memeorandum: Alabama Slamma: Four Takeaways from Roy Moore's Devastating Loss to Doug Jones (David Byler/Weekly Standard)

1:40 PM ET, December 13, 2017

Top Items:

Once a Long Shot, Democrat Doug Jones Wins Alabama Senate Race — BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Doug Jones, a Democratic former prosecutor who mounted a seemingly quixotic Senate campaign in the face of Republican dominance here, defeated his scandal-scarred opponent, Roy S. Moore …

Washington Post:

Preliminary exit poll results: How different groups voted in the U.S. senator election in Alabama — See how different groups voted in the U.S. senator election in Alabama between Roy Moore and Doug Jones

Discussion: Vox, ThinkProgress, The Root, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Daily Caller, The Daily Beast, AOL, The Guardian, Splinter, VICE, Religion News Service, theGrio, Mashable, Roll Call, VICE News and The Week

Ronald Brownstein / The Atlantic:

‘We Are in a Trump-Driven Worst-Case Situation Right Now’ — Roy Moore was a uniquely flawed and vulnerable candidate. But what should worry Republicans most about his loss to Democrat Doug Jones in Tuesday's Alabama Senate race was how closely the result tracked with the GOP's big defeats …

Discussion: New York Magazine, New Republic, Washington Post, Business Insider, HuffPost, Washington Free Beacon and AOL

Jim Tankersley / New York Times:

Republicans Say They Have a Deal on Tax Bill — WASHINGTON — House and Senate Republicans have reached an agreement, in principle, on a consensus tax bill on Wednesday, keeping the party on track for final votes next week with the aim of delivering a bill to President Trump's desk by Christmas, according to people briefed on the deal.

Discussion: Daily Kos and The Week

David Byler / Weekly Standard:

Alabama Slamma: Four Takeaways from Roy Moore's Devastating Loss to Doug Jones — That. Just. Happened. — Last night, a Democratic candidate won a Senate seat in deep red Alabama. — Let that sink in. — Alabama is one of the worst places in the country to be a statewide Democratic political candidate.

Discussion: Vox, Washington Post, The Daily Caller, Business Insider, ThinkProgress and FiveThirtyEight

Matthew Yglesias / Vox:

It's not just scandal: Moore lost in Alabama because the GOP agenda is toxically unpopular — Republicans are now in trouble everywhere. — The easy thing for Republicans to tell themselves after the stinging loss of a Senate seat in Alabama is that they only went down to defeat …

Discussion: Washington Post, NBC News and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Albert R. Hunt / Bloomberg:

Republicans Now Have a Reason to Panic — Democrat Doug Jones won in deeply conservative Alabama. Was it Trump's fault? — Democrats won a special Senate election in deeply conservative Alabama, narrowing the Republicans' slim majority in the chamber, and likely generating political panic and infighting among scared Republicans.

Sabato's Crystal Ball:

Blue Stars Fell on Alabama — Jones win another confirmation of Democratic momentum, even taking Moore's horrible candidacy into account — Prior to the Alabama special Senate election on Tuesday night, there was an ongoing discussion in the media about whether the Republicans would lose either way in Alabama.

Discussion: National Journal, New York Times and Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times

Alice Stewart / CNN:
Steve Bannon's political science experiment blew up in Trump's face

Discussion: Washington Post

David French / National Review:
Alabama Conservatives Made Their Stand

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Breitbart, Infowars, The Guardian, Booman Tribune, The Daily Caller and The Federalist

Richard Fausset / New York Times:
Why Black Voters Backed Doug Jones: 'It's a Matter of Character for Us'

Discussion: CNN, Business Insider, KTLA and The Right Scoop

Wall Street Journal:
Alabama Sends a Message

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Infowars, JustOneMinute, Washington Times and Media Matters for America

New York Times:
4 Takeaways From Doug Jones's Alabama Victory

Discussion: Politico, Washington Post, Bangor Daily News and Political Insider

Mike DeBonis / Washington Post:
Doug Jones's victory scrambles the Republican congressional agenda

Discussion: Politico, Business Insider, Shakesville, Balloon Juice, Splinter and New York Times

Sophie Tatum / CNN:
Black voters turned out for Jones

Discussion: Shareblue Media, IJR, US News, Washington Post and twitchy.com

Eliana Johnson / Politico:
Trump suffers ‘big black eye’ in Alabama

Discussion: The Week, ABC News, Axios and IJR

Rosie Gray / The Atlantic:
The Making of an Upset

Discussion: Raw Story

Bernie Becker / Politico:
Democrat's win in Alabama shakes up Senate battles

Discussion: The Atlantic, ThinkProgress, The Daily Beast, ABC News and Axios

NBC News:
Alabama results show that a 2018 wave is building

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight

Josiah Ryan / CNN:
Alabama Secretary of State: ‘Highly unlikely’ Jones not the winner

