DEMS/GOP/POLITICS: “A heated race for an Alabama U.S. Senate seat entered its final days with Democrat Doug Jones trying to mobilize voters, especially African-Americans, and front-runner Republican Roy Moore facing a fresh call from the state’s senior senator for GOP voters to avoid him on Tuesday [12-12-17].
The two men are competing in what has become the closest race for a federal office in the deeply red state in decades. Mr. Moore, an evangelical Christian former judge, was the clear favorite until his campaign was hit by allegations by several women that he sought dates with them when they were teenagers and he was in his 30s. Mr. Moore, now 70 years old, has denied the accusations.
President Donald Trump held a campaign rally in neighboring Pensacola, Fla., on Friday evening in which he called for Mr. Moore to be voted in to protect his and the GOP’s congressional agenda. But on Sunday, Alabama GOP Sen. Richard Shelby said on CNN he had already voted for another Republican: ‘I couldn’t vote for Roy Moore. The state of Alabama deserves better.’…
Mr. Jones had edged ahead of Mr. Moore in many public surveys right after Mr. Moore’s accusers began to come forward last month. But Mr. Moore appears to have regained ground and is now leading Mr. Jones by 3.8 points in the Real Clear Politics average of polls.”
-Joshua Jamerson, “Alabama Hears Final Pitch Ahead of Tuesday Vote for Senate Seat,” The Wall Street Journal online, Dec. 10, 2017 08:04pm