Roy Moore has a long and rich history of crazy quotes, and this is another nugget from the past that got little attention until recently. Moore was asked (by a black person) when America was last great, and his answer (at least as reported by a leftist rag) suggested that his answer was: those glorious days of slavery.

In response to a question from one of the only African Americans in the audience — who asked when Moore thought America was last “great” — Moore acknowledged the nation’s history of racial divisions, but said: “I think it was great at the time when families were united — even though we had slavery — they cared for one another…. Our families were strong, our country had a direction.”

At the same event, Moore referred to Native Americans and Asian Americans as “reds and yellows,” and earlier this year he suggested the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks were divine punishment.

I have a long and well-documented history of distrusting the Los Angeles Times, and this quote is a) truncated, b) not presented in full context, and c) unaccompanied by any video I could find. (If you can find video, let me know.) But on the other hand, Roy Moore also has a documented history of saying boneheaded things in a blatant attempt to appeal to small-minded bigots, which makes it more difficult to reject this as #FAKENEWS.

If you’re already a Moore supporter, you’ll say the L.A. Times made it up, or you’ll find a way to spin it. If you’re not, you’re likely just shaking your head at this. It is interesting, though, as a marker for how times have changed. As John Podhoretz notes:

For suggesting life was better during segregation and Jim Crow, Trent Lott was run out of the Senate. Now Roy Moore is saying life was better under SLAVERY.

— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) December 8, 2017

America — or at least the Republican party — is different in the era of Donald Trump. God bless the UnididStatesh.

UPDATE: On Twitter, Phil Kerpen notes that the L.A. Times has posted audio that is not necessarily consistent with the story. It cuts off the beginning of the question but does not reveal the questioner asking when America was “last” great. Moore starts his reply with something the paper claims is totally inaudible but which I can decipher most of, and it is Moore saying: “you asked me [inaudible] when was it ever great?” That is different from when it was “last” great. It would be nice if they posted the whole question.

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