The Republican Party has no choice but to support Roy Moore for U.S. Senate in Alabama to keep the small majority it has. The whole purpose of a political party is to keep its members in the majority so it should come as no surprise that the GOP is supporting Moore. The accusations against Moore range from 30 to 40 years ago and Moore has won several elections since then. The voters of Alabama have many questions: Why are the allegations against Moore just now coming to the surface? Why won’t the accusers be more transparent with their evidence, such as in the case of the yearbook and the Moore campaign’s requests to have an independent handwriting expert confirm Moore’s handwriting.
The allegations against Moore are very troubling, to say the least, but we must let the will of the people of Alabama reign supreme. The Founding Fathers created a system in which the people of each state vet each candidate and send the person they think will most closely represent them to Washington. If the Founders wanted Washington telling the states whom to elect, the system would look completely different.
Let’s look at the Democrats and their actions over the last three weeks. First, they went into protection mode for Congressman John Conyers (D-Michigan) and Sen. Al Franken (D-Minnesota) and touted their records as politicians and “protectors of women.” Second, they saw an opportunity to preserve their party in a time that they have seen very few victories. The Democrats decided that if they cut loose a few elected members, then they have a higher ground to demand that Roy Moore step down as a candidate and the real target, which is another attempt to remove President Trump from office. Nothing that the Democrats have done gives them a higher moral ground, by demanding Conyers and Franken resign the Democrats give up nothing. Those are safe Democratic seats in Democratic states with Democratic governors who will pick Democratic replacements. They can be taken seriously when they demand one of their senators from a purple or more moderate state step down at the risk of losing a Democratic vote. The main voice behind the movement to demand those accused step down is Democratic New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who can be found hugging and following around President Bill Clinton throughout the 2016 election; that is irony.
The Republicans are in a great position with the Moore election. If Moore wins, then the seat stays Republican and, at that point, the president and the party leaders can force him to step down, allowing Alabama Republican Gov. Kay Ivey to appoint a more appealing and ethical Republican senator to fill the seat.
Lastly, these are still just accusations, are we at a point in history when we allow in many cases “nameless accusers” to destroy a person? Let us look back to the Duke University lacrosse team, whose members were accused of rape and their entire lives destroyed and then the accuser later admits the entire story was made up. We need to have a real dialogue in this country regarding sexual harassment and we need to do more to protect women and men from sexual predators, whether they are co-workers, bosses, professors, senators or family members.
If President Trump had not won the 2016 election, then this entire issue would never have been brought to light because of the negative optics it would have presented for a would-be President Hillary Clinton, with First Man Bill hanging around all the White House staff and interns and their main friend and contributor Harvey Weinstein. Just another example of President Trump Making America Great Again by exposing all of the illicit sexual harassment going on within the Democratic Party and Hollywood.
John W Schutt Jr. chairs the Humboldt County Republican Party. He lives in Eureka.
Have something you want to get off your chest? Think you can help guide and inform public discourse? Then the North Coast Journal wants to hear from you. Contact us at editor@northcoastjournal.com to pitch your column ideas.
Related Stories
This article appears in A Monumental Decision.
I had no idea there were these sort of people in our local political base.
Mr. Schmitt, Jr: history will look aghast at you and your kind with what youve allowed happen to our great Republic.
“Just another example of President Trump Making America Great Again by exposing all of the illicit sexual harassment going on within the Democratic Party and Hollywood.”
Good lord. The very BEST thing that you can say about Mr. Schutt is that he’s lying when he writes this. That he has so little regard for the readers of the Journal, he thinks he can get away with this obvious fantasy. The alternative is that he’s so entirely deluded, he actually believes this to be true. If you’re a Humboldt County Republican, please ask yourself if Mr. Schutt is the right person to be the local head of your party.
Partisanship ,power and
manipulation over everything. Mr Schutt you are a disgrace please do do this community a favor and leave asap.
Do you even hear yourself? Aside from the documented pedophilia, Moore recently said that the last time America was Great was when we had slaves.
Mr Schutt, I can’t make you feel shame if you have none.
Thats it? No choice? The purpose of a political party is to be in the majority?
Pretty weak thinking there. I thought the purpose of a political party was to facilitate the election of representatives with the same aims and ideals of a voters who belong to a particular party. Sounds like the aims and ideals of the Republican Party is power and nothing more. Aims?! Ideals?! Those be damned. Just let me be in charge!
After listening to Democracy Now this morning and the reporting on Roy Moore and his desire to revoke all the constitutional amendments after the first ten (which would take away a woman’s right to vote and bring back slavery), his VERY anti-gay ignorant comments, and his absolute prejudice against any religion other than his Christian God, I don’t think the GOP should be allowed in politics anymore. Even if you don’t believe the children who claim he sexually assaulted them, you can’t support a candidate who opposes the very fundamentals of the Constitution. By funding his campaign and endorsing this disgusting excuse for a human being, they have forfeited their right to any moral high ground for eternity and should be reclassified as a terrorist organization. You have no shame.
There were both factual and logical problems with the claims of women who accepted dates with Moore forty years ago. Both sides of this issue should be investigated. The generally accepted exception to the first amendment is that you can’t shout fire in a crowded theatre to stampede the patrons. Can you “shout lies” into the communication channel?
During the election cycle, it is accepted that contenders have wide latitude. But is there a limit?