrat and another. This is the message that is rippling across the world like a massive tsunami warning.
7
Cheer up. Things ultimately balance out. Just ask the next asteroid.
1
The Republican Party has forever given up it's claim to "character counts" - wait, they already did that in November 2016.
7
Media coverage:
Roy Moore
Roy Moore
Roy Moore
Roy Moore
Roy Moore
Roy Moore
Doug Jones had this to say about Roy Moore
Roy Moore
Roy Moore
Roy Moore
Roy Moore
So who's got the higher profile and better name recognition going into today's election because of all the free coverage? Good or bad, it's still coverage. This is beginning to reek of some other recent election I don't want to recall...
21
I dreamed that Doug Jones won the popular vote, but the electoral college gave the victory to Roy Moore.
5
It’s ironic that we monitor elections in other countries....
8
"....my husband is also not someone that mistreats or looks down on women. After all, he's married to one."
4
When the public distrust of their politicians reaches a level, where people think "they" are all dishonest and incompetent, the real test of a nation comes in the question of where society goes. In one of these moments of history, a nation turned to National Socialists.
I´m wondering what we will call United Statians in the future, Repiods, Trumpzis,...?
3
If Moore wins, he's going to like the weather in DC. It dips into the teens.
12
“The race captivated the nation, not only for its lurid allegations but for its also immense political implications for both parties and the Trump presidency.”
Captivated? Good grief! Disgusted and appalled, I’d say......
5
I was so hoping that Moore would win to become the Poster Child of present day Republicans.
2
Looking at the picture brings is like viewing a photo from the early 1900's. I realize voting locations can take place anywhere (schools, churches, social halls) but this backwater locale tells me a lot about Alabama. It also brings much sadness reading about the confusion among black voters.
There are still thousands of rural towns dotted throughout the South were black voters are quietly intimidated with none-too-subtle queries about "Who ya gonna vote for?" As a "Northerner" of Southern parents, I recall hearing stories about black men who knew not to vote or vote for the "wrong sort" lest they wished to lose their lively hood. Until there is a national voting standard, this will be seen over and over and over again. I shake my head in dismay and disgust.
2
I don’t know what the relevance is of a humble voting location. My voting place in my small town in Maine is the old meeting hall: no indoor plumbing, the only heat from a wood stove. Democracy doesn’t require elegant surroundings
2
What have we come to? The Department of Homeland Security is under foot in the nation of Alabama- protecting it from terrorists. But then again- home-grown bigotry and racism IS Terrorism at the ballot box.
2
Whatever happened to exit polls?
Why can't the NYT report what Alabama voters said on their way out of polling stations about how they voted?
In other countries, even Third World countries, election observers can do an impartial, accurate quick count based on exit polls. These quick counts boost confidence in the final election results. What gives in Alabama?
3
The probability estimates are based on exit polls.
Now a half after the election results started coming in, the race is tightening. I suppose the election riggers got nervous because initial results showed Jones with a sizable lead. It's a national event complete with sportscasters announcing the play by play.
3
For the Dems its a long shot uphill battle, for the other side its all about trying to preserve their dignity and sanity. Either way, the Republicans are going to have to deal with the results in a much larger sense. I'm super excited for the outcome.
Preserve their dignity and sanity? Do you write for The Onion?
3
Given that we always have reports of voter suppression and intimidation at the polls, our elections should be held on multiple days. That way issues can be resolved and the voter gets to vote.
2
I am from a thoroughly blue state, but also spent a lot of time in the deep south, where some of my family had settled. What I've come to learn is that politics aside, most people are decent, hardworking people who only want the best for themselves, their families, and their communities. While I try to avoid political conversations down there (because I know I'd start many arguments), what I am hearing about this special election is that most Alabamians may opt for a write-in candidate. Considering historical write-in campaigns in other states, such as with Alaska's Senator Murkowski, we may be surprised. It may be Mr. Jones, or perhaps another qualified write-in candidate. Whatever the turnout is, I sure hope it is not Mr. Moore, and if so, I plead with the the US Senate to not seat him (also
unlikely, but the right thing to do nonetheless).
3
As a Republican woman Moore, Trump should never hold office. Candidates should not be elected based on their party but for what they accomplish without the funding of big money.
4
Come on - we need Jones to win - this has much broader implications. I don't think I can take much more...
4
I went to YouTube to hear Joan Baez sing "Birmingham Sunday". We sang it too softly and did some one harm.
At 7% returns in, Moore leads by 10,000 votes. If this trend continues, it just means that people will vote Republican or Democrat, no matter how poor the choice of candidate. This will just confirm the last presidential election that it doe snot matter how bad teh candidates are, people will just vote party over ethics, morals and common decency.
4
A man who prosecuted the killers of young girls in church is a poor choice of candidate? You have got to be kidding.
4
His horse is named SASSY!? The writers in the cosmic writers room should be fired.
3
Doug Jones is campaigning hard in the Black community of Alabama in the closing days of this race. If he would have campaigned hard and been more of a presence in that community just 6 months ago maybe the race would not be this close now. If Moore wins it would illustrate the price Democrats and the country will continue to pay for taking the loyalty of African American voters for granted. By the way what has Doug Jones done RECENTLY to EARN the support of the Black voters of Alabama?
3
What has Moore done EVER to gain the African American vote? That is the question
1
Marian, you are raising an issue that should go national and viral. I wish the MSM would have the courage to discuss this openly, and with other minorities too. Many minorities have no choice, and have become just touch up, touch down and touch-and-go voters for Democratic candidates. Some of their supporters are still screaming at those people who considered Bernie, or just voted for him in the Primaries...as of that was some kind of a political sin. They harassed Sarandon so much she had to change her phone number. I get called, "Troll, divider, blah, blah..." just for critiquing some Democratic campaigns or candidates or their-not-so-liberal policies. And I was as Progressive as Democratic and as Left as some can get in American politics. But I got chastised and yelled at for that.
You need to start that debate now!
Poor Sassy. Roy Moore knows nothing about riding a horse.
His hands are too high and drag on the horse's mouth.
One-handed neck reining is more common in Western riding, but whether a rider goes one or two-handed, a good rider will keep his hands low and use a subtle touch. Moore uses two-handed and does it very poorly.
His stirrups are too short, so he is sloshing around in the saddle.
He is not keeping his heels down and against the horse's sides; the real control should come from his weight and leg pressure--not from yanking on the horse's head.
You can tell from how a man handles a horse whether he has any sensitivity. Someone who yanks a horse around is the sort who yanks a woman around, on and off the dance floor. So, anyone with a little horse sense would stay away from this jerk.
26
Correction: that should be - "His stirrups are too long"!
1
As I write here, the road to victory may in Alabama may have run through Jerusalem:, especially since late-breakers went heavily for Moore https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/victory-alabama-may-run-through-jerusalem...
Roy Moore wants us to think he is cool riding up on his horse. Well, Moore is no rider, as shown by the photo jerking on the poor animal's mouth, and by video I have seen of him riding.
If Alabama elects him, corporate America should think twice about investing that state, and it's citizens should be embarrassed and ashamed. It is "interesting" to hear so-called Christians looking the other way and supporting him. He flouts ignoring the Constitution, thinks women and African-Americans should not have the right to vote and believes that slavery should not have been banned based on his belief that there should only have been the first 10 amendments.
15
In evaluating early returns, remember that returns come in first from precincts where electronic or mechanized vote counting occurs. Out in the boondocks, they probably use paper ballots that have to be visually scanned by human eyes, and votes tallied with paper and pencil. Those votes will take a lot longer to get counted and reported.
4
This is what a rigged election looks like.
5
Which side?
I hope that Ray Moore wins because of his conservative policies such as pro life and other social issues. I think that it would be criminal for life in the womb.
1
And WMK would be "British" Watermark? So...what is the watermark? If it is hiding, and one needs to hold up the paper to figure out the true mark, then it is an imposter.
I was reading the comments on this very same issue on ABC Online News and found it disheartening how divided and set people were in their views and opinions. While some Democrats and non Democrats raised very important issues with regard to Moore's unsuitability, Moore's supporters dismissed what they said as lies, fabrications and fake news.
On the other side were Democrats who were referring to anyone who were correcting their comments or data, though they might have been on their side with regard to rejecting Moore, as "trolls", and even "as unpatriotic, un American, Russian, etc.".
We do not need more proof than this that the US is very divided, and Russia does not have to do a thing on this.
Having said that here are four reasons why Moore has to be rejected by everyone:
1) He is an embarrassment to Alabama...with the way he and his wife dealt with the diversity issue - cringe worthy. He and his wife sounded like they were in another planet in 1817, not in the US, 2017.
2) The claims of molestation of minors are well founded, and in Alabama so much of this is normalized and trivialized...which is why women are coming forward now.
3)This is a man who was rejected by his own peers for the Bench "twice" because he was not following the Constitution.
4) This man has contradicted himself on many Conservative perspectives that he is just "a lying self serving man, some call pervert, with a R next to his name".
Moore is NOT a Good Republican! Don't vote for him!
9
Moore is not a good American......don’t vote for him.
1
I have a question - When you put politics before the welfare and concern of your women and children and how they are treated what are left with?
8
“You were given the choice between war and dishonour. You chose dishonour and you will have war.
(Winston Churchill, about the Munich agreement)
How fit to this election!
10
Check Mythbusters on that alleged Churchill statement.
I am more interested in the photos in this piece. I see the only elderly black woman walking out from the poll station in one of the pictures. Does this shows how indifference the black folks in Alabama? Voter suppression due to without proper ID perhaps?
1
I see two black people exiting a voting location and two white people walking towards a voting location and read nothing more into those photos. However, the black vote alone will not carry Jones to victory, he needs the votes of presumably white disillusioned Republicans and educated/affluent voters (not sure if these are the same) to pull off an upset.
To Alabama: Please choose thoughtfully and carefully who you want to “represent” you. And think just as carefully about what you’re going to tell your daughters.
5
If Alabamians elect Moore they will set back Christianity a 1000 years. Evangelicals will be made to look as big a fools as they are. Republicans will manage to salvage a cult of sacrilegious sinners. But, all's fair in politics. LOL
6
"One of our attorneys is a Jew."
-Louise Moore
Moore and his supporters seem to be literally incapable of perceiving why this is an insensitive remark. It is as though they have passed through an expired critical period of their social development, and it is now too late to try to teach them the difference between seeing a man as your "Jewish attorney" versus seeing him as your "attorney."
8
I have a sad feeling that we are going to get a front row seat to beating red heart of racism, bigotry and misogyny in Alabama.
I feel terrible for the normal humans who live there. They must be mortified!
