6 Dead-Wrong Alabama Election Takes

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Wednesday morning, following the upset victory of Democrat Doug Jones in the Alabama special election for U.S. Senate, political pundits and Twitter election “experts” are professing to know everything about why Republican candidate Roy Moore lost. The election takes are hotter than the sun, and everyone has begun prognosticating what the election results mean for President Trump, Congress, and the country at large as we head into the 2018 midterm elections.

Some takes are insightful. Some inciting. And some are dead wrong. Don’t look for any single person to have a comprehensive understanding of what happened Tuesday night. But guard yourself against some preconceptions that were proven misguided and some election reactions and predictions that are missing the point.

Above all, don’t believe these:

1) A Democrat can’t win in Alabama

This is my mea culpa. Going into last night’s special election, I was supremely confident that the Republican candidate would win in deep red Alabama. I was wrong.

Democrat Jones defeated Roy Moore by more than 20,000 votes in an election that was close but not close enough to trigger a recount. Jones’ victory should remind us all that electoral politics in America is not static. Voters are autonomous, they are not to be taken for granted, and they will respond to the circumstances of the race. Every political campaign needs to earn voter support, and that begins with nominating candidates worthy of that support.

I was guilty of naïve thinking to assume that Roy Moore would win despite the allegations of gross sexual misconduct against him, just because he is a Republican in Alabama. It is likewise naïve to assume that Democrats cannot win elsewhere in red states or that there will never be another Republican politician elected statewide in places like California, for example.

2) McConnell deserves no blame for what happened in Alabama

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is hated in the state of Alabama. His interference in the Republican primary was seen as intrusive and contributed to support for Moore as an alternative to the McConnell-backed Luther Strange. The National Republican Senate Committee’s decision to pull its funding from Roy Moore after the unproven sexual misconduct allegations were made against him doubtlessly aided Doug Jones by depriving Moore of the resources to launch campaign ads. Conservatives will point to Mitch McConnell’s failure to go all in for Moore to explain why a Democrat was just elected in deep-red Alabama.

Yet apologists for Mitch McConnell insist that he had no other choice. Conservative columnist Jonah Goldberg pointed out that the NRSC always backs GOP incumbents, “period.” Absolving McConnell of responsibility in the Alabama election ignores how the NRSC’s decision to wage a scorched-earth smear campaign against Rep. Brooks while leaving Moore alone until the runoff opened a window for Moore to beat Luther Strange without intense scrutiny. Rep. Mo Brooks is a fine conservative. He would have made an excellent senator. But Brooks was defined as an anti-Trump candidate by McConnell-backed attack ads, and his lack of name recognition hurt him when pitted against Washington D.C.’s money.

Excusing McConnell also ignores how he has repeatedly opposed qualified conservative candidates like Marco Rubio, Mike Lee, Rand Paul, and Ted Cruz in Republican primaries in favor of liberal Republicans. To say that McConnell deserves no blame for what happened in Alabama is tone-deaf and will contribute to a status quo that most conservatives recognize is not working.

3) McConnell deserves all the blame for what happened in Alabama

Likewise, assigning sole blame for Roy Moore’s loss to Mitch McConnell is mistaken. Good candidates like Ted Cruz and others mentioned were able to overcome McConnell’s opposition and go on to defeat their Democratic opponents. Bad candidates like Christine O’Donnell or Todd Akin lost their races.

You cannot excuse the candidate when he loses an election. Roy Moore lost. That means he was a bad candidate and he ran a bad campaign. Whether or not the accusations made against Moore are true is irrelevant to his ability to defend himself from them and present the case for electing him to the U.S. Senate.

Moore’s inability to articulate a credible and believable defense when faced with accusations of sexual misconduct show how he could not make the case for his candidacy. That’s on him. Moore’s disappearance from the campaign trail in the final days of the election might have convinced 20,000 Alabamians that he had something to hide if he couldn’t face voters. That mistake is on him, not McConnell.

4) Issues trump character

Roy Moore’s defeat shows that character still matters in politics. If voters don’t trust a candidate, if they think a candidate is immoral, they won’t support him, no matter what his positions on the issues.

Despite his egregious, extreme position on abortion and other progressive issues, Doug Jones was able to beat Moore because he did not have any glaring character flaws. Roy Moore lost because enough Republicans believed he might be a sexual predator, and they stayed home while Democrats were mobilized to score a win against Republicans and stick it to President Trump.

