# Can the Democrats win the Alabama senate special election in December? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 13, 2017, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-democrats-win-the-alabama-senate-special-election-in-december/793504 "2017-08-13T00:49:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 39
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2017, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-democrats-win-the-alabama-senate-special-election-in-december/793504/761 "2017-11-16T14:44:02Z")
I’m okay with Strange resigning right now. Don’t talk them out of it! ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2017, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-democrats-win-the-alabama-senate-special-election-in-december/793504/762 "2017-11-16T15:04:41Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Heard one option the GOP is considering is to get Luther Strange to resign to trigger another special election, which would buy them some time and [hopefully] a shiny new candidate. > [@Jophiel](#): > > [Rick Hansen](http://electionlawblog.org/?p=96022) thinks this would violate the 17th Amendment > [@Tzigone](#): > > This is just mind-boggling to me, if true. The optics are terrible. And I think it would likely go to court. > [@17th Amendment](#): > > When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, That the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct. Vacant Senate seat (Jeff Sessions’ resignation to become AG) - check. Writs of election issued to fill that vacancy - check. Temporary appointment made - check. Now hypothetically: Temporary appointment (Strange) resigns. Seat is vacant again. ISTM that the 17th Amendment kicks in, once again empowering the Governor to make a temporary appointment to fill the seat until the already-scheduled election. But sure, let them test this. Resign, Luther, resign! Alabama legislature/governor, schedule a new election for sometime next year! The Dems go to Federal court, seeking an injunction to force Alabama to hold their election on December 12 as scheduled. The state of Alabama would oppose this, of course, and it would move to the Supreme Court all but overnight. I’m willing to bet that even the not-Garland Supreme Court would enjoin Alabama from postponing their election. And meanwhile, the Senate GOP caucus would be down one vote as they try to pass tax deform. (No tiebreaker vote for you, Mike Pence - two ‘no’ votes from Republicans would kill the bill outright.) ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2017, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-democrats-win-the-alabama-senate-special-election-in-december/793504/763 "2017-11-16T15:35:37Z")
The governor put the kibosh on that idea: > [@](#): > > But Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, in an interview with [AL.com](http://AL.com), just knocked down that idea. “The election date is set for Dec. 12,” Ivey said, adding that if Strange did resign, “I would simply appoint somebody to fill the remaining time until we have the election on Dec. 12.” ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2017, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-democrats-win-the-alabama-senate-special-election-in-december/793504/764 "2017-11-16T15:36:30Z")
Rats. 😉 ETA: Hey Luther, no objection here if you decide to resign now anyway. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2017, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-democrats-win-the-alabama-senate-special-election-in-december/793504/765 "2017-11-16T16:22:08Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > As soon as Moore’s approval rating drops into the teens, he’ll try to fuck it. He’s 50-50 to win, I’d guess. The fundamentalists will overlook anything to put homosexuals in their place. ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2017, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-democrats-win-the-alabama-senate-special-election-in-december/793504/766 "2017-11-16T21:04:23Z")
Did anyone just watch that… uh… pep rally(?) of evangelical pastors for Moore?? ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2017, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-democrats-win-the-alabama-senate-special-election-in-december/793504/767 "2017-11-16T22:56:48Z")
> [@MeanJoe](#): > > Did anyone just watch that… uh… pep rally(?) of evangelical pastors for Moore?? You did Joe. Why do you ask? ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2017, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-democrats-win-the-alabama-senate-special-election-in-december/793504/768 "2017-11-17T00:35:41Z")
> [@MeanJoe](#): > > Did anyone just watch that… uh… pep rally(?) of evangelical pastors for Moore?? I’ll bet Roy was bummed when he didn’t find any cheerleaders at this pep rally. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2017, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-democrats-win-the-alabama-senate-special-election-in-december/793504/769 "2017-11-17T00:42:02Z")
Harder! Faster! Moore! ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2017, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-democrats-win-the-alabama-senate-special-election-in-december/793504/770 "2017-11-17T10:59:37Z")
the only thing that matters now is having their party stay in power. 1000 women a day could show up and accuse him of rape and it would not matter to many of the voters. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2017, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-democrats-win-the-alabama-senate-special-election-in-december/793504/771 "2017-11-18T17:23:21Z")
Here’s another [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD3bGEFxGC0) about Alabama. The famous reply came in Sweet Home Alabama: “Hope Neil Young will remember, Southern man don’t need him around anyhow.” Now I wonder if that was a reaction to being criticized, or because they don’t like outsiders watching them molest/approve the molestation of teenagers. Does the situation strike anyone else as something akin to child sacrifice on the state level? We’re willing to let x number of children be damaged like this, in the service of political agenda Y. There are always trade-offs in politics, but geez. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2017, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-democrats-win-the-alabama-senate-special-election-in-december/793504/772 "2017-11-18T17:45:36Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > He’s 50-50 to win, I’d guess. The fundamentalists will overlook anything to put homosexuals in their place. I’ll play the other side here … The alleged events are all from decades past. Imagining myself a fundamentalist who sees the actions minimally skeevy, they represent what a person did decades ago and are not representative of who he is today and in this imagining who he is today is someone who will strongly fight for the positions I believe are most important for the good of this country. It is not quite the same thing as saying that he is currently a child molester. No, **Try2B** , this is not akin to child sacrifice. Even if in my imagining myself as a fundamentalist I believe there was major sin and damage done by this man decades ago, the sin and damage is done and is not undone by keeping him out of office. OTOH keeping him out of office, allowing a Democrat in, potentially allows, from my imagined fundamentalist POV, other sins and damage to occur impacting the country as a whole. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2017, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-democrats-win-the-alabama-senate-special-election-in-december/793504/773 "2017-11-18T20:20:30Z")