9
@Mars & Minerva: Alabama and Racism,Bigotry and misogyny is synonymous. Just look at old news reels of blacks being clubbed, dowsed by water hoses and bitten by dogs all in the name of preserving White Purity. Perhaps you need to review Congressman John Lewis, whose head with bashed in and survived being in a coma on that notorious "Bloody Sunday" in Selma.
Blacks in Alabama have known terror and lived it for generations; being mortified has no doubt taking on a benign characteristic- by now.
1
Could Trump point to Alabama on a map? I truly doubt it.
8
Roy Moore, the new face of the Republican Party, MAGA!
An ignorant, bigoted pedophile who so richly illustrates the degradation of the Republican Party under the vile and odious Trump.
We are at the point that no decent American should have any truck with the Republicans. For crying out loud, A PEDOPHILE!
17
I am in contact with foreigners from the Pacific Ocean nations and I can tell you that they are stunned by this electoral choice, that it would not exist where they are from ( they are referring to the fact that Roy Moore stands for election and may win ) and they are wondering how low the U.S. will go. Needless to say, I have had to do some explaining
13
Roy Moore will win. I have absolutely no faith that the people of Alabama are equipped to do the right thing and vote for the best qualified man instead of voting for the party. These are the same people after all that we have to thank for Donald Trump.
16
Based on reports of voting difficulties in Alabama, it's clear Republicans either fear they can't win a fair election or are determined to win at any cost. Actually, both are probably true. At least it's a democratic system Putin and other autocrats would be proud of.
5
Lincoln was wrong about keeping them.
21
Pay special attention to any effort to turn away voters at their designated precincts, i.e. "voter fraud allegations". Should this voter disenfranchisement occur, all focus ought to be trained upon AG Jeff Sessions and the DOJ for whether any voter was denied their Constitutional right to vote and have their vote count as it was cast. Through voter suppression (aka voter fraud allegations), Republicans have long-since sought to control the outcome races on a precinct and district basis.
Who are targeted by this assault upon our liberties? African-American voters, other people of color and religious minorities.
89
I do not think that alabama is capable of doing the right thing - under these or any circumstances.
31
They had the opportunity to do the “right thing” years ago ,that is proven by the ex judge Moore continual political survival and his disgusting behavior.
1
Why no mention of yesterday's last minute reversal [by the Alabama Supreme Court]of a lower court decision to preserve digital ballot images? This is significant since the actual paper ballots cannot be accessed except for a recount?
21
To ask Alabama voters to reject Roy Moore because is sexual misconduct and bigotry is to ask Alabamans to be more progressive than a national electorate that chose a Donald Trump for president.
45
Jake Tapper just said, Roy Moore's horse's name is Sassy, the name of a Teen magazine!
The timing is NOW for young people; But not those tiki torcher kids@
13
Fitting into his label, Moore was on videotape yesterday, wearing his white cowboy hat, riding a Palomino. That will get him some votes in Bama since labels (like white hats) are everything. We all know those who wear them are the good guys. I'm surprised he didn't shoot a pistol and wear an American flag shirt as well.
15
"Moore was on videotape yesterday"
He was on videotape today, too.
...........And the horse he rode in on!
I am truly amazed that a government by the people for the people actually have a press that continuously bashes said people. The press are the people as well. All of you know that no one is qualified for a position that calls for ideas and work great than yourself. Yet, arm chair quarterbacks constantly critique men and their intents knowing full well you can't. Great men very seldom born great.
This constant standard of perfection from imperfect people never ceases to amaze. If these men are so vile go and get elected. But you won't because you don't want anyone doing a sin search on you. Hypocrites.
I don't envy Alabama. If they vote Democrat they vote the destruction of their nation. If they vote Republican they choose a flawed Christian. Moore is the better of the two but holding your nose to vote is not something that people enjoy. Can Roy Moore pull it off? Time will tell. Will the nation move on? Probably not, they have not moved on since the last Presidential election. Sigh...
Minor correction, Preston. You wrote Democrat as a noun but should have used the adjective form, as in 'vote Democratic'. It's a common mistake, presumably innocent, for which I blame our failing schools. Also, you're welcome.
2
wow. you are literally guilty of virtually everything you just blamed the press and others for. not surprised. hypocrisy is the cornerstone of many in your corner.
1
Preston, I am shocked how issues of molestation and racism are called "merely flaws" by Republicans like you, but you want to bash, batter and bury Democrats over trivial issues. I have an excellent record, a Brown woman with a PhD who actually took care of a White man with Huntington's Disease, a saintly thing to do...Will you vote for me in your great State of Texas? Very likely not! I struggle to get a fair chance in your State. Now work for me, my fairness, my justice and my needs White man...with or without your cowboy hat.
I f Moore actually said the best time for the nation was during slavery, and the black vote during this election is low; the state deserves what and whom it gets.
19
But we, the people of the United States, do not deserve to have Roy Moore inflicted upon us.
3
i always enjoy when folks being accused of being bigots try to explain why they are not bigots and end up sounding like bigots. i
36
If Moore wins it will be because the state is overwhelmingly Republican, and naturally a republican wants to vote for a republican candidate just as a democrat wants to vote for a democratic candidate, although the proverbial nose may be held.
Alabama voters who will vote for Moore because of party affiliation are no different than Massachusetts voters who elected Ted Kennedy time and time again even though he was responsible for the reckless death of Mary Jo Kopechne in Chappaquiddick. Or US voters who voted for Bill Clinton 2x after the allegations of sexual harassment by Paula Jones, Kathleen Willey and Juanita Broaddrick.
Of course democrats have now called for Franken's and Corbyn's resignation, but let's be honest, the democrats will not lose either seat, as these seats will safely be replaced by democrats, so democrats can afford to get on their high horse about Moore.
If Moore wins, hopefully McConnell will initiate the expelling procedures, and Moore will be replaced by Strange. The majority of Alabamians probably hope and even expect that, so in the end it will probably work out.
If Moore looses, I doubt that liberals will give Alabamians much credit anyway. They will complain that the margin was not wide enough, or that he was the republican nominee in the first place, even though the primary voters did not know of his sordid past during the primary but only afterwards, when it was to late to vote for Stange.
5
The state was once overwhelmingly Democratic and then Johnson passed The Civil Rights Bill of 1964 and like magic , Alabama became “overwhelmingly Republican”. And THAT, not the Hokey Pokey, is what it’s all about.
At what cost Philly, at what cost? If we cannot put up decent men with intelligence and integrity in the 3rd largest country in the world with over 350 million people, in the oldest and richest democracy in the world, in 2017...when will it happen?
A display of the attitude that got us to where we are today.
one thought entered my head: If this fellow is Chief Justice of the Alabama Court, what must the associate justices be like and should they be monitored as pedophiles and kept away from malls and schools. It may be time to send the troops back to bama.
12
Following their speeches yesterday, I don't know who is more repugnant - Moore's wife or Moore himself. They certainly deserve one another.
My sympathies lie with Moore's pony Sassy, who has to carry the oversized bloviator to the polling station. He is certainly no horseman.
41
Fellowship is a verb?
11
If being the supportive wife of a pedophile about to be elected to the US Senate by the good Christian people in Alabama and endorsed by Potus, do you really think she's concerned with grammar?
But I take your point . Ear abuse.
Hmmm. I'm afraid Mrs. Moore may have cost Mr. Moore those critical Jew votes.
19
Anyone else remember when over 40 years ago on All in the Family, a script had Archie Bunker talk about his Jewish lawyers as a satiric device to show his moronic prejudice?
32
At the risk of revealing my age, I've been mentioning this all day.
Archie referred to his lawyers as:
Rabinowitz, Rabinowitz, and Rabinowitz. Three vicious Hebes.
Alabama, with a Jewish population of less than 9,500, embodies what the GOP is today--essentially ruled by white Christians. Non Christians and people of color are second class citizens and don't need to apply. Child molester (alleged) Moore and his horrible wife and examples 1. and 1.a. of their bigotry and ignorance.
19
Jones supporting killing babies in late-term abortions today. Is more of a concern to most voters in Alabama than what Moore may have done forty years ago.
5
Doug Jones supports late-term abortions in cases of medical necessity - where continuing the pregnancy is dangerous to the mother, or if the fetus has a severe birth defect, typically a defect that make it nonviable outside the womb.
Would you force a woman to carry her pregnancy to term under those circumstances?
24
@Rick Long: That's right - don't kill those babies - otherwise, there won't be any little girls for Moore to assault.
Typical twisted anti-anti-abortion logic: force women to have unwanted children as punishment for having sex, and then make sure the kids are thoroughly abused while growing up.
5
"dangerous to the mother"
You are blurring it, it is "life or health of the mother" which can include mental health, which can mean anything.
Basically, he's for abortion until the moment of birth.
1
Trump and Moore voters! They believe everything Fox or Trump says. Justify anything no matter how shameful or abhorrent. The government buys free food for Latino immigrants? 14 year olds went with old men back then?
That's the cult talking, of course. The white supremacist Trump Fox Republican cult. Trump is using every trick in the Nazi playbook. The Moore voters are sucking it up. While the rich use the tax cut to rob all of us blind.
Can't we just spell things out? In Alabama law what Moore is accused of is criminal sexual abuse. That isn't simply "sexual misconduct." Moore has been accused of what is now considered a crime.
20
This is the scary part, but it also typical of racist South. If a Black man steals a bike he goes to prison for ten years. If a White man rapes a Black woman, the victim is ignored or she is told she deserved it. If a White man rapes a White woman he gets a slap on the wrist and gets a second...even a third...chance!
This is what women and people of color have been shouting about for centuries. Did you not hear it?
Voter suppression works entirely against the idea of a free and just nation ruled by a democracy compromised of its people.
13
“Free and just” and Alabama just don’t go together.
1
I sincerely hope that Alabama will embrace "decency" over "power at any cost". It would be a welcome ray of light in an otherwise dark contest.
But Moore is heavily favored to win this race, even if by single digits. And if he does, both Trump & Bannon will try to take all the credit. Meanwhile, the Senate GOP will be reminded of the stain that Mitt Romney predicted in the event that Judge Moore was elected. Isn't this how the Siths came to rule the empire in Star Wars by using fear & anger to divide people against one another?
11
There is an old saying in an Asian language that says, "Don't let the Parayaa into the house and don't let the Asura into the country". The word Paraya has nothing to do with color, caste or economic status. It has to do with character. A parayaa is a person who is low in knowledge, self awareness and wisdom...but is high in arrogance, ego, self importance, argumentativeness and pleasure or power pursuits. Such a person will destroy a family with his ignorance, bad behaviors and beastly qualities.
