During the election now Senator-elect Doug Jones’ supporters couldn’t properly express the candidate’s views on anything. His campaign strategy was basically, “Don’t be Roy Moore.” Now that Jones has seemingly won, he may be taking a turn to the right.
“It doesn’t matter what the issue is. [There’s] always opportunity to find common ground,” Jones said. “I have just resisted trying to put labels on myself.”
Why this matters: Jones knows that in order to be a viable candidate in 2020, he has to be less Elizabeth Warren and more Joe Manchin. Republican turnout on December 12th was significantly down and he still barely won. Jones knows that he cannot win re-election against a non-scandal-plagued Republican in Alabama if he is viewed as a left-wing liberal.
The details:
— Jones was on “Fox News Sunday” and spoke about being a “Doug Jones-Democrat”
— While Jones did not take a stance on the current tax bill, he said he supports tax cuts, including those for corporations but he worries about the deficit.
— Jones tried to literally straddle the fence on immigration, saying he opposes the wall because he believes border security can be achieved without it.
— Most shockingly, the newly elected Democrat does not believe the President should resign over previous sexual harassment allegations.
— If this rhetorical shift manifests itself in Jones’ voting record he may crush the spirits of many Alabama Democrats who voted for a candidate with no real record on the issues.
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