Everyone’s favorite theocrat, former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, has fallen off the public radar screen of late. He generated plenty of attention for failing to follow a federal court order and getting stripped of his robes for violating judicial ethics, but some of us had fun contemplating a Moore run for the presidency with the ultra-conservative Constitution Party.
Alas, in May, Moore dashed our hopes of a far-right Nader challenging Bush, announcing instead that he would take his ridiculous case to the U.S. Supreme Court, which will almost certainly decide to ignore his plea.
What I found interesting, however, is that Moore is still out on the campaign trail. A life-long Republican, in Alabama no less, Moore might be considered an obvious Bush supporter. He’s not. In fact, Moore appears to be teaming up with the political party that nearly lured him into the presidential race.
Former Republican Chief Justice Roy Moore is making election-year appearances with a third-party candidate for president, a move that could endanger his standing with the Alabama GOP.
Moore, who frequently speaks to conservative Christian groups, has made a series of speeches nationally on bills that include Constitution Party presidential candidate Michael A. Peroutka, a Maryland attorney running on a platform that includes outlawing abortion, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service and making America a Bible-based republic.
Moore, who declined an invitation to run for president under the Constitution Party banner this year, has made at least six joint appearances with Peroutka since spring, according to party and news accounts.
Realistically, there’s virtually no chance at all of this having a serious impact. The Constitution Party has ballot slots in 41 states, but no one has any idea who Peroutka is. The party’s 2000 candidate, Howard Philips, who actually has a small but devoted right-wing following, garnered all of 98,000 votes (less than 0.1% of the overall popular vote). Peroutka is unlikely to match that total.
But the fact that Moore is campaigning with him could hint at a troubled future for the disgraced, lunatic judge.
The conventional wisdom in Alabama is that Moore could parlay his cult-like popularity in Alabama into a successful run for governor in 2006. Presumably, it’s the only position he’d have real interest in, since other statewide offices require him to work with co-equals — and Moore doesn’t play nicely with others.
If Moore is campaigning with Constitution Party candidates, he’s obviously working outside the GOP structure. As you’d imagine, the Republicans frown on that kind of thing.
The chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, Marty Connors, said he was unaware of Moore’s appearances with Peroutka. But Moore could jeopardize his right to run as a Republican in state elections if he endorses a candidate outside the GOP, Connors said.
The funny thing is that Moore really is a man of principle — bizarre, twisted, and nonsensical principles, but that’s beside the point. Throughout his legal ordeal, Moore expected support from GOP officials, including then-state Attorney General Bill Pryor. But with his nomination to the federal bench pending in the Senate, Pryor, miraculously, adhered to the law and abandoned Moore’s ridiculous crusade. Moore was similarly shunned by the Bush administration.
Moore holds a grudge and appears to be distancing himself from the party that distanced themselves from him. In some ways, this is the best possible outcome for those of us who consider Moore and his radical agenda dangerous — if he forsakes the Republican Party for the more “ideologically pure” Constitution Party, his chances of winning statewide office again are slim.