All of this happened in the Bentley era, with his ‘paramour’ lover-staff member having the ability to manipulate the outcome. Strange, for most folks...was corrupted and Ivey simply saw her action as a corrective measure (whether right or wrong).
Long-term...Brooks would have made a fine candidate and a long-term senator. But in the state, he just doesn’t have that much of a name-factor. Same issue with Mayor Battle of Huntsville (south of the state simply hasn’t heard of the guy). Someone needs to do a one-hour interview each week with up and coming GOP folks from the state, and make it a podcast.
Finally, I do think the Lt Gov Will Ainsworth, Mayor Battle of Huntsville, and Twinkle Cavanaugh are three of the big names in the next decade around the state...to be either Senators or Governor. If you could get Battle into the governor’s chair, he’d probably make some promise to bring 250,000 new jobs to the state in four years.
Ivey had no choice but to move up the special election as she did. There appeared to be no reason to think a loony Dem could ever win the seat, so that didn’t even enter the equation (a reverse-Massachusetts, who would’ve thought a Republican could win Ted Kennedy’s open seat in a special ?).
The public perception was that Strange landed the job because of the corrupt bargain, and hence was seen as a crook. The public demanded essentially that a special be moved up ASAP for the sole purpose of removing a tainted and corrupt Senate appointee. Strange simply had to go, it didn’t matter the voting record or even the Trump endorsement. Strange was already at potential risk for being indicted for deliberately delaying the investigation into Bentley, and that was something that could’ve harmed Trump. I thought it was a huge error on his part to even wade into the primary race. He should’ve simply kept quiet and declared that he hoped the best nominee won.
As I’ve argued many times, Moore was a side-effect of a situation that Bentley made with Sessions’ resignation and Strange’s tainted appointment. Moore was seen as someone who stood up to the corrupt political establishment, and as a result, he made an enemy of the RINOs, who were happy to see a Dem take that seat. They got their wish.
I think that when such situations arise where a Senate vacancy is concerned (where a Republican is to be appointed), there should be a “snap convention” (so to speak) amongst the base, where names are submitted, vetted and voted upon. This should take no more than a few weeks total (unless there is a pressing emergency to get said person seated at once). That way when the choice of the convention is proffered, it’s more on them than the Governor for then appointing the person. In such a situation, Strange would never have survived a vetting process to be put forward given his relationship with Bentley.
If Moore had emerged as the choice of the convention, he still would’ve had time to settle into the appointment (which would not have seen the special being moved up), and he might’ve been able to weather the onslaught of sleaze and lies made against him. Ultimately, however, you might’ve ended up with another unnamed choice, perhaps an outsider, who would’ve not had much of a taint on their person (although anything can be cooked up on anyone).