How, then, did a flawed individual like Donald Trump manage to beat Hillary Clinton, if character matters? Simple, really. Hillary Clinton was a terrible, morally depraved candidate who was even more flawed than Trump. Be careful of assuming the 2020 election will be a piece of cake for the president.

5) Everything Trump touches dies

The “Roy Moore lost because of Donald Trump” take is moronic. This election was not a referendum on Donald Trump, who was not only not on the ballot but also endorsed Luther Strange in the primary.

As Steve Deace previously said, “Trump’s base is driving Trump — it’s not Trump driving his base.” Trump’s campaigning in the primary was ineffective, and there is no reason to suggest he had an impact on the general election either way.

Another crucial point: Those who want to blame Trump for Moore’s loss are the same people who have been relentlessly condemning Moore as a child molester and completely unfit for office. The “hot takes” really can’t have it both ways. If Moore’s alleged moral unfitness swayed voters who otherwise would have been all in for Moore, is it likely that Trump’s endorsement made that worse among those voters?

6) Trump could have pushed Roy Moore out of the race

Rich Lowry suggested this. Consider that being removed from the Alabama Supreme Court twice did not stop Roy Moore from running for U.S. Senate. Donald Trump’s endorsement of Luther Strange did not stop Moore from running for Senate. The bombshell Washington Post story alleging that Moore molested a 14-year-old girl did not drive Moore from the race for Senate. The calls from most Senate Republicans for Moore to step aside did not stop him from running for Senate.

Roy Moore was not going to stop running for U.S. Senate unless God Himself told him to, or he lost.

In the end, he lost. Alabama voters weighed the evidence against Moore and voted according to their consciences. That is all anyone could expect them to do. When Doug Jones is up for reelection in 2020, it will be the responsibility of Alabama conservatives to nominate an articulate, principled candidate with integrity to defeat him and reclaim the seat. (For more from the author of “6 Dead-Wrong Alabama Election Takes” please click HERE)

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The Truth About Racial Profiling Is That Everyone Does It, Especially Leftists

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My black brother who lives in Baltimore said something that has stuck with me. He said, “I am tired of having to show people (whites) that I am not like them (black thugs).” His comment was made to convince me that NFL players have valid reasons for protesting our country.

I told my brother it is not white America’s fault that blacks commit more crimes than any other race except whites. Blacks are only 13% of the population.

White Americans did not burden my brother with constantly having to show he is not a thug, blacks did. Like our dad, Dr. Rev. Lloyd E. Marcus, my brother is highly respected in his community; awarded for his service as commissioner of his county’s youth football league. However, my brother does dress urban style — the causal attire typical of inner city blacks. No, he does not wear his pants below his butt.

I am a black artisan; singer, songwriter, fine artist and writer. My signature black hat and attire reflect my artistic nature. Nine times out of 10, a white person would be correct in assuming I am a liberal democrat. I am a Christian, conservative, Republican activist. Seeing my artistic appearance and the fact that most blacks are democrats, it is reasonable for people to assume I am a liberal democrat. Therefore, it is silly for me to be offended when people read my visual message incorrectly . . .

Leftist news media and despicable race-baiting democrat politicians have made everyone hypersensitive regarding race. Leftists demand that we abandon common sense. (Read more from “The Truth About Racial Profiling Is That Everyone Does It, Especially Leftists” HERE)

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Daleiden, CMP Call for Recusal of Gag-Ordering Judge With Planned Parenthood Ties

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David Daleiden and the Center Medical Progress (CMP) announced a new motion Wednesday, asking the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to compel the recusal of Judge William Orrick from the lawsuit between Daleiden/CMP and Planned Parenthood and accusing Orrick of bias in favor of the abortion advocacy organization.

According to charges levied in the petition, Orrick has “an ongoing and longstanding professional relationship with one of the named Plaintiffs,” namely Planned Parenthood.

Specifically, the petition claims, Orrick is a founder and longtime officer of the Good Samaritan Family Resource Center (GSFRC), a San Francisco-based organization that provides services to local families and houses a Planned Parenthood facility within its complex. The Planned Parenthood was incorporated into GSFRC’s services while Orrick served as the organization’s secretary and counsel.

This conflict of interest is further exacerbated because Orrick’s image was used in inflammatory Facebook postings attacking CMP and defending Planned Parenthood which Orrick’s own wife “liked,” an action that CMP contends makes the post partially attributable to the liker.

