I think you are blaming the wrong folks. I don’t think Alabama voters care a whole lot about what the GOP Establishment thinks or says. That much was apparent by the fact that they nominated him in the first place, despite the Establishment opposition and even Trump’s.
Had they kept their mouths shut, it would not be possible to blame them. I think Richard Shelby had a dramatic impact on the election. He told his own voters to stay home or "write in" a different name.
That much was apparent by the fact that they nominated him in the first place, despite the Establishment opposition and even Trump’s.
And he was polling 20 points higher in the polls before the accusations came out. It was the accusations that did him in, coupled with the back stab he got from his Republican "allies."