I apologize for the short diary, but want to make clear something which is obvious to me but seems to have escaped everyone else in the coverage of the Senate race.
The Republicans in Alabama and DC have a coordinated plan to save this seat and are executing it.
It is increasing clear that the accusations against Moore if not completely true in every particular, are symptomatic of a clear pattern of behavior which is unacceptible to the majority of voters in Alabama, let alone elsewhere in the country. Republicans outside of Alabama want and need to disavow Moore before more facts make them look like supporters of pedophilia.
It is equally clear that a substantial portion of the Alabama electorate will continue to support Moore as long as he denies the allegations and will be furious with Republicans if he is forced out of the race.
Lately an unusual term has emerged in discussions of what Republican voters should do in Alabama.
Binary.
“If this remains a binary choice I would vote for the Democrat over the Child molester"
It is binary because there are only two names on the ballot, and that is a loser for the Republicans.
A write in campaign for another Republican would provide a third choice for disaffected Republicans, but that is a sure loser as it splits the Republican vote.
Moore withdrawing is also a loser, because his supporters will never accept an alternative, even if the Republicans could get someone on the ballot.
DC strategists have found the only way out- keep Moore on the ballot and attack him from DC which will anger his supporters and drive them to the polls, but announce they will not seat him if he is elected. Rachel Maddow was all but daring Senate Republicans to go on record committing to that. I expect that is exactly what they will do.
They need to assure Republicans in Alabama that they can still vote Republican without voting for Moore, by voting for Moore. They are essentially adding a second Republican line to the ballot. R-not Moore.
That lets them score points for being actual human beings and a shot at uniting the AntiDem vote. After the election they can actually follow through or not depending on where they think the politics lie. Some will posture about morality, some will say they are disgusted but unwilling to overturn the voters who after all had a chance to consider the evidence and some will claim the whole thing was fake news.
The hardest part of pulling this off is getting the Republicans who won’t vote for Moore to buy the claim that they aren’t really. I’ve seen a few (not coincidentally) Republican woman voters essentially saying that Alabama will prove that they are not the child abusing rednecks that people think and the election will prove that. That is the challenge for Doug Jones and the Dems, to make sure that those swing voters are more comfortable with voting for Jones than even appearing to support Moore.
Don’t get confused by this apparent display of moral conscience by DC Republicans, it is simply the only strategy available to them and not some display of courage.
A vote for Moore is a vote for Moore and all he stands for. And anyone who tries to have it otherwise is just trying to justify the indefensible.