According to the Guardian, the Republican National Committee reinstated its support for Roy Moore in the upcoming Alabama special election. The election, to replace Jeff Sessions after his appointment as Attorney General, was seen as a safe one, given that Alabama has consistently voted Republican.
Allegations against Moore
The election had recently been thrown into turmoil when the Washington Post published a November 9 story that detailed allegations that Moore had initiated a sexual encounter with a woman in the 1970s, when he was in his early 30s and she was 14.
Many speculated that this development would put Moore out of the race, and even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell gave a statement, saying, "I believe the women, yes" and calling for Moore to drop out. McConnell later scaled back to say that the voters of Alabama should "make the call" on whether or not to send Moore to the Senate.
After a tacit endorsement of Moore, President Trump doubled down and gave him a full endorsement, saying, "I think he's going to do very well. We don't want to have a liberal Democrat in Alabama, believe me," appearing to communicate that having a Democrat in that seat would be a greater concern than having an alleged child molester.
Reinstated RNC support
On December 4, Moore tweeted that President Trump had called him to say, "Go get 'em, Roy!"
"Go get 'em, Roy!" - President Trump
— Judge Roy Moore (@MooreSenate) December 4, 2017
Just got off the phone with President Trump who offered his full support and said he needs a fighter to help him in the US Senate.
I look forward to fighting alongside the President to #MAGA!
By contrast to the allegations of Moore's predation toward children, his opponent, Doug Jones, was a critical in the prosecution of KKK members responsible for the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church.
The bombing was a key moment in the Civil Rights Movement, and killed four African-American girls.
Moore has refused to drop out of the race, and it appears that his fortunes are turning around, with AL.com reporting a five to six point lead on Jones in the race. The president's support, as well as the funding of his party, can only be expected to strengthen that number.
Though some wonder how the back and forth of Moore's endorsements and the allegations have affected the race, the answer appears to be: very little. The poll concluded that the sexual misconduct allegations had not materially impacted the race. Moore's support within his party appears to be steady or rising.
This appears to be a function of Alabama voters sharing the belief of the president that having a Democrat in that Senate seat constitutes a greater danger than having Moore in it. The election is on December 12.
