Anatomy of a Stunner: How Roy Moore Lost an Unlosable Race in Alabama

In a shocking political earthquake, the Republican Party has lost a Senate election in Alabama. For perspective on how difficult that feat was, the closest previous Senate contest in that state over the last two decades was a...19-point GOP victory. Just three years ago, Jeff Sessions ran unopposed. Donald Trump carried 'Bama by 28 points last fall. In my election preview post yesterday, I wrote that an upset by liberal Doug Jones was improbably plausible, due exclusively to the disastrously awful candidate Republicans had nominated. Apologies for quoting myself, but here you go:

Makes sense. Moore definitely does have his core base. I believe that had he not run to begin with that Brooks would have won, hands down. It was Strange who people didn’t want because of how and why he was appointed.

So see, the vote was really split between Brooks and Moore in the initial primary. So then of course we knew Moore would defeat Strange.

Then Jones campaigned conservatively (barf), never acknowledging that he was a “D”.

Thanks for another nice response.

Look, if you said this about the mention of McConnell several years ago, I think you’d be on to something.

Republicans watched Mitch over the last two years, and Republicans detest the man at this point.

We are a body of Deplorables, because Clinton coined the term, but also because the GOPe agreed with her. We all know that. We all watched the GOPe go in the tank against Trump.

Moore addressed Mitch because he wanted the voting public to know it got it, he agreed with them.

The leadership of the U. S. Senate and the U. S. House of Representatives are loathed. It’s why they Tea Party took off out of nowhere.

Folks are fed up, and Moore was tapping into that.

This all boils down to a lack of the Republican party to loft just about any effort to get out the vote.

Getting out only half what they did for a man they hated, Trump? Something is rotten there. The party didn’t lift a finger for Moore.

That was very foolish.

Shelby, reading the party tea leaves even felt emboldened to make robo-calls telling Republicans to vote Jones.

Tell me that doesn’t telegraph the party mindset.

There was no way they were going to let another “outsider” beat them at their own game.

To heck with the nation. The in-tight GOPe cabal, wanted to cram Conservatism back down our throats for the rebellion.

The primary loss earlier this year infuriated them.

Once the slate was set, that would be my take too.

They didn’t miss a trick going after Moore tooth and nail.

Those women opened their mouths and it didn’t take 30 seconds for the GOPe tag team to trash Moore.

They didn’t care to hear his side of it at all.

Moore was sabotaged by the GOP, but he bears some of the blame. His Hannity segment did him no favors and his remarks about America being great before the civil war were stupid beyond belief. Southern blacks have little regard for historical Southern revisionists, and that ignorant quip motivated many who otherwise wouldn’t have shown up.

That said, Moore and all Alabaman Republicans were betrayed by the National GOP. This despicable campaign will have far-reaching consequences for “both” parties. Burned bridges are not easily repaired.

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