Today, Alabama gets to pick a Republican candidate to run against Democratic Senator Doug Jones in the November election. The candidates are former Senator Jeff Sessions versus football coach Tommy Tuberville. Donald Trump endorsed Tuberville because he hates Sessions now.
Things have gone from bad to worse. Tommy Tuberville wins by about 60-40 in early numbers. He says he will “support Donald Trump down the line.” MAGA!
BACKGROUND
Early in 2016, Republican Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama became the first Senator to endorse “outsider” Donald Trump, just before primary season kicked into overdrive. Skipping ahead, Donald Trump managed to get into the White House with help of voter suppression and voter purging and a dirty tricks campaign that included Russian interference and Russian collusion.
In standard Donald Trump style, one personal favor deserves another, so Trump offered Jeff Sessions the powerful Attorney General position. Sessions was confirmed on a partisan vote 52-47. So he left his cozy Senate position to join with The Donald and “Make America Great Again.”
Jeff Sessions would be in charge of the Russia investigation. But first there was a little problem. Turns out Sessions met with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and failed to disclose his contacts. In those meetings, “Somehow, the subject of Ukraine came up.”
Calls for Jeff Sessions to step aside from the Russian probe for a conflict of interest were heeded ultimately and Sessions recused himself. Deputy Rod Rosenstein was placed in charge, but Donald Trump was angry. Eventually Sessions was fired.
Meanwhile in Alabama, a solid Republican Senate seat sat empty. Republican Governor Robert Bentley appointed Luther Strange to the seat. Strange was opposed by “Judge” Roy Moore who twice was removed from the state supreme court for malfeasance. So Moore was free to challenge Strange.
Donald Trump endorsed Luther Strange, but Roy Moore won the primary. After the primary, it came out that Moore used to sexually assault girls at shopping malls. Nevertheless Donald Trump endorsed Roy Moore over Democratic candidate Doug Jones
In a stunning upset in deep Republican Alabama, the majority had a moment of conscience and Doug Jones won, becoming an unlikely Democratic Senator from Alabama.
Two years later, this November brings the general election — an election that should be a shoe-in for a Republican and the one good chance for Republicans to take a seat from Democrats this year.
Jeff Sessions wants his old seat back, but Donald Trump is still so mad at his first-ever supporter from the Senate that Trump endorsed the other guy, Tommy Tuberville. Imagine being more of a Trump sycophant than the first Senator who endorsed him. Pray for Doug Jones.