An Asura is a person who is very intelligent, smart, shrewd and savvy...even sophisticated, charming and mystically powerful...But they lack basic values of compassion, empathy, fairness, humility, righteousness and basic goodness. Such people will destroy or distort or dysfunctionalize entire institutions and nations.
For a country that throws away a third of the food it produces while so many in the world are starving, electing Roy Moore to the US senate could hardly put any more of a dent in the huge wreckage of any favorable reputation we think we have abroad. If anything he's more representative of than anything else we'd like to believe about ourselves.
5
To inoculate her husband from charges of bigotry? Really?
9
"Moore picked up his ballot at a table backed by a cross and a Christmas tree" according to the article. Why should ANY polling place be located in a religious facility in the first place which a) might or might NOT otherwise welcome the voter to weekly services or membership, and b) might well be viewed as subliminal advertising to evoke support of particular beliefs or positions espoused by one candidate vs another. Why should a voter be compelled to enter a religious facility to exercise their civic duty and right? Surely there must be enough public or other non-sectarian locations to host elections on neutral ground...
18
My voting location was changed to a local church. As a non-Xtian, I don’t understand the change of venue. For the past 30 years, the local public library was where I voted.
Because the churches have the necessary facilities for a polling place and are in precincts that might not have a public school or town hall.
Moore can't even ride a horse correctly. Somebody adjust the stirrups for him before he hurts himself.
12
He adjusted them for all the young girls at the polling station.
9
I am glad I am not the only one who noticed that he knows little or nothing about horses. He was holding a rein in each hand while he sawed that poor mare's mouth back and forth. Somebody should call animal service about that abuse!
2
For those of you unfamiliar with horses and riding let me share an observation about the character of Moore's riding style.
Moore is heavy handed on that poor horse's mouth. You can see that by the way Moore grasps the reins in his hands - looks like he learned to ride from Glenn Ford movies, by far the most brutal Hollywood actor rider .
And just like Ford, Moore likes that macho flourish of of head jerking the horse for the cameras . That horse doesn't need such an enforced command. Because the length(long) and straightness of the shanks on the bit(side metal pieces that connect to reins) provides maximum pain for the horses mouth. A horse that has an owner/rider like that has long ago resigned themselves to fully cooperate because of that type of bit. A whispered whoa would do for that poor horse to respond. For every 5 pounds of hand pressure on the reins it's about 15 pounds of pressure inside the horse's mouth. And that's for a moderate length shank. Moore chose what I would call a mean spirited bit.
You can tell a lot about a person the way they treat an animal.
Just sayin....
62
You are exactly correct, too! That poor horse was treated very badly by that drugstore cowboy!
I love these kinds of observations...as it helps people seeped in some cultures, like cowboy hats and horse riding, to see the truth and the bigger picture about some people in their own language and symbols. Thank you...
I live in Texas and I see how some dogs by Texan men and women bark at colored people, glare at them and are intimidating...The owners of these dogs don't always treat them as sacred lives...but as pets for their entertainment, comfort, convenience and pleasure.
Read the book: They shoot some, eat some and pet some.
Democracy in action, in the greatest State in the greatest democratic country the world has ever seen!
The Secretary of State of Alabama (the State's top election official) sounds perfectly satisfied reporting a 25% voter turnout! So 75% of the voters in Alabama don't think this election matters (and, to be fair, some are facing barriers to voting due to Alabama's voter suppression laws).
Apparently this is not unusual: The turnout for the August 15 primary there was 18%, and the Sept 26 Republican runoff (which Roy Moore won) attracted just 15%.
If I was Secretary of State of any US state, I would be ashamed to report this ludicrously low turnout rate. I would either resign in shame, or tell the citizens what I intended to do to increase turnout. Instead, Alabama (like other Republican-controlled States) has been busy making it more difficult to vote.
In my home State of Washington, our recent local elections in November attracted just about a third of registered voters, and here the State mails ballots to every registered voter's home address, and gives them about 3 weeks to send them in. Still, this is too much for 2/3 of WA voters. Shameful.
Maybe we don't deserve to live in a democracy. Maybe we are just too busy, too distracted, or too alienated to care about our communities and our country.
25% participation rates tell me something is amiss.
170
Or perhaps - after #1 Citizens United - people have come to think that their votes don't really matter - or perhaps after #2 the NY Times Article about a small number of families controlling the money that flows into political parties (see "The Families Funding the 2016 Presidential Election") - they figured that their votes don't matter....or #3 maybe they are just too tired of having to continually fight the layers of bureaucracy to prove that they can indeed vote...I don't know the reason - I just know we can't really call ourselves a democracy because of 1, 2, and 3.
1
And it's the ballot box where term limits reside as well. Hence the lack of enthusiasm for an 'educated populace.'
Well, it IS Alabama you are talking (typing) about.
As I’ve commented elsewhere …
“As delighted as I would be to see Jones win, it’s going to come down to the ground game: getting people to the polls.
The Republicans have the organization to do this. The Democrats just don’t have the resources or the personnel to drive voters to the polls which is what is needed for many of Alabama’s poor.
I truly hope I am wrong.”
To this I would now add that I don’t expect this to be settled anytime soon. There are absentee ballots to count, for example, and if the election is a close as the polls suggest, there may well be calls for a recount. If that happens lawsuits may ensue, and those could further delay a final result.
If after all that Moore turns out to be the winner, I hope Jones does not follow tradition and congratulate Moore. A more principled stand would be taken if he remains silent, or, better, continues to publicly criticize Moore.
4
"A more principled stand would be taken if he remains silent, or, better, continues to publicly criticize Moore."
equals sore loser.
Elmer Gantry meets Lonesome Rhodes, riding in on a horse. Politics has become a cheap circus in the USA.
11
You noticed. I moved to Texas over a year ago it is amazing the kind of candidates that can run for office, get elected and get re elected even in some cities and districts in Dallas. Some of the men here talk down to me because I am a woman and a woman of color, an Asian, They are amazed when I say I have a PhD and traveled to 45 of America's 50 states, traveled and trekked alone for many years, traveled to other countries as a single woman...etc. It is like I have moved to 1919 California. If I got a good job with benefits, that could give me a decent middle class life in Cal, I'd move there in a jiffy. Cal is too expensive even for me with a doctorate and many years of experience. Sad indeed.
But lets hope Texas changes enough for me to find security and happiness here. Miracles can happen. :))
Where are all the songwriter/poets from my era the 50's 60's 70's ? The Pete Seeger's, Bob Dylan's, Joan Baez's Judy Collins et al? Surely now with Trump in the White House and caricatures like Roy Moore standing for the Senate there must be enough to produce an whole host of protest and ridiculing material?
10
I recently read Neil Young has written a song about Trump. I haven’t heard it, but he’s played it in concert.
Moore will end up a pariah and freak show outcast if he joins the Senate. He embodies every negative stereotype people have about Alabama.
22
Republicans need his vote a lot. Gonna be hard to ostracize him and woo him at the same time. I suspect some accommodation will be made once it is clear Senator Moore plans on sticking it out and starts raising money for re-election.
ha, ha, funny...you have to watch the video of ol' Roy on horseback. Lucky for him the horse knew which way was back to the barn 'cause Roy sure wasn't in control. Stunt gone wrong.
15
@MD:
Moore's stunt -- and it was just that: a stunt -- would have been comical if it weren't so patently inane.
On the other hand, he might convince me of his equestrian skills were he to successfully demonstrate how he lassos unsuspecting, vulnerable underage girls for a little ride in the saddle.
Anyone voting for him has the morals of a viper.
8
You don't need to be an investigative reporter to figure out Trump's political position about Moore. Look no further than his twitter:
"Doug Jones is Pro-Abortion, weak on Crime, Military and Illegal Immigration, Bad for Gun Owners and Veterans and against the WALL. Jones is a Pelosi/Schumer Puppet. Roy Moore will always vote with us. VOTE ROY MOORE!" (Dec 12).
Clearly, Trump values Moore's propensity to vote the party line over his ethically monstrous status as a child molester. To be expected.
What matters in this election is whether Alabamans can see in Jones a qualified candidate whose positions re: the economy & healthcare coverage (https://dougjonesforsenate.com/priorities/) would benefit their livelihoods.
8
My daughter and her family live in Montgomery. One of the teachers at her school went before work to vote and apparently there were 2 lines - state senate and national senate - and she stood in the wrong one. The teacher is now having to go back after work to try to vote in the U.S. Senate election. My daughter says the voting is very confusing in other respects as well. Their neighborhood is in the historic district and Doug Jones signs abound.
115
Make it hard so people will go away without voting. Creepy. CREEPY.
Time to remove the political party affiliation, and consider only the person whom you feel represents and reflects you best.
See that bigoted pedophile? That is me, right there; I voted for him.
Not because of his party membership, but because he represents everything I stand for and believe in.
Abhorrently disgusting, and further proof where none is required that the barrel is bottomless.
8
Alabama was handed a historic chance to send a most precious Christmas gift to America and the world. Whatever its choice today, it will most probably drive a spike in the GOP's rotten heart.
10
I have to share this:
I just now saw Chuck Todd on MSNBC interviewing a Moore lackey, and Todd played for the lackey a clip of an Alabama voter: older man likely in his sixties, heavy Southern accent, mis-use of language (“I seen…”), red ball cap (not a MAGA one, though), plaid shirt, and I first thought, ah, a Moore supporter. Ho hum.
Turns out the man was defending his gay daughter to the reporter, expressing a quiet anger that Moore thinks his daughter is a “pre-vert” (his word; look for the segment to see for yourself). Here is this man, soft-spoken, looking like and speaking like THE stereotype of what makes us liberals roll our eyes in frustration with Moore’s supporters, defending his lesbian daughter above all else, no matter what else, on national television, not caring who in his small town might happen to see and hear him.
No one - no one - is going to call his daughter a name, and think the worst of her. He simply will not allow it.
As I weep for my country, this man gives me hope, even if we might disagree on other things. Thank you, sir. You have no idea how grateful I am to have watched you in that clip, defending what should be defended. Forgive me for not giving you a chance right off the bat.
317
I share you sentiments. You should add the fact that this young lady had committed suicide. So terribly sad.
5
The really sad thing is that his daughter killed herself beause of the abuse she got.
5
My heart, thoughts and prayers are for the father defending his gay daughter.
Thank you for sharing sir, for it is people such as yourself that will eventually move us forward. You gave me hope sir!
2
The harshness of the locution "is a Jew" as opposed to "is Jewish" strikes me as offensive and tinged with the odor of bigotry and marginalization.
