In a narrow upset, Democrat Doug Jones won the Alabama Senate seat this week in a special election. Democrats were thrilled with the victory, hoping this is the first of many on the way to flipping the Senate and House in the 2018 Midterms. While Republicans, including President Trump, were quick to place blame on Alabama Republican opponent Roy Moore, who was embroiled in a sexual misconduct controversy. Senate leader Mitch McConnell plans to seat Jones in the new year, though calls have been made from his colleagues on the Left to seat him sooner so he can participate in the upcoming tax vote.
Other news from AllSides:
- The TED Talk given by AllSides CEO John Gable and Living Room Conversations' Founder Joan Blades went live this week. Learn how you can break out of your filter bubbles.
- Check out some other big stories this week: FCC Votes to Overturn Net Neutrality Regulations, Senate and House GOP Reach Tax Deal and Alabama GOP Will Not Seek Recount.
Snippets from the Right
Newt Gingrich, Fox News
"In both Alabama and Virginia, the Democrats were energized and turned out. Meanwhile, Republicans are divided: Alabama was a GOP civil war; many Republicans are unhappy with their leaders in Washington; and independents are being alienated by both President Trump and congressional Republicans.
As a first step back from the edge of disaster, Republicans must pass tax cuts by the end of this year and continue economic growth. However, it is increasingly clear that vastly more must be done.
Republicans need to spend January developing a new strategy capable of changing current patterns and maximizing their chances to keep the House. They also must increase their Senate majority by five or six, so it will be strong enough to keep the majority in 2020, when the playing field will favor Democrats."
Snippets from the Center
USA Today
"They should not look at their Alabama success and plan for a House majority next November. They should not assume that their senators running in red states will float to re-election on an anti-Trump blue tide. And they should not count on pickup wins in Nevada and Arizona driven by demographic shifts.
The truth is, Democrats still have work to do in convincing millions of Americans that they speak their language and understand their issues. The Democratic Party should stay hungry, even desperate, and try to find a message that resonates with voters beyond its base.
Neither party has created much of a message of late that is anything but the contrary of the other party."
Snippets from the Left
The Atlantic
"As the Cook Political Report editor Dave Wasserman noted on Twitter, turnout was particularly high in the counties with the largest black populations. In Greene County, a small area that is 80 percent black and that Martin Luther King Jr. frequented in his Poor People’s Campaign, the turnout reached 78 percent of that of 2016, an incredible mark given that special elections and midterms usually fall far short of general-election marks.
...
Meanwhile, Moore’s support sagged in mostly white counties. The race was probably over for the former state chief justice when Cullman County, which is virtually all white and heavily supported Trump in 2016, turned out only at 56 percent of its 2016 level. It really does seem that although many white voters weren’t convinced to vote for Jones, the allegations against Moore persuaded many of them to stay home."