There’s a saying in Southern politics I’m sure you’ve heard before. It goes something like, “the only thing worse than getting caught with a dead girl is a live boy.” RoThough kinda tasteless, it’s funny because it’s true.
Alabama just may show us how true it is because, between the choice of Not A Republican and Pedophile, Republican voters have to think it over.
Senator John McCain is the only elected Republican I have heard so far stand up for what is right. He said Roy Moore should step down as a candidate for the Alabama Senate seat after accusations were revealed by The Washington Post that he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old minor, and dated other under-age girls, ages ranging from 16-18 while he was in his early 30s.
Other Republicans have said he should step down IF the accusations prove to be true. Donald Trump, who is on tape boasting about sexually assaulting women and who didn’t need anything more than an accusation to determine Harvey Weinstein is guilty of sexual assault, joined his colleagues in the “IF” department. A statement from the White House said, “we cannot allow a mere allegation, in this case one from many years ago, to destroy a person’s life.”
The four women, who don’t know each other, have gone on the record with their claims backed by 30 sources. Yet, Moore is refusing to step down and blamed the Democratic Party, The Post, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama.
Moore is an insane person (being gay should be illegal, Muslims can’t serve in Congress, birther, etc.) that mainstream Republicans don’t even like, which means Ted Cruz loves him. But, they’d still rather be associated in the Senate with a pedophile than a Democrat.
As allegations of impropriety, assault, and even rape emerge, the outrage people express often depends upon their politics. Many will demand justice for one perpetrator while remaining silent about another. It’s a disgusting place we’ve come to when we allow our partisanship not just to make us liars, but also terrible human beings.
Breitbart, an inviting outlet for horrible and revolting people, is defending Moore. He has other defenders within the Republican Party. John Skipper, a former chair of the Mobile County Republican Party, declared the allegations “total contrived media garbage.” Jim Zeigler, the state auditor said, “single man, early 30s, never been married, dating teenage girls,” as if it wasn’t a big deal. Zeigler also said, “take Joseph and Mary. Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became parents of Jesus.” Not only will some Republicans stick up for pedophiles, they’ll use their religion to defend them.
Steve Bannon, former campaign manager and senior adviser to Trump and head of Breitbart is a staunch supporter of Moore’s. Steven Law, the head of a McConnell-aligned “super PAC” excoriated Breitbart for “defending ‘consensual’ sex between a 32-year-old and a 16-year-old.”
A former aide to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Josh Holmes said, “This is what happens when you let reckless, incompetent idiots like Steve Bannon go out and recruit candidates who have absolutely no business running for the U.S. Senate.”
It shouldn’t be difficult to disagree with Mr. Holmes, no matter which political side you’re on. Pedophilia may be the most horrible thing a person can inflict upon another. Child abuse should never be tolerated. But, this is what many Republicans have reduced themselves to, defending pedophiles.
What’s next? A statue of Dennis Hastert?
The actions of Republicans and evangelicals are never as strong as their words. While demanding wholesome candidates with family values, they strongly support the likes of Donald Trump, who brags about assaulting women and barging in on teenage girls while they’re changing into swimwear. Alabama, a state where Trump is actually still popular, went big for the guy in 2016.
Last Tuesday, the women’s march turned out candidates who sent several Republican incumbent males packing in Virginia. Even gerrymandering couldn’t save those guys. I know Alabama isn’t as enlightened or as progressive as Virginia, but hopefully, women in that state won’t send a guy to the United States Senate that they wouldn’t want around their teenage daughters. Personally, I wouldn’t let the guy dog sit.
Alabama votes in 30 days for their new Senator. I hope they’ll do the right thing and elect Doug Jones, a man whose involvement with underage girls is prosecuting the Ku Klux Klan for killing four of them.
On one hand, you have a man who put away murdering racists. On the other hand, you have a guy who groped and dated underage teenage girls.
Don’t tell me you have to think about it.
Creative note: I drew this same escalator scene last year on October 26. I didn’t look at it until I was done drawing this one. I thought I was changing the angle a bit, but nope. They’re pretty much the same.
I had another idea on this subject but I felt this was funnier. Then, I received a visitor at 4:00 AM who told me I picked the right cartoon.
I had a girl visit me in my bedroom at 4:00 AM bringing batteries. Sounds dirty, right? Yeah, go me. Actually, she was coming over to see her boyfriend who is not me, and she brought me batteries for my new wireless mouse…which is awesome. It’s my first wireless mouse. I’m turning into an old guy who can be slow with techie stuff.
Hell, I’m so old I remember when defending the United States from Russians was a part of the Republican platform.
Email Clay Jones at [email protected]