36
I see your point - but when we comment on every ignorant & perhaps benign thing a GOP'er says - we're alienating large number of accidentally or willfully ignorant people. Best we keep smaller complaints to ourselves.
2
The whole statement has the odor of bigotry and marginalization. “Some of my best friends are...” belongs to another era.
7
Agree- clearly a dog whistle.
2
Can we please drop the pretext that we do not believe these women. Everyone knows they are telling the truth.
32
And I'm sure you said the same thing about Juanita Broaddrick, Kathleen Willey and the others who accused Bill Clinton. Right? Right?
Ive changed my mind regarding Roy Moore.
Looking at his positions I find him wrong on almost everything.
But Roy Moore is standing for the right of men everywhere to have due process when accused of sexual harassment.
What Democrats did when 16 of their Senators, 10 of them women, called on Al Franken to resign was deny Franken of due process.
Without due process, any woman can get bumped by accident in an elevator and the woman can call for the man to be fired. And there is no recourse, no appeal. His life can be destroyed in an instant by a vindictive woman who may want to hurt him because of work politics.
Roy Moore may have dated women as young as 16 years old. But that was not illegal. In Alabama, the age of consent is 16, like it is in Australia, Canada and Great Britain.
Why would women who seem to have encouraged his dating them 40 years ago, now claim that those long forgotten acts make him a creep, unworthy to serve in the Senate.
He may have signed a high school students yearbook. Why exactly is that a crime?
Liberals have gone too far. They seem to believe that women cannot tell a lie or even be mistaken about events that occurred 40 years ago.
So sanctimonious senators are claiming that he is a sexual predator.
Yes, Roy Moore has views I disagree with, but I do not agree with the media destroying his life like they have done with so many others just because some woman makes a claim that cannot be verified.
It is time for men to fight back.
2
Really, the last thing that Moore and his supporters want is a fair trial. They want to lie with impunity. And pretend it's not weird enough that a 32 year old man prefers high school girls for "dating". The man got banned from a mall. Who has that happened to?
Because the Washington Post reporting was so convincing, conservatives sent a fraud to pretend she had a story to tell about Moore and get the Post to report it. She failed, and we found out that the way Moore and his supporters are going to defend him is to lie about everything.
18
Actually, it was and still is illegal to be sexually involved with 14-16 year old girls as a 32 year old in the state of Alabama.
9
Bravo! I agree with you. I have another question for the media: where were the parents of these allegedly victims? Should we charge these parents with child neglect? I certainly would have not allowed my 16-year-old daughter to date a young lawyer. Were these mothers perhaps hoping to land a wealthy son-in-law?
1
Of course Roy Moore is grinning: he sucker-punched democracy by illegally stopping honest people from voting for his opponent today.
As for his decades-younger spouse (whom he met at her childhood dance recital) - with her blithely racist remarks - gosh, they deserve each other, don't they?
17
The bigger scandal is today's decision to allow Alabama to destroy all electrons ballots! There's a good chance that Alabama's voting machines have been hacked, and there won't e any evidence to check. Combined with eliminating DEMs from voter rolls, this is full evidence that, indeed, the election process is RIGGED - in FAVOR of Russia-supported Republicans. If Doug Jones wins it will be a miracle.
17
The Supreme Court has to reinstate the Voting Rights Act. Sadly, it's obvious from these abuses in Alabama that it's still needed.
17
Evangelicals love Jewish people. They fellowship with them so they can help them convert to being Baptists to save them when God returns to throw all unconverted Jews into the lake of fire. Good people.
9
Why, my goodness, some of my best friends are . . . . (insert appropriate racial/ethnic noun, according to the situation that needs to be remedied). Really?
5
No likely perpetrator of criminal sexual abuse should be permitted to take a seat in the senate. No modern proponent of black slavery. By way of sanctions, the NCAA should retract the University of Alabama's invitation to the College Football Playoff. That is the kind of response that the untethered Alabama voters need. On principle, the university should voluntarily decline to attend. Or the players should voluntarily decline to do so on their own. Do they really want to take the field on behalf of a child molester and a racist?
5
I'm kind of hoping Moore wins, just to see the Democrats go berserk! I don't like More and really don't want him to win, but if it makes the Dems crazy, then I may tolerate his winning.
1
When the Russians take over the US government that will probably drive Democrats really crazy. Cool, right?
5
What a sad commentary on your values that seeing people you disagree with “go beserk” gives you so much pleasure.
4
It will make the Republicans more "berserk" than the Democrats. We'll be watching and eating our popcorn.
4
Moore's horsemanship is atrocious. It is clear that Sassy was paid off, otherwise Moore would have been bucked into the nearest briar patch.
11
Gee, some of my best friends are from Alabama.
5
Thank you, America, for making Europe great again.
With the whole world being introduced to Roy Moore-on and American style political dysfunction, the only winner here - regardless of today's outcome - is clearly Europe and its Union.
Despite the constant berating of the EU by American politicians and the media alike, 'lack of freedom because of their socialism', 'overrun by Muslims" etc., it is abundantly clear now that while the US has become a rogue banana republic, Europe is the only adult in the room of Western democracies and the new shining beacon on a hill (New Zealand also, but not really a geopolitical heavy-weight). With Britain suffering from Brexit derangement, Europe's the only player left to tackle the big problems like climate change, income inequality, net neutrality, and above all putting an end to America's perpetual war machine.
Hopefully this new geopolitical reality will lead to some much needed changes in the structuring of the United Nations, Nato, the World Bank, etc., all international institutions dominated by America.
The US can't really expect anyone to take their 'leadership' seriously any more with the moronic Groper-in-Chief as President and Senate candidates like Roy Moore-on.
The alleged pedophile's win today will confirm this geopolitical realignment.
Sad, but necessary.
19
When I listened to your Morning Report today, it was striking how much like Donald he is. Rising to the top saying outrageous things against common beliefs but fulfilling all the dreams of bigots and bible totters (not Christians, because the bible does not sanction many of their behaviors). The media gave him free publicity. These stories should all be shrunk to size as needed. Be careful not to become a siren voice from one devil to other devils.
6
It should be noted that Judge Roy Moore rode his horse, "Sassy" to the polling station to vote in this historic election. Rode his horse, now that is totally awesome. I bet that Doug Jones didn't ride his horse to cast his vote. Probably does not have a horse. But Judge Moore does. Just think of the significance of that. Riding his horse to vote. Now there is nothing more American than that.
6
the horse is so emblematic of the times to which he'd like us to return. Horses, guns, slavery - his family values.
13
Nothing more 19th century, anyway.
4
Here’s my take on the “significance”:
Horse’s anatomy astride another horse’s anatomy.
1
I'm surprised that this tacky woman didn't say "and also one of my gardeners is a Mexican and our car mechanic is black".
15
When will this end? If he wins this then the "P" in G.O.P might stand for something else?
5
If the fervent prayers of the founding Fathers are answered today and Jones pulls off a victory, please do not interpret that as evidence that America is somehow back on track and returning to sanity. The rot of self-willed ignorance, hatred, racism, sexism, homophobia and downright meanness remains the Law of the Land. There are simply too many Americans to whom these are cherished prejudices and a way of life for this to change, and we have an entire Republican Party empowered to return this nation to the joys of the Antebellum South and the social structure of the era of the Robber Barons.
A Suggestion to young Americans:
Whatever way this vote goes, most of us Middle Aged folk and Baby Boomers will ride it out for what years are left to us. But my sincere advice to all American young people, particularly those in High School is this: start learning German or French, and leave this nation as soon as you can. Find a new home in a country that will welcome you and that values your individuality, your race, your gender, your sense of fairness and openness, and where you can build a future and raise a family in a setting of democracy, kindness, and decency. Take the hint - there is no future for that or you in the United States.
15
I moved out of the country when Mr. Trump became president. I told my friends and family I would. Happy I did. And I'm a Baby Boomer.
4
Dan, thanks for writing so powerfully. Do I have the permission to use your comment, or at least part of it?
Maybe,, what is needed is the remaking of America, piece by piece, place by place, person by person...as some immigrants and people of color can, or want to, or need to.
But you are hitting the nail on the head...and hopefully the head will learn, and not just explode.
Have you been to France. You know....where it's illegal to wear a burqa or build a mineret. These aren't just American problems...these are global issues. I can't think of anything worse than moving to places where everyone thinks like you. That is basically self segregation.
One major question? Why don't Alabamans vote in a manner that would be similar to the players on the Football teams? The state is better than the President and the Republican candidate! Much better!
3
Ron, the college football team is better than the state!
3
Was it just my imagination or did Moore have trouble controlling his Tennessee walking horse when he rode off?
16
You saw what you think you saw - Moore had trouble controlling the horse.
7
The horse was not out control. Moore is.
A horse that is confident with the person on his back will move out by just the rider looking forward and a ever so slight shift forward. Moore deliberately makes it look more difficult to control the horse to give the illusion that he's in command and has power and skill.That's a horse lives in a state of suppressed panic when Roy is on board. Feel very bad for the horse.
The smugness displayed by some of my fellow Northerners is these comments is troubling. From profoundly segregated public schools and neighborhoods to mind blowing income inequality in our states, we in the North have reason restrain our sense of superiority over the South.
10
Maybe, but when it comes to the issue at hand, elected officials, Alabama is on track to be in a class of its own in electing a senator who obviously hates America and wants to do as much damage as possible.
None of this has to do with anything about the state and everything to do with the demonstrated racism and naked pseudo-religious ambition of the man, as made clear in his own public utterances right up to the day of the election.
So, not telling Alabamans what to do, but there will be consequences as with any other election.
7
Thank you. Greatly appreciate your kind observation.
If I was a corporation looking to do big business in Alabama....I know who I would want to negotiate with...and it’s not the ex judge. Alabama will lose big time if the ex judge gets the nod.
Is Dr. Roy Moore the Magnificent‘s broken-down, tin-pan wagon still parked just outside of town under the willows, down by the crik? And are he and his wife still in town hucking their magical elixir that guarantees all Alabama town-folk will see the one true God, will turn the gay to straight, turn the bigots to racists and clean the rust off your tractor? All for the low, low price of your vote. These types always seem to do well down there.
15
Hold your breath maybe America is coming to it's senses,..................MAYBE!
5
Oh Kayla, you went there...Used the we know/have a minority friend/lawyer etc defense to prove your husband isn't a pedo bigot?
I know that argument so well, when non-minority acquaintances use derogatory or stereotypical terms and consider it okay because they are among their minority circles,which they misinterpret as a free pass.
Nice try, Mrs Moore. Try again!
