Guest Post by Morbo
Every now and then, voters do something surprising. Case in point: [tag]Alabama[/tag]’s gubernatorial primary election is June 6, and people there appear poised to send “[tag]Ten Commandments[/tag] Judge” [tag]Roy Moore[/tag] packing.
After being booted off the state supreme court, Moore challenged incumbent governor [tag]Bob Riley[/tag] in the GOP primary. Early on, when many state residents were unhappy with Riley’s support for a tax increase, it looked like Moore might get some traction. But Riley has rebounded and Moore is trailing badly in the polls — by 50 points.
What happened? NBC political reporter Mark Murray speculates that Alabama residents see Moore as a one-trick pony. The Ten Commandments thing was fun for a while but now Moore’s shtick has worn thin.
There’s also the fact that [tag]Moore[/tag] is an idiot. As Murray notes, Moore’s efforts to expand beyond [tag]religious right[/tag] boilerplate have often fallen flat. Murray writes that Riley’s growing popularity has helped him outpace Moore but added, “Another reason is that Moore has committed some embarrassing gaffes. He recently suggested that the first case of mad cow disease in the state was a conspiracy to help pass a state animal identification system.”
It’s hard to believe that a year ago this clown was being talked about as a shoo-in for a Senate seat and maybe even a candidate for the presidency.
I’ve heard Moore speak. I hate to be rude, but the man presents the worst possible combination of unfortunate traits: He’s smug, arrogant, fanatical and stone simple. To top it off, Moore also writes very bad poetry. (Don’t take my word for it. See here)
Not to disparage my friends in the South, but I thought this heady cocktail of attributes would make Moore an appealing candidate to Alabamians and ensure his political future. Well, it appears folks there are about to prove me wrong and, to be perfectly frank, I’m thankful they are.
Looks like old Roy is headed back to the religious right rubber-chicken circuit. That’s one option. I have another: Washed-up rock bands often play at county fairs. Perhaps Moore can gather up the two-and-a-half ton Ten Commandments monument that was removed from the Alabama Judicial Building in Montgomery and hit the carnival/fair circuit this summer. I would pay to see him and his rock in a sideshow tent — but not more than two dollars.