Many Alabamians have already judged the judge or condemned the media, and their position seems guided by how people have felt about Roy Moore since we first learned about the “Ten Commandments Judge” more than 20-years ago.
You loved him … or you hated him.
So now you either believe him … or not.
The degree of that love or hate, however, may be tempered by the hatred that conservatives share for the liberal media, namely the Washington Post, and/or the fear of what electing a Democrat to the Senate could mean for the Supreme Court.
Right now, insiders believe that nothing is going to change. Moore will remain on the ballot and nobody will do anything about it (even if they could).
If that changes, here are some leading indicators Alabamians should watch for:
More Moore accusers: The article painted the judge as someone who spent years trolling through malls picking up teenaged girls. If this was indeed the case, surely Moore would have hit-on, picked-up or dated more than the four women mentioned in the article. The dam could break and more women could share their stories, as we’ve seen in similar cases.
Trial balloons floating across the Alabama sky: Lots of ideas are being circulated by insiders, from hopeless write-in candidacies to potential legal challenges. The public’s reception of those ideas will either embolden their authors or send them back to the drawing board.
Elected Republicans in Alabama criticizing Moore: Most of the elected Republicans in Alabama face primary voters in June, followed by a general election next November. The last thing they want to see outside of their campaign headquarters is a mob of angry Moore supporters calling for their political heads. Most will remain noncommittal, including one of the only individuals who could possibly delay the election – Governor Kay Ivy. If that changes, however, then it’d be a sign that blood was in the water and Moore was seen not only as vulnerable, but a political liability.
Party officials meeting or speaking publically: As detailed here, the Alabama Republican Party’s official apparatus may hold many of the cards. One would be to withdraw its support of the candidate, which might mean every vote cast for Moore wouldn’t count. It’s unclear how that would work, though. Another would be a legal challenge to replace him with someone whose votes would count. There may be other cards, too, but will they choose to play them if they even exist?
Before we see any of those leading indicators, things would have to become much, much worse for the judge. That potential dam would have to break, and in a major way.
As it stands right now, it seems that voters in Alabama have spoken and the Washington Post is being held in contempt of the court of public opinion.
(Take this article over to social media and start a conversation with your family and friends.)
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