Roy Moore announces candidacy in Alabama gubernatorial race

I've given my opinion on Moore before, but here again: what he did in his own courtroom in Gadsden, Alabama and at the Judicial Building in Montgomery were nothing close to a violation of the Establishment Clause. But I don't trust him as far as I could throw him. IMO, he is a fruitcake and many on the Right are mistaking passion for prudence and wisdom--a perilous confusion. It is a confusion that feeds demagogues. Oh yeah, man, can he ever quote lengthy passages from the Founders at length. Unfortunately too many are dazzled by it.

I'll also say again that when he ran for Chief Justice, it was the only race for which I voted Democrat (his opponent). I don't even remember who was running against him. It's also the only Democrat vote I had cast in a long, long while.

 

Don't know all that much about him, but from what I'm reading he sounds like my kind of guy!

 

Benjamin,

"But I'll tell you what I will do," he said, according to news reports. "I will defend the right of every citizen of this state – including judges, coaches, teachers, city, county and state officials -- to acknowledge God as the sovereign source of law, liberty and government."

Acknowledge--by placing their own granite monuments in their public buildings? Again, I see nothing wrong with that. One problem I have with him, though, is his disingenuous statement that Alabama's constitution mandated that he place the monument.

 

If Roy Moore gets elected governor, I think most conservatives in Alabama will like him. He has an in depth knowledge of the law and he is not afraid to publicly acknowledge our one and only true God.

I would be delighted to have Roy Moore as governor.

Roy

 

Don't know all that much about him, but from what I'm reading he sounds like my kind of guy! </font>[/QUOTE]He always sounds good, but - if I remember to get my absentee ballot I will vote against him in the primary.

 

I am really jealous of you guys in Alabama for having such an interesting race. But I am going to keep quiet and listen to you and go with the majority. God Bless All of You in Alabama!

 

How disingenuous is it to say the law mandates that the Ten Commandment monument doesn’t belong there? I see this as balancing the scales of justice and expect he will be blessed for his persecution.

 

Well, since he's already demonstrated an inability to follow the law, going into politics seems a natural thing to do.

 

Going to be an interesting 2006 gubernatorial contest in Alabama. Being a Republican, I have no idea who to vote for. The incumbent, Bob Riley, attempted to impose an enormous tax increase on us, but was thwarted big time at the polls. I have not forgotten and will not be voting for him. Roy Moore, enough said. Tim James, son of a former governor, is a possible candidate I could support if he runs again. (I voted for him in the 2002 Republican Primary, being one of the few).

On the democrat side, they have the perpetually corrupt, as least by appearance, former governor Don Sigelman and the current Lt. Governor Lucy Baxley. I could never vote for either of them.

I am in a quandary, may have to do a write-in for myself.

 

Moore is a loon who refused to follow the law! Saw him on a C-Span interview and he was overmatched from the word go. Alabama could do way better, but having lived there for 2 years, I can tell you that they probably won't! They are still way too many wishing for the days of "seperate but equal".

 

I may be in Alabama for the primary, will be an interersting vote.

 

Benjamin,

How disingenuous is it to say the law mandates that the Ten Commandment monument doesn’t belong there?

I never said that the law mandates that the Ten Commandments monument doesn't belong there. But Moore says that it mandates that it does. IIRC, the Alabama Constitution Preamble requires that God be acknowledged. It's quite a stretch to say that it requires that he place such a monument. If it was that clear, he would have had clear Constitutional mandate for it to be taxpayer funded, a position with which I have no problem because I don't believe such an acknowledgement is a violation of the Establishment Clause (especially since it didn't apply to the states--have debated that issue previously, won't go off topic to do so again here). I have no problem with the acknowledgement, I have no problem with the monument, and I would have no problem with a mandate if there was one for his monument--what I am arguing is that the Alabama Constitution did NOT mandate such a monument. Alabama's Constitution has been around since 1901. If the mandate was as clear as Moore argues it to be it would have been erected when the Constitution was ratified. While a monument is an acknowledgement, an acknowledgment does not require a monument. I think it is disingenuous for Moore to say that this mandate to erect a monument was so clear and yet ignored until he happened to show up.

 

And I would be glad to have him as governor here in Tennessee as well.

 

Paladin,

Paladin,

I may very well be naive but Riley went on TV in a state of the state address right after he came into office and announced and explained the terrible financial situation of the state, which his Democratic predecessor had left him. Since that would have been no huge surprise, I took his tax increase as Republicans trying to fix a problem rather than ignoring it or making it worse. After the tax increase was voted down (I was somewhat torn, rather taking Riley at his word, but also voted against it) he did what he had to do, which Dems seem wont to do, which is belt-tightening. That seems to have worked, and was surely the better approach to begin with. Riley didn't seek to buck the voters' will and went to work right away to start cutting expenditures. So, I'm still rather a Riley supporter. However, I was very much a Fob James fan when he was Governor; if his son is a chip off that block, I'll vote for him, but remain hesitant as I know little about him. If you want to take that discussion off line and you've got some info about him, feel free to PM me.

If it's Moore and Siegelman on the ticket, count yourself for one more write-in vote!

 

G2C,

Moore is a loon who refused to follow the law! Saw him on a C-Span interview and he was overmatched from the word go. Alabama could do way better, but having lived there for 2 years, I can tell you that they probably won't! They are still way too many wishing for the days of "seperate but equal".

Are you talking about the interview with Bill Press? Because I agree with Moore on the EC issue, I was pretty much in his corner, but I've never been dazzled by his ability to rattle off lengthy historical passages. Gosh yes, I sure wish I could do it, but Press didn't get near the stars in his eyes over it that Moore's crowds do (and I've seen 'em do it). Actually, perhaps from my perspective of agreeing with Moore on the issue, I thought it was generally pretty evenly matched, and thought they both scored some points.

BTW, I'm offended that you would paint Alabamians in general as longing for "separate but equal". I know there is still some of that attitude but Alabama has come a long, long way from those days.

 

I hope that this is true. The reality is probably that there are some, but those some are quite vocal in their attempt to speak for the rest.

 

That's just it, John, there's not even a vocal few any more, because no one is listening to them.

 

I agree FTR - the painting of Alabamians as longing for the "separate but equal" days is far too broad of a brush.

I don't even know of a vocal few that are left.