On Thursday, Leigh Corfman told the Washington Post that Senate candidate Roy Moore had an inappropriate sexual encounter with Corfman when she was 14-years-old. At the time of this event, Moore was 32. Corfman went on to say the Alabama candidate had taken off their clothes and touched her “over her bra and underpants”. He then “guided her hand to touch him over his underwear.” Alongside Corfman’s announcement, three other women came out to say they also had similar situations with Moore. This happened while they were between the ages of 16 and 18.
In the wake of these accusations, the GOP has been scrambling to decide how to deal with the Moore crisis. According to NBC, as of this morning, 13 Republicans have spoken out against Moore’s actions and called for him to drop out of the race. People on this list include Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Mitch McConnell, John McCain, Cory Gardner, Orrin Hatch, and Mike Lee. While the list of denouncers hopefully grows in the coming days, many Republicans are standing by Moore—some even accuse the left of using Corfman’s accusations as a ploy to get their Democratic candidate in office.
Since the story broke, Moore has repeatedly denied the claims laid against him, and many fellow-Alabamians have come to his defense. The most outlandish justification yet was from Alabama auditor Jim Ziegler who defended Moore’s actions. In an interview with the Washington Examiner, Ziegler invoked the Bible and said, “take Joseph and Mary. Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became parents of Jesus.” He followed up his absurd statement with, “There’s just nothing immoral or illegal here.” Just think about this for a second. I mean, really think about what he is saying.
But other Republicans have had more partisan responses. In an interview with Daniel Dale (@ddale8), Alabama Marion County GOP Chair David Hall said, amongst other things, that he would vote for Moore because he “wouldn’t want to vote for Doug”, the Democratic candidate running against Moore. In the same interview, Covington Country GOP Chairman William Blocker said he would vote for Moore even if Leigh Corfman’s accusations were proven true. He said, “There is NO option to support Doug Jones, the Democratic nominee. When you do that, you are supporting the entire Democratic party.”
There seems to be a common theme in the minds of GOP representatives: an aversion against the Democratic party, no matter the cost. The tribalism of the American politics (and this is on both parties) has risen to a new high. It has come to the point that people, in this case, would rather support a pedophile than vote for someone in the opposite party. How politically blind to we have to be to realize that sexual assault is not a partisan issue? The reactions of sexual assault, rape, or any other morally erroneous action, should not differ based on a political spectrum.
Let’s get something straight. Sexual assault is sexual assault. It is not an issue for either the Democratic or Republican parties to solve on a partisan basis or to use as a means to further a political agenda. Sexual assault needs to be condemned by all people, despite whatever party they support.
Roy Moore is accused of sexual assault, and there HAS to be repercussion for his actions. It does not matter that he is a Republican. It does not matter that if he drops out, a Democrat might win. It does not matter that he “only kissed” Corfman, or that it happened 40 years ago. People of all parties need to stand together in the face of such heinous actions and call it for what it is.
A sexual aggressor and pedophile is running for Congress. If the Republican party condones Moore’s actions by party bias alone, then America, its political system, and the values we stand for are doomed.