The posts, one in 2015 and one in 2016, attacked CMP as “a sham organization run by extremists,” alleging that the published undercover videos of the sale of fetal tissue were “heavily edited,” and suggested that the whole endeavor amounted to domestic terrorism. (Read more from “Daleiden, CMP Call for Recusal of Gag-Ordering Judge With Planned Parenthood Ties” HERE)

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Bill Clinton, Accused Rapist, Celebrates Roy Moore Loss With a Message for Doug Jones

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After Democrat Doug Jones’ projected victory in the Alabama Senate special election, Bill and Hillary Clinton shared messages of congratulations to the elected senator.

“Congratulations, Doug Jones. You were a great US Attorney, and you ran a terrific campaign. You deserve this win. It’s a win for the people of Alabama,” the former president wrote.

“Tonight, Alabama voters elected a senator who’ll make them proud,” Hillary stated, “And if Democrats can win in Alabama, we can — and must — compete everywhere. Onward!”

Jones topped controversial Republican candidate Roy Moore in the Alabama Senate special election to fill the seat vacated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Moore faced multiple accusations of sexual assault but denied all wrongdoing leveled against him and refused to step down and make way for another Republican candidate.

The irony of the Clintons’ celebratory messages to Jones was not lost on the public:

“During the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Clinton figured out that if you have no shame and ignore calls to resign, you can survive any scandal,” Thiessen wrote.

As The Western Journal reported last week, The New York Times acknowledged the many accusations of sexual assault against former President Bill Clinton after the resignation of Sen. Al Franken.

Juanita Broaddrick, a former nursing home administrator, accused Clinton of rape in 1978. At the time, Clinton was the Attorney General of Arkansas.

The allegations by Clinton’s accusers have not been treated as legitimate reports by mainstream media until the recent #MeToo movement that’s allowed multiple victims to speak about their experiences with sexual assault.

“I think, in this situation, we’re actually advancing,” Broaddrick told Fox News. “I think people are starting to believe and realize that I was truly sexually assaulted by Bill Clinton.”

Kathleen Wiley, another Clinton accuser, is still upset that her fellow victims were not believed at the time they came out publicly with their experience, calling liberals and feminists “hypocrites.”

“They worship at the altar of all things Clinton,” she told The Times. “They’re all over Roy Moore, but they had nothing to say about Bill Clinton when he was accused of doing what he was accused of doing.” (For more from the author of “Bill Clinton, Accused Rapist, Celebrates Roy Moore Loss With a Message for Doug Jones” please click HERE)

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Bill Banning Down Syndrome Abortions Passes in Ohio, Heads to Kasich’s Desk

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The GOP-led Ohio state Senate on Wednesday passed a ban on abortions based on a diagnosis of Down syndrome, and Republican Gov. John Kasich has sent signals that he will soon sign the measure into law.

Lawmakers voted 20-12 in favor of the ban, which would prohibit doctors from performing an abortion if doctors know that it is being sought, “in whole or in part,” to avoid a Down syndrome pregnancy.

Doctors who violate the ban would lose their medical license and face a fourth-degree felony charge, including up to a $5,000 fine and 18 months in prison. Mothers would not be punished by the law.

Three Republicans voted against the measure, which was opposed by all of the state Senate’s Democratic lawmakers.

The bill has also divided the disability community in Ohio, with some disability advocates testifying against the proposal because, they said, it prioritizes Down syndrome over other disabilities. (Read more from “Bill Banning Down Syndrome Abortions Passes in Ohio, Heads to Kasich’s Desk” HERE)

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Drunken Off-Duty Firefighter Kills Pregnant 18-Year-Old, Unborn Baby in Crash

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An 18-year-old pregnant woman was killed early Wednesday in a crash caused by an off-duty firefighter suspected of driving drunk, the Dallas Morning News reported, citing police.

Alyssa Pimentel, who was 8 months pregnant, was driving with her boyfriend, Isaiah Perez, 21, through a suburb of Dallas. As she merged onto traffic, another car rear-ended her, ejecting the two passengers from the vehicle.

Pimentel died at the scene and the baby was reportedly delivered at a hospital. The baby only survived for less than an hour, reports said. Her boyfriend was taken to a hospital for non-life threatening injuries . . .

Horace Shaw III, 45, a Dallas firefighter who was reportedly driving fast and under the influence of alcohol, police allege, according to the report. Shaw was arrested and faces a charge of intoxication manslaughter. Investigators were told Shaw had been drinking at a bar prior to the crash, police said.

Shaw and his passenger, another male, were hospitalized with injuries not considered life-threatening, the report said. The other passenger has not been identified. (Read more from “Drunken Off-Duty Firefighter Kills Pregnant 18-Year-Old, Unborn Baby in Crash” HERE)

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Deputy AG Won’t Say Whether the FBI Paid for Dossier

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Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein refused to say on Wednesday whether the FBI paid for the infamous Trump dossier.

