Posted on 12/13/2017 4:17:14 AM PST by reaganaut1
Alabama voters can be forgiven if they preferred to sit out Tuesday’s special Senate election, but those who turned out narrowly elected Democrat Doug Jones to fill the seat vacated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The result is a painful lesson for the Alabama Republicans who nominated Roy Moore in the September primary. But it’s also a useful act of political hygiene for the national Republican Party given the accusations of sexual misconduct against the former judge.
The cost of defeat will be high and immediate. Despite his campaign vows to “cross the aisle” to work with Republicans, Mr. Jones will fit right in with Senate Democrats. He will be a reliable vote for Chuck Schumer on any important matter, including judicial nominees. Had he shown even a scintilla of moderation on abortion, for example, he would have won in a rout.
Mr. Moore’s defeat narrows the GOP majority’s margin to 51-49, which will give even more leverage to individual Senators who want to grandstand or satisfy a political constituency. Alabama evangelical Christians who supported Mr. Moore over appointed Sen. Luther Strange in the GOP primary should know that they have now made a conservative Supreme Court nominee less likely if Justice Anthony Kennedy retires in 2018. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins will hold the balance of judicial confirmation power, and watch the media lobby them in waves.
The good news is that Mr. Moore's loss may give the GOP a better chance of holding the Senate majority next year. Democrats were primed to make Mr. Moore a national symbol of sexual harassment to drive turnout among women. GOP incumbents would have been asked about Mr. Moore every day.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
Meghan McCain agrees.
BTW, WSJ. Take your paper and your GOPe and shove it.
The open-borders globalists continue their war on Bannon...and us!
For crying out loud. Bank on had a great streak going, and dems were losing election after election.
All the more reason to support Bannon.
All Alabamians who wrote in a name instead of voting for Moore will be held responsible for the lives of the unborn slaughtered with the help of votes from Jones.
A Scott Farkas comment.
This Article Sends a Message: The Wall Street Journal is Never-Trump
Was there ever any doubt about that?
The truth is now evident. This was a GOPe turf war. Nothing more. Nothing less. Moore was abandoned within minutes after the 40 year old allegations came out of the sewer. It was a hit by the McConnell/McCain/Flake wing on the party to maintain control of the nomination process.
Well i wont say he is for “losers” but going against Trump on this sure was a losing proposition for sure...
I have to believe being in a deep red state Jones is going to have to compromise some if he wants any chance to keep his seat... and they always do. Thats the most important thing to a politician... getting re elected.
He has yellow eyes?
The Wall Street Journal is controlled opposition.
Bannon wasn’t FOR Hillary....’nuff said.
if Justice Anthony Kennedy retires in 2018. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins will hold the balance of judicial confirmation power, and watch the media lobby them in waves.
Neither of them hold the balance nor does the media. The voters do. If they block a qualified conservative candidate I doubt either could get re-elected.
RINO op-ed bump for later.....
Moore was overreach by the evangelicals. He turned off too many Republican women.
It takes a very exceptional person to beat both the Dems AND the GOPe. Moore wasn’t one. Trump understood that when he backed Strange.
Outspent how many to one?
Keep spending that money, goobers.
Sooner or later you’re going to run out.
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