Moore's win is bad for Alabama, and even worse for the GOP

[HAB911]

As a proud Alabaman, I'm walking today with my shoulders slumped. Roy Moore is the Republican nominee to be the next U.S. senator from my state, and he is likely to be elected in December. Moore is bad for Alabama and worse for the GOP.

To liberals, having Moore in the Senate will be the gift that keeps on giving. He will be the mainstream media's favorite Republican senator. They will count on Moore to embody every negative stereotype that a conservative from Alabama and an elected Republican can have. And based on what we know about Moore, he is unlikely to disappoint. Liberals couldn't be happier. Finally, there is a truly anti-gay, anti-woman, anti-Muslim, anti-everything elected Republican for all the world to see.

Beyond believing that he is divinely guided, Moore doesn't really have a governing point of view. At least not one that is applicable to this century. To suggest that Moore represents something Trumpian only confirms the worst things said about the president. The idea that Moore sees the world the way some cantankerous Republicans such as Ted Cruz, R-Texas, do is an insult to Cruz.

And to those who say that Moore's election is somehow good for President Donald Trump, well, I wonder exactly what they think Trump might gain from the presence of an ill-informed, failed demagogue in the GOP Senate caucus. Alabama specifically and Republicans everywhere will suffer as a result of Moore's presence in Washington.

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/column-roy-moores-win-is-bad-for-alabama-and-even-worse-for-the-gop/2338975

[Hortensis]

1. This con's discouragement is no doubt widespread. But, "FINALLY,

there is a truly anti-gay, anti-woman, anti-Muslim, anti-everything elected Republican"? His self delusion is also widespread.

And while we are at it, Moore's victory makes it more likely that marginal characters will run in GOP primaries nationwide next year, in some cases challenging incumbents who would otherwise have easy reelections. And along with Republicans being generally discouraged, the prospect of primaries may fuel unexpected retirements from the House and Senate that will make safe seats suddenly vulnerable and put the GOP majorities at greater risk.

This phenomenon — combined with a diminished legislative agenda in Congress, an unpopular and volatile president, generic ballot polls showing a wide gap favoring Democrats and the fact that the party controlling the White House is supposed to take a beating in the midterms — does not bode well for Republicans in the 2018 elections. To say the least, momentum for the GOP is not building. This is not what a winning election cycle looks like. And let's not forget that in politics, bad gets worse.

Well, we can attest to that last. Let's hope this latest "gift that keeps giving" is yet another sign that our nation is finally hitting bottom.

[Hoyt]

2. Moore is, or will be, popular among the white wing base that elected Trump and other GOPers.

We have plenty of ignorant white wing GOPers to use as examples of Deplorables, but it hasn't done us much good recently, at least at ballot box.