13
Dean Young, Moore's strategist said "In this world everyone wants to be on TV, maybe that’s the reason” the women who have accused Moore have done so (as opposed to it being the truth). I doubt any woman, or person for that matter, wants to put themselves in that sort of spotlight given the current political climate over something like this. It would be downright frightening to most. It's far more likely they felt they had to speak truth for fear of regretting not doing later. Very, very brave.
12
As a foreigner watching this race , I am incredulous that a candidate that has been accused of molesting children is still in the running to be elected to the US Senate . It's true Mr Moore hasn't been charged with any crime but I believe most reasonably intelligent people found the accusations of these women credible.
It's truly puzzling that there appears to be a sizeable minority or majority of voters who are content to dismiss such allegations as "fake news" or that they are simply not true. Where is the critical thinking and analysis? Are all Mr Moore's accusers lying? I think not. Quite apart from his comments about the Constitution and being removed from the bench twice! If Mr Moore wins, what does that say about the electorate in Alabama?
21
It’s not that they don’t believe the allegations, it’s just that they don’t care about them.......
7
that they love a guy who has a record of defying the surpreme court and has steadfastly stuck to his guns in the face of extraordinary attacks on his character.
the rest of the world sees that for what it is a criminally disgusting Provencal clown who only has a hope because his supporters are fundamentalist luddites
4
That's not a Tennesee Walking Horse, walker's aren't paint colored. And he looks like a guy on his third lesson trying to remember not to touch the horn. You never, ever guide a horse with one rein like that.
18
I think it is a paso fino, and he does seem to be a rider that is cruel with the bit. Big surprise.
5
So Moore already knows he’s won? Interesting.
3
While the focus of this article is on different factors that will influence the turnout of this race, I believe the current Republican establishment's statements about Roy Moore's candidacy are a key influence. Moore's core supporters, lower/middle class rural white conservatives, are the same group whose contempt for the Republican establishment caused the battle cry of 'drain the swamp' and rallied the support for anti-establishment populist candidates, i.e. Donald Trump. So when Mitch McConnell, the head of the snake and the face of this reviled establishment, spoke out against Roy Moore with the support of many other Republican congresspeople; rather than shaking Moore's support, he strengthened it. These voters have now hoisted Moore up as a victim of the corruption of Washington, naming him a crusader of truth and traditional values. After Moore refusing to resign, the Republicans have taken a more voter-sympathetic stand (they need the seat) but i fear it is too little too late. Not only did they further demonize themselves by coming out against Moore, they also forfeited any moral high ground by backpedaling on their statements to prevent the election from being swayed by Doug Jones.
2
I don't think Mrs. Moore's use of the word "Jew" was disrespectful. The word is technically correct but it's been used in a pejorative way for so long that most people avoid it. IMO, her use of it in that context was tone-deaf and probably attributable to parochialism or naivete. Just look at the way she turned the word "fellowship" into a verb.
36
fyi, "fellowship" is commonly used as a verb by church members and 12-step program members.
5
I'm from rural Georgia. Mrs. Moore used a fairly common stereotype -- when in trouble, get yourself a Jewish lawyer. If there was ever a dog whistle, her take on having an attorney who is a Jew was it. My skin crawled when I heard her say this.
3
As Louie CK once joked (good comedian, horrible person,) Jew is a funny word. It is the only term for a group of people that is both the polite term for a group and the slur for that group, depending on how much stink is put on it.
When people like the Moores say "Jew," the stink on it can be smelled from a mile away.
1
The voters from Alabama will elect Roy Moore. If they wouldn't select Luther Strange, a more moderate republican in the primaries, why would anyone think that they would select a democrat over Moore? Probably the attention from the mainstream republicans AKA Yankee's to the people from Alabama hasn't helped. Maybe in another 100 years or so things will be more progressive in Alabama.
4
One was a primary this is a general election. Different sets of voters.
2
I wouldn't count on that!
1
The good people of this country, and I might add with all respect, the Progressive Democrats in particular, have worked tireless via our justice system to help ensure that the guilty are punished and the innocent, whether before or after trial are treated fairly. I simply cannot for the life of me understand how these same folks and I include the Republicans in this, condemn a man for unproven charges that may or may not have occured 30 or 40 years ago. Even eye witness accounts after as little as a day later have been shown to be less than completely reliable. I have NO idea whether this man is innocent or guilty but with respect no one else does either. Seems to me the pendulum has swung much too far much too fast.
2
Fitting for Moore to come riding in on his Tennessee walking horse. (Where's the pistol he pulled out at the political rally?)
In the old Hollywood westerns, the black hats were worn by the villains. Can't help but notice Mr. and Mrs. Moore show up at the polls wearing black cowboy hats.
Headline could read- "Contest Ends with Moore Controversy"
Tomorrow's headline (hopefully)- "Jones Pulls off Stunning Upset, Alabama Voters Say No More Moore"
7
Now we know that racism and bigotry are hand in hand with each other in Alabama and the GOP! This continually gets weirder and weirder and frankly, it is disgusting.
9
I understand that people can have deep political differences, but in this case, it appears to me that a lot of these God-fearing voters have sold their soul.
19
Kayla was my grandmother's Yiddish name and is my Hebrew name. Love how Mrs Moore is named Kayla!
8
I was thinking the same thing- I wonder if she knows that Kayla is a Yiddish name. The way she spit out the word "Jew" made my skin crawl.
6
Another perverse clown at the government. A country that feels morally proud and superior... sadly is a shadow what it used to be.
3
Note to Alabamians:
Forget about the sexual-assault allegations against Roy Moore. They aren't reason enough to vote against him. Rather, vote against Moore and his egotistical self-righteousness. Vote against his:
* Opinion that a woman should not be free to make choices about her body
* Disregard for the civil rights of LGBTQs
* Disinterest in reforming laws to make it difficult to buy guns unlawfully
* Disinterest in Veterans Affairs reforms
* Anti-immigrant stance
* Etc.
Moore's sins only begin with his abuse of women. He's bad for the whole of society.
6
During this special election I have come to feel better about Alabama and Alabamians. I had more of a monolithic view before, but because of this election I have taken a closer look and thus heard many different and nuanced voices coming out of the state. I know many people in Alabama don't really like Roy Moore and would prefer not to have him on the ballot, regardless of how they decide to vote. Surfing online for info I've gotten to know some interesting things about the state that make me want to visit (like the amazing football fans for example). I made a friend from there during this time. I'm totally against Roy Moore, I think Trump is a disaster, I'm worried about voter suppression...but in the course of all of this I've come across a fair number of things to like about Alabama.
4
I shake my head in disbelief that so many people can be so misguided.
5
Riding a horse to the polls is a great PR stunt. Americans love the iconic cowboy. Marlboro cigarettes was a losing brand until they ran the cowboy ad campaign. After that the cigarette went on to kill more humans than any other brand. Maybe Moore will win with similar results.
5
Except he can't ride.
6
A vote for Roy Moore is a vote for theocracy. If and when Moore takes the oath of office, he will be lying. It is clear that Moore's first allegiance is to the Bible, not the US Constitution. If there is a conflict between the Constitution and the Bible, Moore will choose the Bible in violation of his solemn oath.
No major party candidate for national office has ever been more unfit than Roy Moore.
11
Well... call it a tie.
How do Republicans explain voting to their kids? Does it begin with once upon a time, long, long ago there was a famous general who was elected to be president but since then we(REpublicans) have tried to avoid contact with reality and have succeeded with a string of draft dodgers and nuts that nobody thought possible? Our dreams came true and we had idiot wars, crashed stock markets, horrible natural disasters, and now we have our dream leaders...President Nincompoop and friends.
3
"Mr. Moore rode his horse to the polls. He will need support from rural white voters."
Moore needs the support or bigots, perverts, and people who hate democracy. Quite the lineup.
11
most disappointing in this whole race is that almost no one spoke about the additional issues for voting Moore in... namely, stealing from a charity and ignoring the US Constitution on a number of fronts.
Ignoring the highest law in the land (yes, above 'God's law') should preclude someone from being a Senator -- it's almost treasonous.
Again, very disappointed in AL
13
I hope Moore wins and it hangs around the neck of the GOP and the state of Alabama for decades. And it will.
7
With voter ID laws in Alabama certain to restrict minority voters, I fear Moore's election is inevitable. It's sad to see racism and sexism alive and well, and that the Republican party can loudly proclaim their advocacy of personal freedom while at the same time trying to take away women's rights. Unfortunately critical issues often pass or fail on thin margins, and while it's a good sign to see the election so close, it's hard to understand when people equate women exercising their right to make their own medical choices with murder. Fertilized eggs, blastocysts and fetuses aren't babies, just as an acorn isn't an oak tree.
7
Anyone else find it creepy that his horse’s name is Sassy?
17
The reporter mentioned it so you would pick up on it that way.
or that his last interview was with a 12 year old
1
Moore in a landslide or Jones will edge it out!
1
Alabama will once and for all prove that they are looking to real bright future or looking at a disgraceful past. Hard to believe that in this day and age, folks still believe in the word of a liar and in sexual perversion. Alabama, if you really hold your religion to heart, then you must know that this man is NOT who he says he is. He and his leader are closer to the gates of hell than he is a Christian. These two men have used religion to hide and cover themselves from everything that a true Christian would be opposed to. Your vote Alabama, either you believe in your religious beliefs or you are not who and what you say you are. You can't have it both ways.
12
Whatever the outcome of the election, the campaign has certainly shown how incredibly alienated a lot of people in Alabama are. I think many of Moore's supporters are basically good people who feel so let down by their representatives and the rest of the culture (including we NY Times readers who make fun of them) that they vote for Moore as a cry of desperation because the elites haven't given them anything more substantial.
3
Give me a break. People in Alabama have been voting for racist jerks for quite some time now and look how well that's worked out for them. It's their own fault for not educating themselves about the issues that impact their lives and voting accordingly.
3
We wouldn't make fun of them if they weren't so small minded and judgemental against us! Are we supposed to apologize for being educated and/or living in cities or the coasts? They spit on us, profess to hate anyone other than white heterosexual Christians, and we're supposed to believe they are "good people"? As they so often remind us, they don't want any "outsiders" telling them what to do. If you think we should lower ourselves to their level so they feel more righteous while spitting on us, well don't hold your breath. If they want to join the 21st century fine-we're not going back to the 19th.
3
Even without the allegations of dating teenagers Moore is completely unqualified to be elected to the Senate. He has shown that he has no respect for Federal law or criminal law. Those who support Moore deserve the sarcasm and criticism that is directed at them. They are really showing that they are not worthy of being called Christian, or patriotic Americans either. Perhaps they should be pitied, but not forgiven for foisting this completely unqualified man back into our political process.
