Roy Moore Shouldn’t Run; Let’s Not Make Him Think He Has To.

A few days ago, my fellow RedStater, Dana Pico wrote an interesting piece about the possibility of Judge Roy Moore would again attempt to win the Senate seat currently occupied by Democrat Doug Jones. Although his conclusion is fair, he gets there via such a path, that were I Judge Moore and had read his article, any doubts would become certainties, if only to clear my own good name.

Regarding the proximate cause of Moore’s defeat (emphasis mine) Pico writes,

The clincher was that Mr. Moore admitted to pursuing and dating teenaged girls when he was an attorney and in his thirties. Whether or not he actually sexually assaulted underaged girls no longer mattered; it was assumed by many — including myself, though I am not an Alabama voter — that the allegations were believable, even if not provable in a court of law.

“It was assumed that the allegations were believable…” Why? Was it perhaps because of the unending negative press coverage; coverage that was notably absent during the primaries, but suddenly became “all Moore, all the time” during the general election, when there became a very real possibility that a Democrat just might flip this crimson seat? Perhaps it was coverage that conveniently ignored all the holes in the accusers’ stories; coverage that ignored or downplayed outright lies and forgeries. Maybe it was Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell saying, “I believe the women.”

Perhaps it was commentary such as Pico’s below,

Sorry, but the fact that Mr. Moore admitted to dating teenaged girls when he was in his thirties reminds me of Roman Polanski’s famous statement:

But… f***ing, you see, and the young girls. Judges want to f*** young girls. Juries want to f*** young girls – everyone wants to f*** young girls!

Why, I would have to ask, wouldn’t we think that Mr. Moore wanted to f(ornicate) young girls when he has admitted dating young girls?

Well, whether Mr. Moore did anything illegal or not is pretty much beside the point: enough voters in the Heart of Dixie believed that he was a personal scumbag that Mr. Jones won the election.

Mr. Pico’s commentary unfairly overlays current cultural norms onto yesterday’s customs and mores and in so doing, attempts to turn a U.S. Military Academy graduate and combat veteran in search of a wife, into some child predating lecher. I would note that Judge Moore has been married to the same woman since 1985, over 30 years.

As for the “…Heart of Dixie believed that he was a personal scumbag…” That’s just flat wrong. Day in and day out negative reporting and failure to report exculpatory info, coupled with open hostility towards him by the Republican leadership, severely depressed the Republican turnout, while the leftists, Ahem! Democrats, smelling blood in the water, turned out in droves.

Finally, Mr. Pico blames Moore for the loss of the “safe seat.”

At any rate, the esteemed Mr. Moore took what should have been the safest Republican seat in the United States Senate and turned it into a Democratic one

Wrong. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stuck his nose into Alabama business. Mitch McConnell lost this seat. McConnell hated Mo Brooks (the most conservative Republican in the primary) and wanted Luther Strange, a fellow swamp denizen to fill that seat. Well Leader McConnell, we Alabamans don’t like it when Washington tries to tell us who to elect. You didn’t get the message when we chose Moore over your pick. You still haven’t gotten the message. You’re still blaming Moore for your mistake. We get it; You would rather have a Democrat fill that seat, than a conservative Republican.

Now to the most important point, whether or not Judge Moore should run again. Dana Pico opined that he should not. He was correct, but for the wrong reasons. He cited unproven and later debunked accusations of sexual impropriety by Judge Moore.

I agree with Mr. Pico that Judge Moore should not run again, but for a different reason. Judge Moore, unfairly and wrongly has become damaged goods. The minute he announces, there will be a minor, yes minor press attack, just sufficient to awaken all the old charges, but carefully calculated so as to not keep him from becoming the Republican nominee. This onslaught will be joined by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell who will of course want to place his own nominee on the ticket.

Should Judge Moore prevail in the primary, The leftists will then pull out all the stops. The cacophony will grow to epic proportions. Not wanting to get on the wrong side of the women’s vote, the Republican establishment will run for the hills. It’s a crap shoot as to whether the base will be demotivated enough to stay home.

How do we preclude this? For a start, recognize that Moore was railroaded. He needs to be convinced that we know he was the victim of a leftist coup and Republican perfidity. However, he also needs to take a page out of Governor Sarah Palin’s book. She knows she was harshly and unfairly treated. However, she has decided for the good of the party and the American People to avoid being a distraction or drag on any ticket. Instead, she uses her influence to help elect other conservatives. That’s the road Judge Moore should take. We certainly won’t convince him to take that road, by calling him a pervert—especially when we know or should know, he isn’t.

Mike Ford is a retired Infantry Officer who writes on Military, Foreign Affairs and occasionally dabbles in Political and Economic matters.

Follow him on Twitter: @MikeFor10394583

You can find his other Red State work here.