Moore’s Win Wasn’t About Trump
Controversial former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore took a major step Tuesday in writing the next chapter of his political life. Moore defeated Senator Luther Strange in a Republican runoff for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Moore will now face Democrat Doug Jones in a general election December 12th. For analysis on the results we hear from David Mowery, an independent political consultant in Montgomery.
Interview highlights
On the national narrative that Moore’s win is a rebuke of President Donald Trump because of his endorsement of Luther Strange:
“That’s the easy narrative. Most of the time people learn the wrong lessons from elections and in this case I don’t think that’s correct at all. I think it has a lot more to do with dynamics on the ground. Having a former chief justice that is very strong with the hard right and that’s a good portion of the electorate, especially in a Republican primary in our state, and having a flawed, appointed candidate in Luther Strange … I think the election was decided outside of Trump or Bannon or Palin or anybody really.”
On the shape of the general election for Senate:
“I think it really depends on how much money the national Democrats can pump in and how much money the national Republicans can pump in. Roy Moore is right at 50-50 with the general election electorate usually. But this is a different dynamic because this is a special [election]. You don’t have anything else driving turnout to get Democrats or Republicans to the polls. So it’s almost like anything can happen.”
On Democrat Doug Jones’ chances in the race:
“I think that they’re not great. But I think that this may be the perfect storm … If the Senate Leadership Fund or the Trump people or whatever want to link him to national Democratic figures and really kind of go in on some of the cases that he’s been involved in and things like that, I think that he could have trouble. On the other hand, Roy Moore is a flawed candidate, not great fundraiser … Doug has a chance, but it’s a slim chance.”
Pentagon says it’s cutting ties with ‘woke’ Harvard, ending military training
Amid an ongoing standoff between Harvard and the White House, the Defense Department said it plans to cut ties with the Ivy League — ending military training, fellowships and certificate programs.
‘Washington Post’ CEO resigns after going AWOL during massive job cuts
Washington Post chief executive and publisher Will Lewis has resigned just days after the newspaper announced massive layoffs.
In this Icelandic drama, a couple quietly drifts apart
Icelandic director Hlynur Pálmason weaves scenes of quiet domestic life against the backdrop of an arresting landscape in his newest film.
After the Fall: How Olympic figure skaters soar after stumbling on the ice
Olympic figure skating is often seems to take athletes to the very edge of perfection, but even the greatest stumble and fall. How do they pull themselves together again on the biggest world stage? Toughness, poise and practice.
They’re cured of leprosy. Why do they still live in leprosy colonies?
Leprosy is one of the least contagious diseases around — and perhaps one of the most misunderstood. The colonies are relics of a not-too-distant past when those diagnosed with leprosy were exiled.
This season, ‘The Pitt’ is about what doesn’t happen in one day
The first season of The Pitt was about acute problems. The second is about chronic ones.
