The Daily 202: Whether Roy Moore wins or loses, there is no good outcome for Senate Republicans

[DonViejo]

By James Hohmann November 14 at 7:40 AM

THE BIG IDEA: Republicans face a lose-lose situation in the Alabama Senate race. If Roy Moore goes down next month, the GOP’s working majority becomes much more fragile. If he wins, Republicans would struggle to get rid of him, and his presence would cause countless headaches in 2018.

Trying to prod the Republican nominee to step aside, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday: “I believe the women.” Several prominent members joined him, and the chairman of the Senate GOP campaign arm, Cory Gardner, announced that Moore should be expelled if he wins the Dec. 12 special election “because he does not meet the ethical and moral requirements of the United States Senate.”

But Moore is not going away. He was defiant even after another woman came forward Monday to accuse him of sexual misconduct when she was a minor. The former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court — twice removed from office for refusing to comply with lawful judicial rulings — denies any wrongdoing, shows no contrition and is trying to turn the tables on McConnell:

Link to tweet

-- There continues to be much less appetite for a write-in campaign in Alabama than in Washington.

Sen. Luther Strange (R-Ala.), who lost to Moore in the primary despite President Trump’s endorsement, poured cold water last night on the idea that a write-in campaign could work. “Let the facts unfold,” the appointed senator told the Associated Press. “I think, right now, a write-in candidacy is highly unlikely.”

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2017/11/14/daily-202-whether-roy-moore-wins-or-loses-there-is-no-good-outcome-for-senate-republicans/5a0a00fe30fb045a2e002fe5

[kentuck]

1. Mitch McConnell has made a political decision that it is best that Moore withdraw.

He is not doing it for any moral purpose, in my opinion.

[David__77]

2. I have no idea why Moore would withdraw.

He could win just like Trump did. He could then either stay there or be “martyred” by the “establishment.” Surrendering would be counterintuitive to his ideology.