Posted by Looking back on our Top Ten Primary Questions:
| #2. | Are Roy Moore and his group finished as a powerful influence in Alabama politics? |
Roy Moore and the Gang of Four did not do nearly so well as they hoped. Two years ago, Roy Moore was a rock star, there was talk of a run for president. Even less than a year ago, the Washington Post was talking about him as a potential nominee for U.S. Supreme Court and he was polling 10 points ahead of Riley.
But Tuesday night, neither he nor any of the Gang of Four judicial nominees had a close race among them in the Republican primary. Roy Moore received 33% of the vote against Governor Riley, and none of the Gang of Four received even 40% of the vote.
There is no shame in losing to Riley, a strong governor who has done some good things for the state. But there was a time when Roy Moore appeared to be an unstoppable political force. Is he finished as a powerful influence in Alabama politics?
His widespread acclaim has been, for the most part, as a one issue candidate, and for a period of time that issue was white hot. His “I’m a simple man following a simple faith” had a sincerity that appealed to many in Alabama where faith matters to most people. Some questioned that simple sincerity when we learned that his 5300 lb. granite Ten Commandments monument (etched with a notice that the monument was copyrighted by Roy Moore) was installed in the Supreme Court building in the dead of the night with a production crew videotaping the proceedings. That sounded a bit like someone spoiling for a fight. Still, he connected with many people of faith over the role of God and faith in our daily lives.
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Afterwards, Judge Moore toured, got the standing ovations, but in retrospect it was as if he was a musical one-hit wonder. People kept turning out to hear what he had to say, but all they really wanted to hear was about the one that made him famous.
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He played the last card he had on the issue of faith-over-all-other-matters when he resigned Alabama’s judicial ethics panel removed him as Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court rather than because he would not obey a federal court order to remove the monument. This was a demonstration that he was a man of great faith. This was not a demonstration that he was a great man of law. Afterwards, he toured, got the standing ovations, but in retrospect it was as if he was a musical one-hit wonder. People kept turning out to hear what he had to say, but all they really wanted to hear was about the one that made him famous.
Of course, some political figures DO manage strong comebacks. Richard Nixon comes to mind – finished in 1960, elected president eight years later. (An aside: will that be Al Gore’s trick?) Bill Clinton weathers impeachment, but then leaves office as one of the most popular presidents, with higher approval ratings than even Reagan had when he left. Winston Churchill was politically dead for a time before World War II.
I don’t see it for Roy Moore. Others who have managed political comebacks are, in my opinion, more politically well-rounded and more politically adept than I have seen Roy Moore to be. I think it’s unlikely that Roy Moore will ever again be as influential in Alabama politics as he once was.
Sure is quite a story though…
Update: If you want more reading, the Press-Register is looking at exactly this issue also.
Legislative Dispatch
Purple Dot Connection
2010 Big List
2010 Senate Elections
2010 House Elections
Press Releases
I’m guessing that you are joking, but in case you aren’t, Moore didn’t resign, he was removed from office
Yep, you are exactly right – though it strikes me that Moore was as willful in the outcome as he would have been if he had resigned. Unfortunately, my fingers were typing faster than my brain was working on that one. My only solace is that noteworthy others have gotten it wrong, too (for example, the Boston Globe here).
Thanks for setting us straight! I’ll fix the post.