There are other officials who believe that their personal take on the law and morality should override statutes, voter referendums, and the established legal processes for resolving disputes over public policy. For example, the lawless Mayor Newsom of San Francisco feels that he is free to allow gay marriage in San Francisco, despite it being contrary to the express letter of California law (and a voter referendum), because of his own personal beliefs and personal "interpretation" of the California Constitution. How does this differ in principle from what the former Alabama judge Moore did?
Unless conservatives are consistent in their support of the rule of law, we are lost. We know that many on the left hate the rule of law, and will misuse the courts or other techniques to accomplish their desired policy ends despite clear laws and public opinion to the contrary. We lose our moral standing to oppose left-wing demagogues and judicial activists if we are unwilling to apply the rule of law to all, regardless of their political beliefs.