The dust has settled in Alabama, and for the GOP, the unthinkable has happened. A Democrat has been elected to Senate in one of reddest states in the Union. In the end, Roy Moore couldn’t overcome numerous accusations of child molestation, regardless of hist staunch denials.
McConnell vs. Bannon
The special election for Jeff Session’s vacated seat put certain wings of the GOP at odds with each other. Steve Bannon, Trump’s ousted special advisor, had taken the mantle of anti-establishment Republicanism. Bannon’s vision was to threaten primaries on Republican incumbents who didn’t march to Trump’s orders. Roy Moore’s campaign was Bannon’s first attempt of sorts since leaving the West Wing.
After Tuesday night, however, Bannon might be feeling the weight as Mitch McConnell will surely tie this loss around his neck. In the meantime, the Bannon and McConnell camps will pile blame on each other.
Face-Off
It’s hard to tell where Bannon goes from here. GOP party leaders should understand now the necessity of having a non-polarizing candidate. This loss unquestionably diminishes Bannon’s credibility as a political genius.