7
Sad that one of the poorest states in the nation keeps voting Republican. They just don't the obvious that the GOP only cares about the rich and the powerful. Alabama has a chance to change this, to end this cycle of being used and abused by the GOP and to right the ship and end the way they are seen by other progressive states. Only Alabama can change their future and embrace change or they can continue to be a regressive state where they will remain at the bottom of progress. Don't use your rear view mirror to look at the road ahead. If you do, you are beyond evolution and hope. Our elected officials should NEVER be those that are scraped off the bottom of the barrel. Nor should we ever elect anyone who we could not trust with our young daughters and children.
6
I cringed. I'm just surprised she didn't say they have a black friend.
10
I don't know what's worse, insulting descendants of the Holocaust or Slavery. What a nightmare these people are.
1
Alabama ranks 47 out of 50 states in education, health, crime. All you have to do to get elected is be white and bigoted, shoot a gun, talk about the evils of Washington and wave the good book around. Nobody will care you have a perversion fetish for underage girls, that's acceptable in Alabama and obviously to the President of the United States.
23
Rarely do African-Americans get to right a wrong so effectively - by turning out in Mr. Obama-like droves to send Mr. Moore's opponent to the Senate. From this article it's their votes that will determine the outcome. If any African-American citizen ignores their hard-fought right to vote they deserve another hundred years of racism from the likes of Mr. Moore. This is their chance to show him and others like him that their best time in America is now. Should Mr. Jones win due to high turnout it won't solve everything but it will send a message that this train is leaving the station.
11
No Kathy,
no one deserves racism. People may be stupid, lazy whatever. NO ONE deserves racism
No, African Americans do not under any circumstances "deserve another hundred years of racism from the likes of Mr. Moore." Give the people of Alabama something to vote for like improving living conditions through eradication of poverty, improving education, ensuring access to health care, and equal rights under the law. Maybe Doug Jones will fight for those rights in the Senate? If he has made a compelling case to voters you are referring to, he'll have no problem getting their votes. But no one should take the votes of African Americans for granted. They don't exist just to prop up the Democratic Party when convenient. They must get something in return for their vote.
1
Point taken. It was a harsh way of saying this voting bloc has a real opportunity to make a difference, no excuses if one fails to grab it.
1
Moore riding into town on a horse like a clown, and Moore's wife barking out comical sitcom statements like "some of our friends are ......". There is no news here, but there is a circus. I just with the media would publish it under the appropriate category ....... entertainment.
it's so unfortunately that we as a voting public don't see this for what it is, but then again, i guess a representative Republic eventually get's what it asks for - a gaggle of unintelligent, uniformed, bumbling fools running our nation - entertaining, but inept.
To quote our head clown - sad ..... very sad.
15
She is Moore Bucket from that Britcom Keeping Up Appearances. And in the Moore Bucket case it is not pronounced "boo-kay".
2
He shows up on a horse. The guy is a clown. Not very senatorial.
Even if he wins he'll be forced out within a couple of months and replaced by another Republican appointed by the Republican governor of his state The balance in the Senate will remain status quo and the clown will get whatever benefits are conferred upon departing US senators.
14
With Judge Moore behind her with a creepy look on his face, hearing Kayla Moore say "Jew" made the hairs on my neck stand up.
It's like these people went to sleep in 1963, and just woke up (like Rip Van Winkle) in 2017.
34
Gotta believe they've been asleep a whole lot longer than that.
4
Democrats can fund raise for years off the photo of Moore creepily standing behind his wife. The comments about Jewish and black people are icing on the cake.
27
"Trust us...we have black friends!" = the DEFINITION of Tokenism. Trust me, I'd know. I was that black guy that bigoted white people leaned on to absolve them of their cognitive dissonance.
31
Why will anyone be surprised if Moore wins? Is anyone surprised by a racist bigot being in power in the south? I mean lets get real. The south essentially is still fighting the civil war--but with the rest of the world.
16
It's 3.30pm, and I won't be surprised at all if Moore wins, although I won't like it one bit. I just now read about a woman at an exit poll in Alabama who admitted
she voted for Moore, but reluctantly.
"After all, if all those things about him turn out to be true, then the Governor can appoint someone less controversial, can't he?"
2
Not fit for the Gadsen mall but acceptable as a GOP senator.
35
make that Gadsden
1
Unlike his Democrat rival, Doug Jones, Judge Moore has not played the race card. Usually Republican candidates in the South do that, like the Honorable Jesse Helms did against Harvey Gantt in 1990. But this time it was a Democrat. Thank you.
5
Events have proved that Helms commercial right.
1
Doug Jones has not played the race card. Your boy is the racist who said life was better when there was slavery which was a racist practice.
Your cognitive dissonance is showing and it will be fun to see Bradensen beat Blackburn in 2018.
3
@Primary Power
Do you mean Phil Bredesen?
Depending on the integrity, morality, common sense and intelligence of the voters of Alabama.
What a frail reed
12
The headline reads: Alabama Race Ends Fittingly: With More Controversy
It should read Alabama Race Ends Fittingly: With Moore Controversy
11
Just wanted to say Mozel Tov to the Moores attorney.
32
Steve Bannon is supporting Moore to help deconstruct America. Alabamans are eating it up while Bannon is laughing at the Moore voter stupidity. Talk about an insult - an elitist outsider getting the decent (if insular) folks of Alabama to vote against their interests in his (and Mercer’s) behest.
Alabama, voting for Moore just reinforces the notion your 49th and further divides the country- don’t fall for the ruse. You have a good man in Jones who loves his State and it’s people. You may disagree with his abortion stance (if you actually understand it), but he lets you choose to make the choice that is best for you. That is freedom.
United you stand, divided you fall.
28
One had to smile at the sheer irony of Bannon in his ex judge Moore campaign speech utter ,and I am paraphrasing here..”don’t let the people from the North tell you who to vote for”....
It beggars belief that these entire United States can be drawn into this bumpkin circus.
16
Last gasps of an old world and outdated thinking.
8
Tomorrow's Headline: "Roy Moore Elected to the United States Senate". It only gets a lot worse from here. In two years we will look back at that headline and say "ah, the good old days".
I'm tired of hearing that this or that may be the last straw. With each outrageous Trump/GOP turn of events, we keep pulling phantom last straws (until the next news cycle washes away any shock and outrage). We are fooling ourselves if we think the GOP Congress is going to ever do the right thing. Mueller is the only one who can stop this mess.
February's headline: "Mueller Fired, Trump Defiant, Investigation Uncertain, Congress Unwilling to Act"
13
March's headline: "Canada rushes to build wall along its entire southern border; Mexico deploys all hands to build its own wall to keep USians out"
5
In reply to BobbyZ CT
Finally, liberal Democrats are beginning to realize that they lost the Presidential election of 2016.
2
Since you seem to have an uncanny ability to see into the future, will you please play the winning mega millions and powerball numbers? With your jackpots you can start a non-profit focused on getting ID's for all the voters suppressed by the republican voter id laws.
If Moore wins today it will be largely because of the entrenched bigotry, homophobia and overt hypocrisy of Alabama voters.(These folks pretend to be protecting the "sanctity of life" by voting for Roy--but they overwhelmingly favor the death penalty-as does Roy). Moore, like his favorite fan, Trump, has mastered the art of appealing to the worst human instincts.
22
Moore is certainly no Horseman, let alone an ethical candidate. I feel bad for the horse he rode in, on - with Moore pulling on his mouth like that. It's just another Media Spin - all show, and no content.
15
Our nation is no longer a nation of ideas, but of parties. Our allegiance is not for flag or country, developed due to experience and education, but to party and idea feed to us through talk radio. We as a people need to break party allegiance for actual governance. This election is a test for the people of Alabama. Do I elect a family man, who has spent his adult life fighting for community and justice? A man committed to state and nation, or for a man stained by perversion and controversy? Do I vote on value, character, and ethics or for the letter by a candidates name? This election is a microcosm for the rest of the nation. It matters, because, if Alabamans can turn back the ugliness that is arresting the nation, then it is proof that each of us can. We can rise above the partisanship and once again be a beacon of law, order, and prosperity for the rest of the world.
6
In Montgomery's historic neighborhoods, populated by professionals and other white collar types, the yard sign battle is a rout. At least 50 to 1 in favor of Doug Jones.
I'm going to look carefully at the results in those precincts. Will they go for Jones in a landslide, or are there a ton of silent Moore supporters?
8
You know what I think? I think if Moore wins, the republicans will kick him out and replace him, in order to save face. Its the whole reason they didn't insist he drop out of the race before the election. They only care about holding onto that seat. Nothing more.
3
I'll believe it when I see it. I hope you're right.
Hypothetically if Moore wins the Senate could simply expel him then Alabama Governor Ivey could replace him with the former incumbent Strange (who'd essentially continue his service) or someone else.
WHATEVER I DID 30 YEARS AGO WASN'T ME.
6
Allow myself to be controversial here, but I think the Democratic party should accept that many Southerners might just be supportive if the party eased its position on abortion in the southern states. We face some serious threats to our environment, our future financial stability and our general security. Frankly I would welcome someone who opposes this obscene tax bill, who supports gun control, who would like to shore up Obamacare rather than destroy it, who believes in protecting our environment, but may have some issues with abortion. We Democrats may not be able to have it all, so we should take what we can get. Anything would be so much better than these horrible little Trumpettes who keep running and getting into Congress.
117
"Southerners might just be supportive if the party eased its position on abortion in the southern states." Or, maybe, we should educate them as to how the homicide and violent crime rate in America began dropping like a stone beginning exactly 18 years after Roe v Wade became law in the US. Maybe then they might recognize the positive social impact on our nation that abortion has had, however personally distasteful it might be. But, that assumes that Trump voters are rational, and aren't instead investing themselves with messianic faith into the cult of personality that the Republican Party has become. Instead, they blindly believe Trump's lies that such crime is at a 50-year high, when it is actually less than half of what it was in the mid-1990's--that's the effect of taking millions of children out of a life of poverty and its accompanying crime. Sad.
1
Maybe you forgot that there is a choice and Democrats don't force abortion on anyone. And also there is a separation of church and state for this very reason. For the democrats to give ground in the south because it's a hot button issue completely misses the point and the way in which the Republican's have used this as red herring issue. In addition, women's health and lives are at stake and that includes Republican women. No this issue should not be about winning votes it should be about what's right.
