The Alabama Republican primary is coming to a head on Sept. 26, when incumbent Sen. Luther Strange and former judge Roy Moore will meet in a heated run-off for the state’s vacant Senate seat. Polls show that it could be anybody’s race.
Over the past few months, the special election in Alabama has showcased the growing divide in the Republican Party between “outsiders” and “the establishment.” Why the quotation marks around those terms? Because it has become increasingly unclear exactly what they mean to candidates and voters in the Alabama race.
Strange is stigmatized as “the establishment” candidate. This reputation stems from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s support for Strange. McConnell’s super PAC has poured nearly $10 million into Strange’s campaign.
Despite being deemed a moderate as a result of McConnell’s support, Strange has a solid conservative record, and many Republicans believe he would be a dependable conservative vote in the Senate. This seems to be the view of President Trump—he endorsed Strange last month and recently tweeted, “I am supporting ‘Big’ Luther Strange because he was so loyal & helpful to me!” Trump will hold a rally for Strange in Huntsville, Ala., on Friday.
Many of Trump’s supporters in Alabama, however, side with Moore. Though campaign analysts believed that Trump’s endorsement would be enough to send Strange to the top of the polls, it doesn’t seem to have been enough. Strange trails Moore by 9 percentage points, on average. These voters are loyal to Trump, but feel that the mainstream politician is being forced on them, and that Strange doesn’t line up with Trump’s “drain the swamp” agenda.
Moore is the “outsider” candidate, and the more obviously “Trumpian” choice, despite the president’s endorsement of Strange.
Notable Trump supporters such as Steve Bannon and Sarah Palin have touted Moore as the man for the job (Palin participated at a rally for Moore in Montgomery on Thursday). Moore is no doubt a political shaker-upper. Those who know him personally contend that it won’t matter if Moore is 1 against 99 in the Senate — he will hold his ground and fight for what he believes.
On its face, this sounds like a positive quality in a senator. Voters want someone who will not compromise the platform they voted for. However, this type of attitude does not get policies passed through Congress, and that’s exactly what worries Republicans about a Moore victory.
Some Republicans are also concerned that a Moore candidacy could increase the chances of Democratic victory in the starkly red state. In 2012, the GOP ran Todd Akin in Missouri, who had a similar style and passion for putting his foot in his mouth. The GOP lost an easily winnable Senate seat because of Akin’s “legitimate rape” comment.
If you work with victims of domestic abuse, this type of statement is 100 percent unacceptable. But in 2002, regarding the LGTB community in a family law dispute, Moore said “homosexuality” was considered ”abhorrent, immoral, detestable, a crime against nature and a violation of the laws of nature and of nature’s God.”
Moore is perhaps one of the most disruptive candidates in the last 10 years. He was removed from office not once, but twice, as chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Moore appeals to Alabama voters because of his strong social conservative values. He believes that God’s will needs to come back into government, and that by steering the government away from Christian values politicians are wrongfully putting themselves before God.
Though most Republicans across the spectrum value faith and morality, Moore takes it to another level. Some of his views are highly controversial. For example, in 2005, Moore said that homosexual conduct should be illegal. Regardless of whether or not you think gay marriage should be legal, the idea that consenting adult behavior is something that gets a person thrown in jail is a bridge too far.
Strange is the favorite of “the establishment” not because he is a political puppet, but because many Republicans believe he can help them enact real change in Washington. This greater goal of the Republican Party explains why Trump and McConnell have both endorsed Strange. Though the president and the Senate majority leader have had their differences, they both want positive conservative policies to pass through Congress without conflict.
Moore is an “outsider,” but it’s unclear that this would be an advantage for the Republican Party as a whole in the Senate. Moore is admirable for sticking by his beliefs, but it may take more than that to take on the Democrats and improve the country through concrete policy.
With Trump behind Strange but Trump’s voters behind Moore, it’s anybody’s guess what will happen in Alabama on Tuesday.
Full disclosure: I support Strange. Moore is an intelligent and kind man, but he just isn’t qualified to be our senator. If he is elected, it’s going to hurt the people of our state who need someone who will focus on jobs and growth.
Christopher Reid is general practice attorney in Birmingham, Ala. He has worked for Republican leadership in the United State House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. He currently co-hosts a conservative radio show for Yellowhammer News, which is heard throughout the state of Alabama.
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