If you haven’t been keeping up with the Roy Moore v. Doug Jones special election, we don’t blame you. A lot has happened and it’s difficult to stay up to date on an election that’s filled with this much controversy (especially if you aren’t an Alabama voter yourself.)
While President Donald Trump has formally endorsed Moore, the Republican candidate also started drawing the wrong kind of press after he was accused of sexual assault and pedophilia. Nevertheless, Tuesday (Dec 12) is the day that Alabama voters are flocking to polls to vote in a special Senate election between Moore, a Republican, and Democratic candidate Doug Jones (known for his famous prosecution of Klan members and at least one cringe-y ad).
As the citizens of Alabama are getting ready to vote on who will fill this Senate seat, you’d think this special election debacle would die down a bit, but you’d be wrong. Here’s what you’d missed regarding the last 24-hours of the Moore versus Jones race:
Roy Moore’s wife claims that he can’t be racist, because she has black and Jewish friends
During Moore’s final stint in his campaign, his wife Kayla Moore made a final attempt to prove that her husband somehow isn’t racist or anti-Semitic.
According to New York Magazine, Kayla said, “Fake news would also have you think that my husband doesn’t support the black community. Yet my husband appointed the very first black marshal to the Alabama Supreme Court, Mr. Willie James. When we first took office as chief justice many years ago, he brought with him three people from Etowah County; two were black, and one of them is here tonight. We have many friends that are black, and we also fellowship with them in church and in our home.”
Kayla Moore, wife of Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, accuses media of painting couple as anti-Semitic. pic.twitter.com/Vcczj6pNPv
— NBC News (@NBCNews) December 12, 2017
NBC News adds that she ended her speech by declaring that “one of our attorneys is a Jew.” (Which is an obviously offensive way to start off Hanukah 2017.)
Kayla’s attempt to prove that the Republican candidate isn’t racist follows Roy Moore’s statement that the US was better off during slavery and that the constitution should cut all amendments after the 10th.
A new voter law in Alabama could prohibit certain citizens from voting in this election
The New York Times explains that Alabama passed a photo ID law back in 2011, which could make it nearly impossible for certain people to vote. Despite the fact that The Times elaborates that voter fraud rarely ever happens.
While most people have a photo ID, The Times reports that many citizens simply can’t afford to get an official ID or afford to travel to get an ID. Because this relatively new law targets low-income households and black voters, not every Alabama citizen will be able to execute their right to vote.
Moore Reportedly visited child brothels in Vietnam (but apparently left immediately)
During the same final campaign rally where Moore’s wife “eloquently” explained how her husband isn’t a bigot or racist, an old friend also attempted to defend the pedophilia accusations against Moore with a questionable story of his own.
The Huffington Post reports that Bill Staehle revealed that he and Moore somehow “accidently” ended up in a child brothel in Vietnam, but Moore was the one to suggest that they leave.
Roy Moore & his friends “accidentally went into a brothel with child prostitutes” then left? So Moore & his friends abandoned these children ensuring their continued exploitation rather than taking steps to rescue them? Repugnant. https://t.co/jjx3coHZCw
— nadinevanderVelde (@nadinevdVelde) December 12, 2017
Staehle, who served in the military alongside Moore, initially revealed to Yellow Hammer that Moore turned down a child “whorehouse” when they were in the army. (It’s notably never okay to refer to children forced into sex work as “child prostitutes” considering they are victims of sex abuse and are unable to consent to that kind of work.)
Even if Roy Moore somehow gets elected, a Politico poll explains that 61 percent of people still believe that Moore should be removed from office.
Nevertheless, the citizens of Alabama have until eight tonight to cast their special election votes. Either way, the results will be extremely telling about the current political climate.