No more Moore

My title is even more puzzling than usual, especially to my non-American readers, and even some of them might wrinkle their foreheads in wonderment unless, of course, they are Alabamans.  I refer, of course, to 'Judge' Roy Moore who is standing on the Republican ticket in today's vote to choose a Senator.  Naturally, being a Republican, and even worse, a Trump supporting Republican, a story was oozed out into the eager media concerning some sexual shenanigans on the part of 'Judge' Moore some years ago with young girls.  Are the charges true?  Sorry, haven't a clue, and nor has anyone else until such time as a proper investigation and, if required, a trial has taken place.

However, according to Mr. David French of the NR, that is no excuse for the electors of Alabama to commit a cardinal sin in voting for this rascal because there are many other reasons to make sure this man never reaches the higher circles of government.  Twice in former years this so-called 'judge' defied rulings of the Alabama Supreme Court and the SCOTUS.  In addition, Mr. French provides some other examples of his injudicious actions which should disqualify him for ever:

For a man who professes to be a student of the Constitution, he’d happily violate its express terms. In a 2006 op-ed, he wrote that Muslim representative Keith Ellison “cannot swear an oath on the Quran and an allegiance to our Constitution at the same time.” Article VI of the Constitution directly, unequivocally, and unambiguously says otherwise. It prohibits any “religious test” as a “Qualification to any Officer or public Trust under the United States.”

[...]

He’s a birther; he’s said it “would eliminate many problems” if our nation passed a constitutional amendment revoking all amendments after the Tenth, a list that includes amendments prohibiting slavery, guaranteeing the “privileges and immunities” of citizens and the equal protection of the law, and granting women the right to vote.

The Republicans in general, and President Trump in particular, need this man like a hole in the head.  Losing in Alabama will hurt them - but not as much as winning!

 

Comments

[Malcolm Pollack]

I believe Mr. Moore's remark about Keith Ellison is simply a comment on the conflicts between the doxastic requirements of Islam (including both the Koran and the Hadith) and the liberties safeguarded by the Constitution.

About this he's right: between those two, something has to give.

[Timbo]

Duffers, it's high time that someone has the cojones to point out the obvious; that Islam and western democracy are like chalk and cheese.

[Whitewall]

If Moore wins it will be because of those who are aligned against him that don't live in Alabama. Translated: Yankees. Especially media and celebrity types. None of this is any good. We have the Republican party going right back to its "stupid party" fight for integrity. The Democrat party is maintaining its habit of fighting for power. Integrity is foreign to them.

[Whitewall]

Timbo,
https://legalinsurrection.com/2017/12/malmo-was-the-canary-in-the-coal-mine-warning-of-european-islamist-anti-semitism/

[Hank]

Over 60 percent counted. Moore has lead.

The election has two candidates. The dem seems a poor fit for alabama.

[Andra]

Whitewall - this is scary stuff. Obviously things have changed in Sweden in the past few years.

[AussieD]

Why anyone who has a smattering of intelligence can think Islam is compatible with a secular western liberal democracy is beyond me.

It is a toxic totalitarian belief system that belongs back in the Dark Ages.

Sooner or later we will, like it or not, have a religous war on our hands.

Sweden is learning the hard way.

[Andra]

Well, Moore has won handsomely. Very interesting...............

[Andra]

My mistake - I meant to say he lost handsomely. I guess I am turning into Barbie.
Shit!

[AussieD]

Completely o/t but good

http://www.rationaloptimist.com/blog/britain-should-give-the-eu-20-billion-extra-as-an-act-of-charity/

[mike fowle]

As you indicate, this is a story which won't mean much to most people in the UK, but the BBC made it its lead item on the radio news. Because voters in Alabama have stuck it to The Donald!

[David Duff]

Malcolm, with some trepidation, and only after I looked up the meaning of 'doxastic', I must disagree with you whilst hiding behind Mr. French's tailcoats:

"For a man who professes to be a student of the Constitution, he’d happily violate its express terms. In a 2006 op-ed, he wrote that Muslim representative Keith Ellison “cannot swear an oath on the Quran and an allegiance to our Constitution at the same time.” Article VI of the Constitution directly, unequivocally, and unambiguously says otherwise. It prohibits any “religious test” as a “Qualification to any Officer or public Trust under the United States.”

Also, I can't help feeling that a high-ranking judge who is thrown off, not one but two Supreme Courts is somewhat lacking in brains if not fanaticism! And are you truly happy to support a senior Judge who supports the idea that "a constitutional amendment revoking all amendments after the Tenth, a list that includes amendments prohibiting slavery, guaranteeing the “privileges and immunities” of citizens and the equal protection of the law, and granting women the right to vote."

If so, then I trust you will not take umbrage if some radical 'Leftie' comes in and suggests wholesale changes to your constitution, er, but in their direction not yours! The words 'sauce', 'goose' and 'gander' occur to me!

[backofanenvelope]

It seems to me that this election result is a big plus for Trump. If Moore had won he would be enduring an onslaught from Moore's activities 30 years ago. Now they will have to think of something else.

[Whitewall]

Andra,
Sweden was early in the "Let's Lose Our Minds" Egalitarian sweepstakes! They have been suffering since. Not to be outdone, Holland and Germany and a few others have lost their minds as well when it comes to Muslim immigration. It has been remarked on elsewhere that the Israeli Mossad often rescues Jews from Arab Lands. Looks like they may do so again in another Arab land- Sweden.

[Whitewall]

BOE,
You have hit on a major point with Moore's loss. Had he won, Democrats would have used his presence as a "hood ornament" for the entire Republican Party in an effort to distract from decades of Democrat pols and cultural icon's abuse of women. These revelations are far from over as there is no need for women to stay silent in support of "the cause". The reason for exposure of all these decades long scandals? Hillary lost. Bill need no longer be excused.

