… Mr. Moore was never widely popular in Alabama, even among Republicans; his zealous fan base has been just enough in some past elections, and in others — his two poor showings in Republican primaries for governor — it has been far short of enough. The aversion to Mr. Moore has only grown more pronounced with the outbreak of sexual misconduct allegations, including one that he molested a 14-year-old girl — allegations that Mr. Moore denies.
But distaste for Mr. Moore, while it may lead people to write in other names or just stay home, is for many still not a good enough reason to vote for a Democrat. And here in Alabama, one of the most inflexibly partisan states in the country, where genuine swing voters are few and politics is approached with the same kind of unshakable team loyalty as college football, this is the central problem with Mr. Jones. CONT.
Alan Blinder, Campbell Robertson & Jess Bidgood, New York Times