The GOP Take: Why Roy Moore Lost His Senate Bid

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2017/11/gettyimages-853870026-1558b510f18f8ec925659730629764c12410ac3d-scaled.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:6:{s:5:"width";i:2560;s:6:"height";i:1920;s:4:"file";s:81:"2017/11/gettyimages-853870026-1558b510f18f8ec925659730629764c12410ac3d-scaled.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:14:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:74:"gettyimages-853870026-1558b510f18f8ec925659730629764c12410ac3d-336x252.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:252;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:74:"gettyimages-853870026-1558b510f18f8ec925659730629764c12410ac3d-771x578.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:578;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:74:"gettyimages-853870026-1558b510f18f8ec925659730629764c12410ac3d-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:74:"gettyimages-853870026-1558b510f18f8ec925659730629764c12410ac3d-768x576.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:576;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"1536x1536";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:76:"gettyimages-853870026-1558b510f18f8ec925659730629764c12410ac3d-1536x1152.jpg";s:5:"width";i:1536;s:6:"height";i:1152;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"2048x2048";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:76:"gettyimages-853870026-1558b510f18f8ec925659730629764c12410ac3d-2048x1536.jpg";s:5:"width";i:2048;s:6:"height";i:1536;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:72:"gettyimages-853870026-1558b510f18f8ec925659730629764c12410ac3d-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:74:"gettyimages-853870026-1558b510f18f8ec925659730629764c12410ac3d-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:74:"gettyimages-853870026-1558b510f18f8ec925659730629764c12410ac3d-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:74:"gettyimages-853870026-1558b510f18f8ec925659730629764c12410ac3d-415x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:415;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:74:"gettyimages-853870026-1558b510f18f8ec925659730629764c12410ac3d-353x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:353;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:74:"gettyimages-853870026-1558b510f18f8ec925659730629764c12410ac3d-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:74:"gettyimages-853870026-1558b510f18f8ec925659730629764c12410ac3d-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:74:"gettyimages-853870026-1558b510f18f8ec925659730629764c12410ac3d-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:11:"Scott Olson";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:121:"U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore faces allegations that he acted inappropriately toward a 14-year-old girl when he was 3";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:21:"gettyimages-853870026";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:1:{i:0;s:63:"campaign, conservative, politician, politics|storyid=563729047|";}}s:14:"original_image";s:66:"gettyimages-853870026-1558b510f18f8ec925659730629764c12410ac3d.jpg";}
        )

)
1662741970 
1513161834

Republicans across Alabama woke up in a state of shock Wednesday morning over Democrat Doug Jones’ stunning defeat of GOP candidate Roy Moore. A strong 40 percent turnout – much higher than state projections – was key to Jones’ victory, Republican strategist Jeff Vreeland said.

Jones also won solid support in urban areas and saw much support from African-American voters helped him beat Moore by 1.5 percentage points.

But as of Wednesday morning, Moore didn’t concede defeat. That’s not surprising to Republican strategist Jeff Vreeland. Nor is the idea that the 70-year-old Moore would stay politically active “I wouldn’t never count Roy Moore out of running for any office just because that’s who Roy Moore is,” he said. But running on the Alabama GOP ticket might be tough, Vreeland says, because Moore’s burned a lot of bridges.

Moore ran for governor twice and lost, and he was removed twice from the Alabama Supreme Court for refusing to comply with federal court rulings – first on removing a Ten Commandments monument form the Alabama Judicial Building and again for refusing to acknowledge same-sex marriage.

Moore’s volatility has long rubbed some Alabama Republicans the wrong way, Vreeland says. “But Republican politics is Republican politics in Alabama and people wanted a Republican in this office, and they’re waking up to a U.S. Senator who is part of the Democratic party.”

Vreeland says many Republicans sat out the election and thousands wrote in a candidate of their choice rather than cast a vote for Jones, a Democrat.

The tipping point for many Republicans centered on allegations of sexual misconduct Moore faced in recent weeks. Several women beginning last month said Moore had either sexually harassed or assaulted them. The incidents mostly involved teenage girls when Moore was in his 30’s.

“I think there’s a lot of relief in general for America, just not having to deal with another allegation in the United States Senate,” he said.

Secretary of State John Merrill said military ballots will be counted over the next week, and write-in ballots will be reviewed. He said he would certify the final vote tally between Dec. 26 and Jan. 3.

 

BLS revision shows hiring was overstated by 911,000 jobs in past year

The U.S. likely added 900,000 fewer jobs in the 12 months ending in March than had been reported, according to a preliminary Labor Department report.

Israel says it carried out a strike on Hamas’ main political office in Qatar

The Israeli military says it has carried out an airstrike on Hamas political headquarters in Qatar. Television footage from Doha showed a huge cloud of gray smoke rising over the area of Doha where the bombing took place.

New books out today: A Dan Brown thriller, John Prine bio, and World Wide Web memoir

New books this week include Secret of Secrets — the sixth installment of The Da Vinci Code saga, plus a tech memoir from Tim Berners-Lee and a career-spanning anthology from Terry McMillan.

‘We just want to get to the truth’: Jabari Peoples’ family still seeking answers

Eighteen-year-old Jabari Peoples was shot and killed by a Homewood police officer earlier this year. His family is still reeling from the loss and maintain their disagreement with police’s account of the incident.

Here’s what happens when private equity buys homes in your neighborhood

What makes rents go down and neighborhood diversity go up? Corporate landlords. But they also make it harder to own for yourself.

Trump’s Medicaid cuts will hurt children’s hospitals

The GOP said its overhaul of Medicaid was aimed at reducing fraud and getting more adult beneficiaries to work. Among the likely side effects: fewer services and doctors for treating sick children.

More Front Page Coverage