Rosenstein, who was grilled by the House Judiciary Committee, suggested that he knew the answer to the question, which was posed by Florida Rep. Ron DeSantis.

“Did the FBI pay for the dossier?” DeSantis asked.

“I’m not in a position to answer that question,” Rosenstein responded . . .

“I believe I know the answer, but the Intelligence Committee is the appropriate committee…” Rosenstein began. (Read more from “Deputy AG Won’t Say Whether the FBI Paid for Dossier” HERE)

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McCain Hospitalized for Side Effects of Cancer Treatment

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U.S. Sen. John McCain has been hospitalized at Walter Reed Medical Center where he’s being treated for “normal side effects of his ongoing cancer therapy,” according to a statement Wednesday from his office.

McCain, who missed votes on Monday and Tuesday, will return to work in the U.S. Senate “as soon as possible,” the statement said.

His hospitalization comes amid speculation about his future, and as the House of Representatives and Senate attempt to hold final votes next week on a $1.5 trillion tax-cut bill. The GOP is trying to maintain a fragile coalition, especially in the Senate, that could give President Donald Trump his first significant legislative achievement.

It was not immediately clear how long McCain would be hospitalized.

Since his cancer diagnosis, McCain has been healthy enough to attend the wedding of his daughter, Meghan, in Cornville last month and to receive the Liberty Medal from the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia in October. (Read more from “McCain Hospitalized for Side Effects of Cancer Treatment” HERE)

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Church Holds ‘Inclusive’ Birthday Party for Muhammad, Jesus

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The theological fur is flying after a Church of England congregation hosted a joint birthday celebration for Muhammad and Jesus, with the church being accused of rejecting the fundamentals of the Christian faith.

The “Milad, Advent and Christmas Celebration” took place Sunday, Dec. 3, at All Saints Church in Kingston upon Thames and was organized with the Kingston Inter-Faith Forum and the South London Inter-Faith Group.

Milad, or Milwad, is the celebration of Muhammad’s birth.

“Marking the birthday of Prophet Muhammad and looking forward to the birthday of Jesus,” the flyer for the event read. “With provision for prayer at Asr and Maghrib and followed by the cutting of the birthday cake and Rizwan’s ‘High Tea.’”

That drew the attention and ire of Adrian Hilton, publisher of Archbishop Cranmer, one of the U.K.’s most popular political and highest-ranking religion blogs. Thomas Cranmer, an early Protestant reformer burned at the stake in 1556, was responsible for the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. (Read more from “Church Holds ‘Inclusive’ Birthday Party for Muhammad, Jesus” HERE)

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GOP Lawmaker Commits Suicide After Sex Abuse Claims

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Kentucky State Rep. Dan Johnson, who was under investigation for alleged sexual molestation, died of a “probable suicide,” the Bullitt County coroner said.

Bullitt County Sheriff Donnie Tinnell said Johnson drove onto the bridge over the Salt River on Greenwell Ford Road in Mt. Washington, parked on the north side of it and shot himself in front of his car. His body was found on the bank of the river, just past the bridge.

Just before 5 p.m. Wednesday, Johnson posted the following message on his Facebook page:

The accusations from NPR are false GOD and only GOD knows the truth, nothing is the way they make it out to be. AMERICA will not survive this type of judge and jury fake news . Conservatives take a stand. I LOVE GOD and I LOVE MY WIFE, who is the best WIFE in the world,My Love Forever ! My Mom and Dad my FAMILY and all five of my kids and Nine grandchildren two in tummies and many more to come each of you or a total gift from GOD stay strong, REBECCA needs YOU . 9-11-2001 NYC/WTC, PTSD 24/7 16 years is a sickness that will take my life, I cannot handle it any longer. IT Has Won This Life . BUT HEAVEN IS MY HOME. “PLEASE LISTEN CLOSELY, Only Three things I ask of you to do,if you love me is (1)blame no person,Satan is the accuser, so blame the Devil himself. (2) Forgive and Love everyone especially yourself .(3)most importantly LOVE GOD. P.S. I LOVE MY FRIENDS YOU ARE FAMILY ! GOD LOVES ALL PEOPLE NO MATTER WHAT !

The coroner said police were alerted after someone saw that Facebook post by Johnson. Officers then pinged Johnson’s phone and found his body. (Read more from “GOP Lawmaker Commits Suicide After Sex Abuse Claims” HERE)

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