I think that would also remove the ability of many Trump supporters to vote.
Ugh, Kris Kobach. Just when you thought there was nobody more worthy of punching than a Nazi.
Yeah… that part of PA is a mess of Trump signage even now, especially the eastern part of the District. Before the election last year I was out that way for a race at Jennerstown Speedway and it was pretty obvious how those people were going to be voting. That said, there might be enough suburban Pittsburgh in there to make a change in a low turnout election.
They’ll move social support money to Churches or other ‘private charities.’
I had family who lived in Mobile for a good while and got to see some cool and interesting things down there. I’ve bashed the state due to my strong revulsion toward an outspoken group of people in Alabama, but I recognize that vitriol gets generalized to everyone within its borders and that’s unfair.
So I’m sorry, Jason.
I won’t catch up on the thread. I am pretty exhausted by the whole thing and far from jubilant. I was at a bar last night trying not to agonize over votes. As I said prior to the election, for me, the results are important, but I have been deeply affected by what the excuses and support for Moore has revealed about my fellow citizens. Especially the 77% of white males that voted for Moore despite being booted twice from the Alabama SC, his ridiculous statements about women, Civil Rights, the Constitution and of course the pedophilia allegations.
I know the statistics and shifts that happened. I know turnout of the proper segments was huge. I also know we elected a moderate, white, Christian, 2nd Amendment supporting Democrat by the margin of less than the write ins. If Strange had won the primary, he would have won the general. It took the absolute worst candidate, amazing African American turnout and Republicans that decided to stay at home for this one election. Basically, numerous, I believe unrepeatable, factors.
I am happy for the positive turn this makes for the Senate. I am happy for what it represents on a countrywide and even global scale where people feel good about a result. I do not think I can put too much value into this being a change brought on by the rejection of Trump. Sure, that aided somewhat, but Moore was literally the worst and it was far too close.
As an Alabamian who still has to live here and work and be friends with people who accepted all that Moore was and voted for him, I have little room for encouragement that Alabama has moved forward. Yes, it was a historic turn of events, but I am hesitant to assign too much meaning to it because all those conservative white guys are still here and voting like morons and will do so in every election to come. Friends and acquaintances who have rejected logic, reason and critical thinking and are voting with what their gut tells them as they no longer trust any media outlets.
Good on ya, Alabama. Florida could learn from you.
I am happy about the results.
But isn’t this just Alabama rejecting Moore and not the republican party?
I don’t think anyone’s predicted here that Alabama has become a blue, purple, or even marginally less-red state.
It’s a win for Democrats.
Enjoy it. It is better than a loss for Democrats and a win for Roy Moore.
Sometimes that has to be enough.
Yes. But I think that’s an important thing. If Alabama had instead embraced Moore? Yuck.
hugs You have to take and savor the little victories when you can.
If you’re looking for the 2018 and 2020 implications of what just happened in Alabama, I think you have to look outside of Alabama:
- Democratic candidate recruitment in red states will improve farther
- The Democratic party is more likely to contest many more races, even in red states
- The Democratic party will refocus on get-out-the-vote efforts, such as the incredible work the NAACP did in Alabama
- This is a bolt of optimism for an already enthused Democratic base nationwide
Alabama will go back to a very, very red state. This wasn’t a political D-Day for the Dems there. Think of it more as Doolittle’s Raid. It shows that the GOP is potentially vulnerable everywhere, and it will embolden Dems to fight harder on all fronts.
There was an interesting analysis on 538. They estimated that Moore lost 10 points for being Republican, 10 points for being a pedophile, and 10 points just for being Roy Moore. Combined, that’s how Jones overcame a 30 point deficit.
Closer to this and every red state isn’t going to run an idiot like Moore for a Doug Jones to miraculously win against while having all of the planets align to make it possible.
The GOP in Alabama didn’t really want Moore. It was the power of the primary that got him on the ticket. The party has trouble controlling the primary. I doubt Moore is the last idiot that will win a primary against a more electable Republican opponent.
Especially if Bannon is doing his best to get Moore-like candidates on the ballot.
True. But the GOP base has a knack for picking the most extreme candidates possible lately, and some of them are real idiots. Akin, O’Donnell, Mourdock, etc. And they can’t start picking better candidates until their base stops gravitating toward whichever idiot spews the most craziest stuff. Do you see that happening soon?
And that’s the thing. Run a candidate, see what happens. You never know when the other guys are gonna nominate Sharron Angle.
I do get it and I hate to be the parade rainer onner…but having to still live here and the fact that most of the people I interact with do not share my views, it is much more personal and less than encouraging having seen the numbers and having talked to friends and acquaintances in recent weeks and leading up to the Presidential election and since. The majority of the state still is hopelessly ill informed and do not engage in rational analysis to make a decision. And then there are those who none of this affects, so they opt out or voted Moore anyway just because they could and fuck those liberals.