The results are in. In a narrow decision over Locomotiv GT’s [“She’s Just 14”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLteTMJXEjw) , Spinal Tap’s [“Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXHmWXPwol0) has been voted the official theme song of the thread, largely due to the following lyrics: _"You’re sweet but you’re just four feet And you still got your baby teeth You’re too young and I’m too well hung Tonight, I’m gonna rock you Yeah, tonight, I’m gonna rock you Tonight, oh yeah_ ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2017, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-democrats-win-the-alabama-senate-special-election-in-december/793504/774 "2017-11-18T20:49:38Z")
I found this hilarious: > [@](#): > > [**All hail Roy Moore at ‘pro-family’ rally, while accusations pile up**](https://www.yahoo.com/news/hail-roy-moore-pro-family-rally-accusations-pile-221116012.html) > > A “pro-family” rally in Birmingham, Ala., featured tributes to embattled Senate candidate Roy Moore by a parade of supporters… > > \ > > …Moore gave a brief address before the host invited questions on “issues” from the assembled press. > > The first question was if Moore had ever touched young women without their consent and if he dated teenagers when he was in his 30s. He walked off the stage without answering. Nobody knew that answering questions from the press would be so difficult! ---
**Author:** ![computergeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@computergeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/computergeek)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-democrats-win-the-alabama-senate-special-election-in-december/793504/775 "2017-11-19T15:55:47Z")
A recent article from a national publication (maybe the New Yorker but I can’t remember) about Moore and Alabamans probably electing him in spite of the allegations talked about the difference between this and last governor who was thrown out after it was revealed he had an affair and covered it up (with his chief of staff or someone). The publication mentioned that a Republican replaced the Governor so the voters were ok to dump the guy. With Moore, they don’t want a Democrat to get in because that guy is against all the things they are for (namely abortion it seems). Per the article, that doesn’t mean every Alabaman loves Moore, but many who are uncomfortable with the allegations would be willing to replace him, once he’s elected, with another Republican. So it seems to be party above country yet again with too many in the GOP these days ---
**Author:** ![computergeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@computergeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/computergeek)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-democrats-win-the-alabama-senate-special-election-in-december/793504/776 "2017-11-19T16:00:18Z")
Also, it bothers me that Moore is getting tarred with labels of child molestation and pedophilia when its teenagers that are being talked about. I wish people wouldn’t use these particular terms improperly, even with someone as vile as Moore And just to note, I think Moore was unfit to serve long before these latest sexual misconduct charges. He got thrown off the bench twice for defying upper courts, he thinks his Christian morality is above even the Constitution, he thinks homosexuality should be punishable by death and a Muslim should not be able to serve in Congress, and so many other rigid and extremist thinking. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-democrats-win-the-alabama-senate-special-election-in-december/793504/777 "2017-11-19T16:21:26Z")
> [@computergeek](#): > > And just to note, I think Moore was unfit to serve long before these latest sexual misconduct charges. He got thrown off the bench twice for defying upper courts, he thinks his Christian morality is above even the Constitution, he thinks homosexuality should be punishable by death and a Muslim should not be able to serve in Congress, and so many other rigid and extremist thinking. Yeah, he was out in left (right?) field long before these accusations. But, in the spirit of accuracy, did he actually call for the death penalty for “homosexuality”? ---
**Author:** ![computergeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@computergeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/computergeek)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-democrats-win-the-alabama-senate-special-election-in-december/793504/778 "2017-11-19T16:47:28Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Yeah, he was out in left (right?) field long before these accusations. > > But, in the spirit of accuracy, did he actually call for the death penalty for “homosexuality”? Sorry, my mistake, he repeatedly called for it to be made illegal after the 2003 Supreme Court decision in Lawrence vs Texas ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-democrats-win-the-alabama-senate-special-election-in-december/793504/779 "2017-11-19T17:06:48Z")
> [@computergeek](#): > > Sorry, my mistake, he repeatedly called for it to be made illegal after the 2003 Supreme Court decision in Lawrence vs Texas Emphasis added. I checked, and yep he certainly did. He equated it to bestiality. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an uncommon thought at the time, and probably still is among certain religious conservative types. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-democrats-win-the-alabama-senate-special-election-in-december/793504/780 "2017-11-19T17:42:07Z")
“I sat, haven’t seen old Throckmorton about the club these days.” “I daresay! Throckmorton’s been booted, something about being surprised in sexual congress with a sheep!” “A ram, or a ewe?” “Oh, a ewe, of course, nothing queer about Throckmorton!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-democrats-win-the-alabama-senate-special-election-in-december/793504.md?page=38) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-democrats-win-the-alabama-senate-special-election-in-december/793504.md?page=40)