[Bob]

I'm slightly familiar with Alabama only because I've vacationed in Gulf Shores a few times. It's a pleasant escape from winter. The area might have more transplanted Northerners than natives. I've read the state has a growing middle class powered by some high tech industry and now has a substantial suburban population. The state also has a growing minority population. These are not the kind of people Moore would appeal to.

The lesson can be over-learned, though. Moore was a really bad candidate. The charges against him are completely credible. He was even banned from a shopping mall because he menaced teen girls. By endorsing him, Trump made himself a yuge loser.

[backofanenvelope]

Fake news alert! The Mall manager said Moore wasn't banned. Probably didn't ever go there!

[Bob]

Not so fast, BOE:

https://www.snopes.com/2017/11/17/roy-moore-banned-mall-harassing-teen-girls/

The rumors and accusations are real, but there is some room for doubt. There's little doubt Moore went to the mall.

[Whitewall]

From Maverick Philosopher- "Proof Trump is a failed politician. He keeps his promises".
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5167331/PIERS-MORGAN-Trump-keeps-promises-Lib-media-hate-it.html

[backofanenvelope]

Rumours, accusations, "some room for doubt", little doubt. Cast iron case!

[Whitewall]

Yep, that's Snopes for you! Not so authoritative as they used to be. They are on the #Resistance thing too. Screw 'em.

[Malcolm Pollack]

Hi David,

Yes, the Constitution explicitly forbids a religious test, as you say. My only point was that much of what the Koran and the Hadith require adherents of Islam to agree to is directly antagonistic to many of the liberties the Constitution safeguards. I think there is an irreconcilable tension there, and as I said, something has to give.

While I am certainly not here to defend Roy Moore in all of his political positions, I have serious doubts about the veracity of the accusations made against him. Also, I'll go so far as to agree that not every one of the past seventeen Constitutional amendments has been an unmixed blessing for the nation. (Moore's own loss was almost certainly due to the 17th.)

This process was a disaster from start to finish. Almost any other conservative candidate could have been elected in a landslide, and now, astonishingly, we have a Massachusetts-style liberal Democrat in Jeff Sessions' seat. Even if Moore had won, he would have been, as Whitewall said above, a "hood ornament" for the Republicans. (The one bright point is that now Al Franken is actually going to have to resign.) Nice work all round, GOP.

Also, you wrote:

If so, then I trust you will not take umbrage if some radical 'Leftie' comes in and suggests wholesale changes to your constitution, er, but in their direction not yours! The words 'sauce', 'goose' and 'gander' occur to me!

I have nothing against amending the Constitution per se, though I'm glad it's so difficult to do so. Whether I'd object to a proposed amendment would depend on what it says, not on who proposed it (though you're right that if it's coming from a "radical Leftie", I'm probably not going to like it!)

Also, for a Leftie to "suggest wholesale changes" to the Constitution is generally a move in the right direction: usually they just want to chuck the whole thing out!

[jimmy glesga]

The USA seem to dwell on sex and accusations about such things. Kennedy had women to order and the security looked the other way.
Not bad for a guy with a bad back! Maybe we should resurrect the names of the women who serviced him and his father.

[missred]

Jimmy - Christine Keeler?

[Bob]

Whitewall, if you don't trust Snopes maybe you'll trust a local paper:

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/11/gadsden_residents_say_moores_b.html

I was trying too hard to be fair with my wording.

[Bob]

jimmy glesga, you're right about the US generally being obsessed with sex. Don't forget we were founded in large part by puritans and other religious fundamentalist Europeans. The UK has had 2 women as PM. The US has never had a woman president.

Kennedy was bopping adults, most notably Ellen Rometsch, an East German spy with whom Ford also had an affair. Things were different in the '60's when politics was still an old boys' club. Moore likely undressed a 14 year old girl when he was in his 30's.

[JK]

https://audioboom.com/posts/6549807-republicans-just-not-wanting-to-vote-for-the-guy-johnfund-larry_kudlow

You'll probably not find it so improbable Bob that, I disagree with you in the particulars of the loss - but like Malcolm above; Moore's losing is not especially distressing: ala "hood ornament."

Interestingly, the Crimson Tide's Head Coach took a not insignificant toll as a write-ins, 19,663 of the 22,819.

(David? For your benefit and all y'alls not familiar with the US' collegiate "football" - Crimson Tide is the name of Alabama's chief team and, Alabamaians are, if anything, maniacally enthusiastic about their football.)

[JK]

Writ large Bob;

http://www.vividmaps.com/2016/12/trumpland-and-clinton-archipelago.html

We saw the same thing back in 2016.

[JK]

Ahh ... here we go Bob,

http://www.wvtm13.com/article/2017-alabama-senate-election-results-via-ap-interactive-county-map/14408834

As that John Fund guy noted on that podcast above - the write-ins made the difference, and my guess is - Alabama's most faithful Tiders are, Rs.

[Bob]

JK, you don't disagree with me, you disagree with mainstream reporting. The first set of maps shows that rural areas vote Republican and urban vote Democratic. That's no surprise at all. Culture wars sell better where people are less used to diversity. I couldn't get the second map to work, but from others I've seen there's a blue band east to west through the center of Alabama and in a few other spots that represent the largest cities.

[JK]

Bob, just and for you especially:

http://soupsong.com/srogers1.html

(David - you might take note of the author's insertion; "Now comes along an old friend of mine, Bob, a commentor on David Duff's Duff and Nonsense
(pardon me, Bob, for having to tell them who you are, but my fellows are mostly provincial).")