Many loyal readers have been wondering why I’ve been oddly silent on Alabama’s special-election senate race, only commenting occasionally back when Mo Brooks was still in the race, and before it was officially a two-man race earning the hilariously appropriate moniker “Moore/Strange.” To be sure, both men suck—a corrupt Attorney General quid-pro-quo’d into a senate seat by a disgraced ex-Governor vs. a man who accurately describes himself as a more extreme, pre-Trump version of Trump—but it seemed like people wanted me to favor Luther Strange over ex-Judge-turned-ex-Judge, eternal-nut Roy Moore. But I started thinking maybe that’s not what’s best for Democrats…
Did Alabama Liberal have a Machiavellian reason for wanting Roy Moore to win the Republican primary? Yes, now listen along as I stroke a white cat, sip a glass of an enemy’s blood, and cackle deviously into the night…
The short term: There’s the obvious reason that Roy Moore is an easier candidate for Democratic candidate Doug Jones to beat in the December 12th general election. That’s what everyone is talking about and you don’t need to be a master strategist to want Moore strictly for that outcome. But I’m not sure a Democratic candidate has a prayer no matter who they’re up against. There’s just too many people that vote a straight-Republican ticket. Don’t get me wrong, Democrats, independents, and sane Republicans should still show up and vote against Moore, and I’m hoping against hope Jones wins, but what if he doesn’t? What if the unthinkable happens and…
The Long Term: What if the seemingly nightmare scenario of Roy Moore being elected to the senate is actually a pretty good outcome for the Democrats? You might think I’m nuts for flying in the case of conventional wisdom, but Roy Moore’s election would lead to a few things for sure, and a couple of possible outcomes that would be heaven for Democrats.
He definitely disgraces the Republican brand even further. There’s no question Roy Moore will make offensive statements, do stupid things, and be an all-around headache for Republicans looking to fool people into thinking they’re not racist, ultra-religious lunatics who have taken over America in a stealth coup. It will wake even more people up to the dangers of Trump, and–even better–let it be known that this is not isolated to the President as Moore’s fellow Republican senators (who were vehemently against working with him) such as Lindsey Graham, Bob Corker, or Mitch McConnell like to pretend.
Moore will definitely showcase a growing division between Trump and his base. Make no mistake, Roy Moore is nuts. Most of the Breitbart crew stumping for him knows this but doesn’t care because they’re pissed off Steve Bannon was fired from The White House, apparently because Ivanka and Jared can’t stand him. The fact that Jared’s use of a personal email to conduct White House business—you know, what doomed Hillary—leaked this week is no coincidence: Bannon is out for blood. Between that and Trump going back on his DACA promises, the base is pissed (some were burning Trump’s MAGA hats after his deal with Pelosi and Schumer). And Judge Roy Moore is a petty, petty vain-glorious idiot who can hold a grudge like nobody’s business. He’s not going to forget that Trump stumped for Luther Stranger over him.
Moore can’t run for Governor of Alabama if he’s elected to the senate. I know this won’t matter at all to national liberals but if Moore had lost this senate race, there’s no question he would’ve run for Governor next year, and even though he’s lost twice before—we sometimes call him “the perennial” since he always seems to be on the ballot for something—there’s a good chance he might’ve won next year. A guy like Luther Strange is finished now (he’ll be called “Luther Stranger” soon enough), and Alabamians won’t have to worry about him anymore. Moore remained a very present threat to our state, and he’ll actually have a lot less power in the senate than he would as Governor, where he could more actively target abortion clinics, public schools, gay people, women drivers, etc. You almost have to wonder if current Governor Kay Ivey held the run-off this year for just this reason, getting rid of some of her competition.
Moore might even lead to Mitch McConnell’s ouster as Senate Majority Leader. McConnell is the Republican’s best weapon in congress. He’s the one who refused to hold hearings on Merrick Garland, denied almost all of the Obama agenda, has supported Trump’s coal-revival plans in Kentucky, and has generally kept anything from getting done in the senate since Democrats lost a filibuster-proof majority. Most Democrats would love him to be ousted in favor of an idiot fire-breather, and Moore might be the catalyst for that. He’s made no secret of the fact that he hates McConnell and will make his life a living hell once elected–and Moore is so fire-and-brimstone literal you have to wonder if he’s being metaphorical. This has been an awful period for McConnell (who was better at playing defense than actually governing), and now that the Obamacare repeal is dead (again), Tennessee ally Bob Corker is retiring, and Hurrican Roy is approaching, you have to wonder if Good Ole Boy Mitch can survive both Trump and Roy Moore gunning for him, along with a whole new slew of Tea Party-esque nuts in the vast approaching 2018 primary season.
By all means, vote for Doug Jones, but I’m just saying that Luther Strange-type Republican doesn’t benefit Democrats at all, but Roy Moore just might.
Let’s hope that crazy, gun waving, idiot, doesn’t win. It has to be good for the Dems.