3
Democrats would be wise to adopt a position of leaving the abortion question to the states. A woman can always travel to another state - as is already being done - to get an abortion. That would not be the end of the end of the world. Unfortunately, with the ideological-driven Republicans the end of the world as we now know it may be nigh.
3
Roy Moore’s history of imposition of his religious faith on the courts he has presided over (his Ten Commandments plaque and monument that he refused to remove) are a breach of one of America’s fundamental tenets: Thou shalt keep Church and State separate. As well, his righteous, dogmatic attitudes are in cynical contrast to his filthy behavior toward the 15 year old of whom he (sinfully) took advantage. The man is a charlatan. If Alabama chooses Roy Moore over Doug Jones, it has sealed forever in the minds of the majority of America that it chooses ideology over principle, a sick choice.
129
I was raised in Alabama and I hope all the people there make me proud and examine their consciences before voting. It may be a Republican state but I remember the strong devotion to religion and it's time to apply right and wrong we learned in Sunday school. Never Moore.
40
Why do you need religion to tell you how to behave morally? I think you could probably figure it out on your own.
3
Too many fake Christians now voting for fake candidates.....using the Bible and the constitution to distort equality, women’s rights, racial issues etc.etc.
Whatever happens, the GOP loses.
13
How likely is it that in a marriage, one person is highly educated, of very sound judgment, tolerant, careful, compassionate and serious about public policy, and the other is a bigoted rube ? The Moores just did not bring their public policy hats to this election campaign, I guess.
3
I could name James Carville and Mary Matalin, for starters...
Mr. and Mrs. Judge Moore are not the first to attempt rebuttal of a charge of anti-Semitism, racism, or otherism, by invoking some variant of the "Some of my best friends are...." defense. (See https://newrepublic.com/article/90059/gop-rick-santorum-best-friend-defe....
During the 2016 campaign, Trump tried out his own version of the trope in response to charges of racism against blacks. At a California rally he shaded his eyes, looked into the audience, and said "Look at my African-American over here...Are you the greatest? You know what I'm talking about."
The record does not reflect whether the individual Trump singled out was, in fact, an African-American; whether, if he was, he regarded himself as Trump's African-American; or whether he had any idea what Trump was talking about.
11
Thanks to its founding fundamental contradiction of slavery for some and all men are created equal for the rest, throughout its history America has often seen rise to power the odious likes of a Donald Trump and a Roy Moore. And this all, for anyone who's confused, has absolutely zero to do with the rights of the unborn. Alabamians need to think twice about their choice today, and then vote to join the modern world where slavery is, and always will be, totally gross and illegal.
14
If having Moore & Trump in Washington, D.C. -
if having proud progressives like Al Franken leave the scene -
if hearing Steve Bannon proclaim his next goals -
- all make you so upset that you can't see the light at the end of this tunnel -
NOW you know how the patriotic and religious people of the country felt during the regrettable years when Mr. Obama was president, and the law changed depending on the president's mood, you didn't know where the next Islamist multiple shooting would occur, and nuns were being sued according to progressive ideology.
Whether you take this moment to tour prospective new homes in Europe or Canada or not, it doesn't seem likely that we'll have another progressive ideologue in the White House any time soon.
4
Nuns have no business interfering in other people's family planning decisions.
If you're going to talk about shootings, you might want to address the mass murders here in the U.S., the worst of them have been perpetrated by white males who were born here.
17
Back in the Obama presidency we didn't know when the next angry white guy with a gun would shoot up a political rally, school, a movie theater or a church. Under Trump we still don't know which concert or church service will be the next to be shot up by some mentally ill and angry white man who was allowed to buy a gun because people were too inept to keep proper records or just didn't care. All we know is that a Republican Congress whose members rake in the cash from gun makers and the NRA will never do anything to slow down the
murder rate of angry white men who are allowed to buy military style weapons
like they were toys.
13
I am as patriotic as you are, guaranteed. And a devout Christian. And a liberal. Your summation of Obama's "mood" is laughable. Trump Tweets his "mood" by the minute, and he's the most unstable president ever. And if you put Bannon on anything close to a pedestal, well, God help you. And by the way, I'm not going anywhere.
19
Is progress possible in Alabama? Or is the state condemned to its rut for yet another generation? I suppose the answer will be revealed tonight. Stay tuned.
8
"49 Sister States had Alabama in there eyes, Alabama getaway, getaway..."
4
Do proud Alabamians really want such clearly ignorant bigots representing them in Washington? Then again, given their voting past, perhaps they've already answered that question.
11
The whole cowboy schtick belongs to us folks west of the Mississippi. Roy needs to pick a different style to disgrace.
20
He appears to be a bad rider too.
7
I see Roy Moore has a number of supporters here. Okay, fine, and let's leave put the revolting sexual oredator accusations for a second.
Your boy has:
1. Been kicked off the Alabama Supreme Court twice, by the unanimous vote of his peers, for a) refusing to follow the law of the land; b) flat-out lying a out what he does as a judge.
2. Been nabbed skimming not just the cream, but most of the milk, off a phony charity run by him and his wife.
3. Been heard to say that families were better off under slavery. And a whole long, ugly string of similar bigotries.
THEN we get to the preying on girls.
Tasty pick, folks.
52
The venom coming from the Moores themselves and their voters is that same pure poison we saw decades ago in the smug faces of the Alabama racists who thought that they were forever separate but better than the people they disdained.
This is a medical problem as much as it is a political one. The Moore version Alabama is a disease. The national Republicans somehow think it makes them stronger. They need to cure it, not embrace it.
11
The most problematic aspect of this NYT article is the reference to "50 journalists from around the world" waiting to film and photograph moore riding to the polls on his horse. Really?? Of all the aspects of this election, moore on a horse grabs the headlines? Oh, wait, no, it is moore's wife declaring, "Our lawyer is a Jew." - Please, there is a story here, but it is not this circus. However, the story requires journalists, not headline grabbers.
3
I like the bit about the reporters getting "a little too close" in other words, they were crowding the horse which is not like an automobile. It is an animal that reacts to hostile beings in large numbers getting too close. Kudos to Judge Moore for controlling the horse when it must have been very tempting to let there be a hoof print in the sternum of the local representative of the Washington compost.
If Roy Moore should prevail, it does not illustrate the limitations of Democrats in the South. It would illustrate the limitations of the South.
25
Should Moore win, it will NOT "suggest that the tug of partisanship is a forbiddingly powerful force." What it will do is prove that Republicans succeeded in disenfranchising black and poor voters with its one-two punch of a voter-ID law and the shuttering of DMVs in black and poor districts.
10
Truely this is a sad day for all Americans. To see our country sunk so low is unbelievable and for those who love it deeply unbearable.
Somebody either pinch me awake from this nightmare, or drive that last nail in the coffin.
15
The strangeness and ugliness was all on one side. Mr. Jones highlighted his honorable past fighting for justice, and discussed issues. Mr. Moore spewed ugliness about among groups of people, denied the obvious fact that he behaved in creepy and inappropriate ways with girls, and quibbled with the constitution. If the voters choose ugly over honor, god help us all.
11
He prosecuted three 80 year old men with the full resources of the federal government and an avid press behind him, and all they had were court-appointed lawyers. Brave man, that. "Still, 'twas a famous victory."
“• President Trump, who after initial reluctance following the allegations against Mr. Moore offered a full-throated endorsement, tweeted his support: “Roy Moore will always vote with us.”
Which freely translated into English means, “Roy Moore is bought and paid for.” Good people of Alabama, please do not vote for this flunkey who will sell you out just to please his leader.
12
Fellowship is not a verb. That's reason enough to say No Moore.
12
Born and raised in the South, I have known many people like Kayla Moore. I will give her the benefit of the doubt and say she may very well not be racist or anti-Semitic. But the way she spoke really gets to the heart of one of the things that drives me crazy about my home region: The tone-deafness.The smugness. The blinkered, hidebound ignorance of the larger world. And, yes, I've encountered the same in New York. But it takes a unique form back home, y'all.
260
Kayla Moore has profited nicely from her husband's work. Both she and her husband took salary--totaling $1million--from his charity. Something he denied and failed to report to the IRS.
https://www.salon.com/.../roy-moore-took-a-salary-from-his-charity-after......
2
from a fellow Southerner: it's the righteousness of the insensitivity, and the conviction that emanates from a superiority not based on anything other than the conviction itself.
1
I agree wholeheartedly--particularly about the ignorance and lack of interest in the world, it drives me crazy, as a 10th generation Virginian. .
Well, I am prepared to have Moore win. Voter suppression, hypocritical evangelicals, racists, bigots, xenophobes and misogynists will come out in droves to vote for this candidate. By contrast David Duke was Lincoln-esque, and voters rejected him.
Every time the Republican party goes for the sewer, we think they can't plumb the slime any deeper, and then they do. Moore is the bottom of the rankest cesspool in politics.
Good job, Alabamans! You just elected the worst Senator ever to enter Congress.
13
William: Hardly, not when actual KKK members like Hugo Black and Robert Byrd sat in the Senate. As Democrats.
I fully expect Moore to win. Alabama has too many voters who live in the past where, apparently (news to me) pedophilia "wasn't nothing", i.e. was A-OK. Side note: you know what else was A-OK back then? Shooting some creep who tried to despoil your teenage daughter.
Then there's the abortion issue, which the so-called 'Christian' Evangelicals still won't let go, despite it being settled a hundred times over by every court known to law. Somehow they truly believe if they just keep voting in their one or two extreme anti-abortion nutjobs, they will be able to overrule the law and the wishes of the vast majority of Americans.
Then there is voter suppression and Alabama's coordinated program to keep African Americans poor and their influence minimal.
No, Doug Jones has no chance. I'd be even more surprised than when Trump won if he manages to pull off a win in Alabama.
5
I don't think Mr. Moore's horse likes him and last night on TV I saw his/her legs buckle when Moore got on him/her. Moore's just appalling anyway you look.
8
My only reaction to Kayla Moore’s awkward statements about her husband’s extraordinary tolerance for African Americans and Jews is :
“Methinks the lady doth protest too much.” Ugh!
6
She forgot to mention their favorite restaurant is Mexican... Brings back memories of the self-congratulatory segregationists of the sixties.
I wonder how many folks from Alabama know they have the option to write in another candidate? I feel like most of the folks who were interviewed and indicated they were voting for Moore because they couldn't vote for a Democrat don't understand that they could just write in a third candidate. For example, Lee Busby. Sure, it might lower the total percent that Jones would need to win, but they wouldn't be voting for a Democrat.
I wonder how many people from Alabama know that, being registered as a member of one political party or another, they are free to vote for any candidate on the ballot. Too often I see stories about voters changing their registration because they don't like a position a candidate took.
