SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Roy Moore, the Republicans candidate in Alabama to fill an empty seat in the U.S. Senate, is facing serious accusations. But that doesn't mean he won't win. (Photo: Screenshot/NBC News)
Top 5 reasons Roy Moore Could Still Win, Despite Sexual Assault Allegations
The new charges will unseat him. Won't they?
Nov 10, 2017
Roy Moore, the Republican candidate for senate in Alabama, was rocked by scandal this week, as a woman accused him of initiating sexual contact with her when she was only 14.
Moore was twice removed as chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court for refusing to follow the constitution, and he has pulled stunts such as showing a six-shooter at one of his rallies.
The new charges will unseat him, right?
Well, maybe and maybe not. There are some things that come into play beyond the candidate's record of shenanigans. So far this past year, evangelical voters have shown that they will vote for a candidate known not to have a biblical lifestyle (Trump) as long as he stands for white supremacy. This outcome makes you a little worried that some large proportion of American white evangelicalism may be latently a form of white supremacy. In other words, values voters may not turn on the judge.
Here's are some other reasons why:
1. Alabama's voter ID law acts to suppress the votes of youth, elders and minorities. African-Americans in Alabama form 25% of the population, and they could ally with the white Democrats to forestall a Moore victory. But they are disproportionately disadvantaged by the ID laws.
2. Alabama is The least democratic state in the nation. It is 48th in accessibility of ballots.
3. Only 35% percent of Alabama voters see themselves as Democrats. If Republicans come out to vote, Judge Moore will prevail.
4. 86 percent of Alabama residents identify as Christian, and 49 percent are evangelical
5. 40% of white evangelical Christians supporting Moore say they do so out of party loyalty. While that is bad for Moore, that the party loyalty is holding is bad for his opponent.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
© 2023 Juan Cole
Juan Cole
Juan Cole teaches Middle Eastern and South Asian history at the University of Michigan. His newest book, "Muhammad: Prophet of Peace Amid the Clash of Empires" was published in 2020. He is also the author of "The New Arabs: How the Millennial Generation Is Changing the Middle East" (2015) and "Napoleon's Egypt: Invading the Middle East" (2008). He has appeared widely on television, radio, and on op-ed pages as a commentator on Middle East affairs, and has a regular column at Salon.com. He has written, edited, or translated 14 books and has authored 60 journal articles.
Roy Moore, the Republican candidate for senate in Alabama, was rocked by scandal this week, as a woman accused him of initiating sexual contact with her when she was only 14.
Moore was twice removed as chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court for refusing to follow the constitution, and he has pulled stunts such as showing a six-shooter at one of his rallies.
The new charges will unseat him, right?
Well, maybe and maybe not. There are some things that come into play beyond the candidate's record of shenanigans. So far this past year, evangelical voters have shown that they will vote for a candidate known not to have a biblical lifestyle (Trump) as long as he stands for white supremacy. This outcome makes you a little worried that some large proportion of American white evangelicalism may be latently a form of white supremacy. In other words, values voters may not turn on the judge.
Here's are some other reasons why:
1. Alabama's voter ID law acts to suppress the votes of youth, elders and minorities. African-Americans in Alabama form 25% of the population, and they could ally with the white Democrats to forestall a Moore victory. But they are disproportionately disadvantaged by the ID laws.
2. Alabama is The least democratic state in the nation. It is 48th in accessibility of ballots.
3. Only 35% percent of Alabama voters see themselves as Democrats. If Republicans come out to vote, Judge Moore will prevail.
4. 86 percent of Alabama residents identify as Christian, and 49 percent are evangelical
5. 40% of white evangelical Christians supporting Moore say they do so out of party loyalty. While that is bad for Moore, that the party loyalty is holding is bad for his opponent.
Juan Cole
Juan Cole teaches Middle Eastern and South Asian history at the University of Michigan. His newest book, "Muhammad: Prophet of Peace Amid the Clash of Empires" was published in 2020. He is also the author of "The New Arabs: How the Millennial Generation Is Changing the Middle East" (2015) and "Napoleon's Egypt: Invading the Middle East" (2008). He has appeared widely on television, radio, and on op-ed pages as a commentator on Middle East affairs, and has a regular column at Salon.com. He has written, edited, or translated 14 books and has authored 60 journal articles.
Roy Moore, the Republican candidate for senate in Alabama, was rocked by scandal this week, as a woman accused him of initiating sexual contact with her when she was only 14.
Moore was twice removed as chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court for refusing to follow the constitution, and he has pulled stunts such as showing a six-shooter at one of his rallies.
The new charges will unseat him, right?
Well, maybe and maybe not. There are some things that come into play beyond the candidate's record of shenanigans. So far this past year, evangelical voters have shown that they will vote for a candidate known not to have a biblical lifestyle (Trump) as long as he stands for white supremacy. This outcome makes you a little worried that some large proportion of American white evangelicalism may be latently a form of white supremacy. In other words, values voters may not turn on the judge.
Here's are some other reasons why:
1. Alabama's voter ID law acts to suppress the votes of youth, elders and minorities. African-Americans in Alabama form 25% of the population, and they could ally with the white Democrats to forestall a Moore victory. But they are disproportionately disadvantaged by the ID laws.
2. Alabama is The least democratic state in the nation. It is 48th in accessibility of ballots.
3. Only 35% percent of Alabama voters see themselves as Democrats. If Republicans come out to vote, Judge Moore will prevail.
4. 86 percent of Alabama residents identify as Christian, and 49 percent are evangelical
5. 40% of white evangelical Christians supporting Moore say they do so out of party loyalty. While that is bad for Moore, that the party loyalty is holding is bad for his opponent.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.