Whatever his liabilities, Roy Moore won his primary decisively. He beat the guy both Trump and the establishment wanted. So he is “the people’s choice” and I respect the result of that election. In the very red state of Alabama, I’d expect him to win the general election. But then came the bombshell allegations of sexual misconduct with a 14 year old girl.

Smear Attacks are Not New

With the recent Harvey Weinstein disclosures, there’s heightened awareness to the horrors of sexual assault. So the timing of the Washington Post piece was perfect for inflicting political damage.

That’s why some of us were initially suspicious. After all, Moore has run in statewide elections before. This never came up until now — almost 40 years after the alleged events took place.

The Allegations are Serious — and Corroborated

One way to answer the “why now?” question is to recognize that the media scrutiny for a U.S. Senate race is far greater than for a typical Alabama race. We’re talking about a national media presence. There’s a big difference in the size, scope and budget for covering a Senate race.

Are the attacks politically motivated? The media outlets might be biased, but three of the five accusers are Republicans. The more important question is: Are these reports true? The Washington Post spoke to other people, including people who remember hearing that these ladies were “seeing an older man” at the time. None of these women know each other — yet their stories are strangely similar. That suggests a pattern in how Moore allegedly pursued teen women.

Still not convinced? A piece in a local Alabama paper goes one step further. It has on-the-record quotes from several people who were in the same town as Moore at the time that the alleged events took place. Moore, in his early 30s, had a reputation for hanging out in the mall and flirting with high school girls.

“These stories have been going around this town for 30 years,” said Blake Usry, who grew up in the area and lives in Gadsden. “Nobody could believe they hadn’t come out yet.”

Jason Nelms “recalled being told by a mall employee that they kept watch for an older guy who was known to pick up younger girls. Nelms said he was told later by a concession worker at the mall that it was Roy Moore.” A former employee at one of the shops in the mall recalls an off-duty police officer who told him to “watch out” for Moore, that “if you see him, let me know. I’ll take care of it.” A former waitress in a diner recalls that Moore would stare at the girls and flirt with them.

So there’s a clear pattern in what’s alleged. And from a variety of unrelated sources. It paints a picture.

Moore’s Response Has Been Terrible

When the story broke it made sense that many GOP leaders would want to give Moore a chance to tell his side of the story. Yet Moore’s response has made things worse.

At first, there was total denial. “Fake news.” “A political attack, maybe from the establishment.” Then Moore gave an interview to early supporter Sean Hannity — a reliably safe host. What happened? As Gregg Jarrett observed, Moore was caught in a contradiction. On whether he dated high school girls, Moore said, “If I did, I’m not going to dispute anything.” Later, “If I did, I don’t remember.” And then the third time — sensing Hannity’s disapproval of older men dating teens — “Absolutely not.” At this point, he’d essentially admitted to some of the allegations. Just not the truly scandalous one with 14 year old Leigh Corfman, the only one younger than the Alabama age of consent (16).

I get that older men dating teens was once more common than it is today. Note, however, that Moore’s contemporaries at the time, thought Moore was weird. Could it have been the frequency or intensity with which Moore pursued such girls? (The reason the mall cop was on the lookout for him.) Or the number of girls he considered? It’d have been one thing if Moore had taken a year to find and marry a nice 17 year old. But to be “playing the field,” to be regularly pursuing a wide variety of innocent/naive girls more susceptible to easy flattery than older women, to be known as a nuisance to the young ladies if not worse? That’s not an image that meshes well with a candidate known for conservative evangelical credentials.

His supporters haven’t helped, either. Some compared the Washington Post story to the Access Hollywood tapes where Trump boasted of sexual conquests. So is that an admission that Moore was a playboy, or a denial? Others pointed to the age gap between Joseph and Mary as justification for an older man pursuing a teen. Yes, but Joseph and Mary were betrothed, pure, and then married. “Dating” as we know it was not done. Joseph wasn’t playing the field.

Now there is a 5th accuser, Beverly Young Nelson. A woman who, if lying, is a terrific actress. Moore’s response? As with Leigh Corfman, “I don’t even know who she is.” Ah, but she has a sweet note from Moore in her yearbook. Below this note, Moore wrote “Olde Hickory House,” the name of the restaurant Moore now says he forgot. Moore’s wife has suggested perhaps the note is a forgery — that the restaurant didn’t even exist at the time. Really? The hand-writing is a pretty good match to Moore’s hand-writing. And the restaurant did exist in 1978.

As Senator Toomey said on Sunday, “The accusations have more credibility than the denial.”

Guilty or Not, Moore is Toxic

Even if you think Moore never molested anyone, he’s become toxic for the GOP brand. Yes, it’s bad if the AL Sen seat is lost. But it’s also bad for the GOP if Moore wins. Maybe worse. The Dems would tie the GOP to Moore and ride that association to victories in 2018, perhaps winning the House and the Senate. Yes, you need GOP senators to implement a conservative agenda. But the GOP needs to play the long game here. The fact that it’s a special election and that Alabama’s governor is a Republican gives them some options. It’s time for Roy Moore to withdraw.

 

Dr. Alex Chediak (Ph.D., U.C. Berkeley) is a professor and the author of Thriving at College (Tyndale House, 2011), a roadmap for how students can best navigate the challenges of their college years. His latest book is Beating the College Debt Trap. Learn more about him at www.alexchediak.com or follow him on Twitter (@chediak).