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for once in these turbulent times, I would love to be surprised. Alabamians can make America PROUD again. Vote for the man with decency built into his name:Doug Jones.
In any other state, @any other time, it wouldn't even be close.
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Alabama is home to the 3 biggest car companies in the world;
Mercedes-Benz
Toyota
Hyundai
These 3 companies have the financial might to put pressure where it counts.
If they don't, it's time to boycott. There's simply too much at stake now.
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What is worse for Republicans? If Moore loses they will have a good excuse for distancing themselves from the Donald. If Moore wins, the Democrats can move to censure. Then Collins and Murkowski, swing-state Republicans (especially those up for election), Shelby, McConnell, the "Maverick" (lol), will each have to decide what to do.
I think if I were they, I'd be rooting for Jones.
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Mrs. Moore's comments about Jewish people were not, to my ears, the slightest bit offensive. She and her family, though, have a right to be offended by the snide criticism and overly-sensitive reply to what was surely meant to be a kind statement. Mrs. Moore, I am a Jew, and I would be honored to fellowship with you, your family and your church members. I have never heard the word "fellowship" used as a verb before, but I am certain that you mean well and have good intentions, and that's that.
We must keep in mind that the allegations against Mr. Judge Roy Moore concern events that supposedly happened 40 years ago. Alabamans should be concerned if these things happened recently. For heaven's sake, give the man the benefit of the doubt that he has changed his ways!
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First, he’s not a judge anymore. His title was stripped from him for professional incompetence. And secondly, 40 years or not, then YOU can introduce Moore to your daughters, granddaughters and nieces. Even the evangelical christians can’t cure pedophiles.
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Would you give a so called reformed serial killer the benefit of the doubt even if he stopped killing 40 years ago?
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No, Alabamians should be concerned they happened AT ALL. There is no statute of limitations on evil.
The great people of Alabama will most definitely elect Judge Roy Moore. Alabamians talk about sin and being forgiven in gods eyes?!? Anyway, Alabama has always ranked toward the bottom of all success metrics when it comes to ranking a states prosperity and happiness. Why should they change now? I would hope that the entire country would boycott Alabama..but don't we already.
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Oh please. This is potentially Trump all over again, in which the loudmouth who stakes out bold positions, however reprehensible, is chosen over the empty suit — the milquetoast who’ll merely maintain the status quo. Period.
The Democratic Party refuses to accept that running candidates on an “I’m Not My Opponent” platform is rarely enough to drive people to the polls — you have to give voters concrete, ideally inspiring, reasons to vote for a candidate, not just say that their opponent is terrible.
1
Exactly. And taking the high road is not exactly a winning strategy against opponents who are completely morally and ethically bankrupt and will do anything, including repressing the vote in ethnic areas, to win. And booting out one of the most intelligent and inspiring Democrats, Al Franken, over dubious allegations has not exactly been a teaching moment for the GOP, which continues to scratch the bottom in its tireless efforts to crawl even lower. I'm sure Doug Jones is a lovely, thoughtful man... but he is about as awe-inspiring as Tim Kaine. Where is the Democrat we need who can inspire the masses when we need him/her? Oh... Kirsten Gillibrand already took care of that.
Moore's non-campaign and his wife's crude remarks last night about "Jews" are just what his base wants and likes. These supporters have little respect for themselves, a vague knowledge of the wider world and its diversity, and a tainted knowledge of evangelical Christianity and its beliefs and practices. This base is ripe to picked by the likes of Bannon and Trump who are no more or less than corrupt political hucksters. Moore and his wife appear to fall into this same category. It will be sad tonight if Alabama chooses to elect this man to send to the Senate over a much more legitimate candidate in Doug Jones. I can hardly believe the changes in our country in the last 11 months. If Moore wins this race, Joe Arpaio and his ilk will be next in stepping up to run for Congress. They know that there is a base and a Trump and a Bannon out there who will support them no matter what they've done or might do.
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I do not think Roy Moore is a racist today any more then President Trump is a racist. It is the media injecting more drama into a race that is already filled with excitement. They are stirring the pot and are rooting for his rival to win, Doug Jones. They want Mr. Jones to win because he is a progressive liberal. They want to turn a red state blue which is anybody's guess if this will happen.
President Trump supports Mr. Moore because he wants to protect the advantage the Republicans have with just a two senate seat majority. This could affect many upcoming bills that are headed for the senate. The more senate seats they have the more likely they will get bills through the senate. This is why it is imperative that this senate seat stay Republican.
We have not seen anything like this since the presidential election about a year ago. The people of Alabama will decide whether they want a liberal who is pro abortion and will turn the state blue or to keep things status quo and keep it conservative. This is not an easy decision for them to make and the future of the state lies in their hands. Hold on this is going to be a bumpy ride.
The problem with your argument is that it is based on the premise that Trump and Moore are not racists. They are.
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The media isn't injecting anything into the race. Mr. Moore has done that all on his own. All the press is doing is their job--reporting on the facts and circumstances surrounding this man. I for one support the press and their quest for truth.
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John Oliver recently observed that the fact that the RNC is supporting Moore just proves that Republicans will sign off on anyone who agrees to fight the Democrats, including “a swarm of smallpox-infected bees.”
5
This is lose-lose for the Republicans no matter who wins. If Jones wins, they lose a Republican vote. If Moore wins, they are tarnished with a pedophile and flouter of the Constitution in office, furthering momentum against the Republican party. I fear how much damage will be done between now and when the American people can take back their country from the right wing Republicans.
4
I wonder what cowboys have to do with Alabama? I mean, I know that there's always been cattle industry over there but they are not really known for cowboys. It'a really stupid stunt that this child abusing bandit is putting on and this truly is the end of the road for the GOP. Despised by the whole world, they put on a desperate last stand with Steve Bannon and Roy Moore. Way to go, man, and nothing to do with cowboys. Cowboys dated their own age and shot any adult who'd approach their teenage daughters.
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Never been more ashamed to call myself an American.
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To Kayla Moore,
One example doesn’t represent a lifetime of one’s character.
Instead it’s ONE example of a used car salesmen’s argument. And if Alabama’s voters choose Moore, then they wanted “just enough” and not better, higher standard. Simple as that.
And like a used car, you’ll be pushing that “just enough” off the road sooner than later. #Countryoverparty.
She appears smug and proud at her one Jew comment. Now that’s entitlement.
3
How have we gotten to this point in America? Are you kidding me? A pedophile racist who compliments slave society might join the Senate. Our president groped women and wants to start a nuclear war. The US is a messed up country.
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a song for Roy Moore
"...hey there girlie , step into my Republican car
hey there girlie , step into my Republican car
I want to show you, just what my politics are.
I support the Right, yet I'm leaning leaning alt-Right
I support the Right, yet I'm leaning leaning farther alt- Right
But I'm no where to be found, when it comes to a fight
I'm a political man and I practice what I preach
I'm a political man and I practice what I preach
so don't deny me baby, Not while you are in my reach
hey there little girlie , step into my Republican car
hey there little girlie , step into my Republican car
I want to show you, just what my politics are. ,,,"
apologies to Cream
5
At the end of the night, Alabama will get the Senator it deserves.
3
"My African-American," said candidate Trump.
"Our Jew," effectively said candidate Moore's wife.
Mercy, doesn't this make any difference to fair-minded people?
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"One of our attorneys is a Jew".
That's simultaneously unintentional comedy and tragedy that goes to infinity.
8
So you decided to write about who said or tweeted what tawdry thing yesterday for your headline article on the day of this election. What about the really big story here, voter suppression?
6
"One of our attorneys is a Jew."
And he or she most likely will bear the blame when you lose.
5
Fellowship: Not a verb
4
Time to cut Alabama loose....the USA does not need this state.
4
No picture of Doug Jones in this article. What is the real story here?
3
Some of my best friends are Republicans.
(Well, not any more.)
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All I've seen from Trump's speech at a Moore rally, and this photo are white people. These supporters of Mr. Moore don't give a hoot what Moore has done in the past. Many of them believe any news is fake news (AKA trump), and sadly will vote for this low-life.
Unless there is a drastic push to get every registered Democrat to vote, and rally the Black population, I'm afraid, Moore will be voted in.
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Fake news? CNN is your guiding light there. They have apparently let go of any real journalists and serve only as a publicity site for the Democratic minority chairmen on the Hill any more.
You get a hint of their sources when you see only the softest questions asked in their interviews.
Losservatore, and how does any of that make Roy Moore fit to be a senator?
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This election is exactly mike last year - two miserably unlikable candidates from whom one is forced to choose.
I anxiously await the results of the special election in Alabama. If More wins, the United States will have sunk to a new low. Voters are putting an alleged child molester in to the United States Senate — voters in Alabama ought to be ashamed of themselves if they do just that.
If this occurs, it's then time for corporations, companies, and the like should boycott Alabama. Now I know there is very little to boycott in Alabama, but doing so will drive home a message that business will not condone putting an alleged child molester into the United States Senate. Shame on you — Alabama citizens and voters!!!
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mercedes huyndai and other large international manufacturers can leave the state and set up in more tolerant grounds: anywhere else.
3
Just looked it up. Not surprisingly they don’t export much (at least boycottable).
1
As a foreignor I will say that if that horrible man becomes a senator it is a disgrace for all mankind
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As another foriegner, I agree with you.
5
Can judge Moore swear to God that he did not do what he was accused of? God should know it’s not fake news.
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It might be a little risky speaking for the Almighty on a progressive partisan site like this one.
He would swear on a pile of bibles that he didn’t commit these accusations........that is because he is a FAKE Christian, using religion as a means to an end. Most of his supporters are also FAKE Christians, they all should be thoroughly disgusted with themselves if Moore wins.
1
Moore surely is not going to heaven. i wish him and those who vote for him well on their journey in the afterlife. They're going to need all the luck they ever had when they meet their maker-and will have "lots of xplaining to do"
bring hot weather gear folks.
1
I wonder if Alabamans who vote for Moore citing his “morals” realize the hypocrisy of their beliefs. Thanks to the evangelicals in this country we have a man who admits he’s assaulted women in the White House and, thanks to them, we will soon have a pedophile in the Senate. Family values? Please! These people care about fetuses not children. Actually, they don’t even really care about fetuses since they vote against providing care for mothers. They vote against providing medical care for kids. They vote against food programs for kids. They don’t want to pay taxes to provide children with safe schools. They refuse to admit that humans have caused global warming which is already killing hundreds of thousands of children the world over. They celebrate the death penalty. Sanctity of life? These people are hypocrites. Pro-life shouldn’t only mean protecting a fetus.
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