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, New York Times, IJR, Washington Examiner and AOL

Maggie Haberman / New York Times:
Trump: ‘I Said Roy Moore Will Not Be Able to Win’ in Alabama

Discussion: The Hill, New Republic, RedState, Breitbart, ThinkProgress, Washington Post, Mother Jones, East Bay Times, NBC News, Raw Story, The Week and Althouse, more at Mediagazer »

Mike DeBonis / Washington Post:
Democrats call for halt to GOP tax bill until Jones is seated in the Senate

Discussion: Forbes, Splinter, Washington Examiner and New York Times

Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
Roy Moore thought attacking the press could save his campaign. Voters opted for the truth.

Discussion: Hit & Run, Media Matters for America, Newsweek, Vox and Business Insider, more at Mediagazer »

David M. Drucker / Washington Examiner:
GOP relieved at Roy Moore, Steve Bannon defeats: ‘We dodged a missile’

Discussion: Infowars and The Week

Eric Bradner / CNN:
Alabama election: Doug Jones scores stunning win, but Moore won't concede

Discussion: Vox, New York Times, Mother Jones, Associated Press, Townhall.com, Talking Points Memo, Breitbart, FOX6Now.com, The Intercept, NBC News, Washington Post, The Hill, KTLA, Hullabaloo, RedState and Hit & Run

Julia Manchester / The Hill:
Wall Street Journal: Bannon ‘is for losers’

Discussion: RedState and Talking Points Memo

Vann R. Newkirk II / The Atlantic:
African American Voters Made Doug Jones a U.S. Senator in Alabama

Discussion: New Republic, HuffPost, CNN, Washington Monthly, Mother Jones, VICE News, ThinkProgress and The Nation

Salma Hayek / New York Times:

Harvey Weinstein Is My Monster Too — HARVEY WEINSTEIN was a passionate cinephile, a risk taker, a patron of talent in film, a loving father and a monster. — For years, he was my monster. — This fall, I was approached by reporters, through different sources, including my dear friend Ashley Judd …

Discussion: AOL, Deadline, IndieWire and ImmigrationProf Blog

Josh Gerstein / Politico:

In texts, FBI agents on Russia probe called Trump an ‘idiot’ — Two FBI agents assigned to the investigation into alleged collusion between President Donald Trump's campaign and Russia exchanged text messages referring to the future president as an “idiot,” according to copies of messages turned …

Discussion: ABC News, The Daily Beast, Vox, RedState, Axios, Washington Post, Fox News, CBS News, Talking Points Memo, The Hill, USA Today, Sputnik International, New York Times, NPR and The Week

New York Times:

In Texts, F.B.I. Officials in Russia Inquiry Said Clinton ‘Just Has to Win’ — WASHINGTON — Senior F.B.I. officials who helped investigate Donald J. Trump's presidential campaign last year told a colleague that Hillary Clinton “just has to win” and described a potential Trump victory as …

Discussion: Mother Jones, New York Magazine, Salon, Hullabaloo, NBC News, Daily Kos, AOL and CNN

Laura Jarrett / CNN:
Months-worth of FBI employees' texts dreading Trump victory released to Congress

Discussion: The Federalist, The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit, Washington Free Beacon, Breitbart, amp.dailycaller.com and twitchy.com

Nicholas Fandos / New York Times:
Text Messages in Hand, Republicans Plan to Accuse Justice Department of Bias

Discussion: Associated Press, Shakesville, The Week and The Gateway Pundit

Natasha Bertrand / Business Insider: In ‘highly unusual’ move, DOJ secretly invited reporters to view texts sent by ousted FBI agents

J. Patrick Coolican Star / Star Tribune:

Rep. Keith Ellison won't run for U.S. Senate in '18 — Decision by Minneapolis congressman clears a potentially big obstacle to Lt. Gov. Tina Smith, on tap for appointment to Franken's seat — U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison will not run in Minnesota's special U.S. Senate election in 2018 …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, Political Wire, Washington Free Beacon, Daily Kos and Keith Ellison

Erin Golden / Star Tribune:
Gov. Mark Dayton appoints Tina Smith to U.S. Senate

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Power Line and IJR

ABC News:
Minnesota Lt. Gov. Tina Smith named to fill Franken seat

Discussion: Politico and Axios

Mike Allen:

Schumer calls cops after forged sex scandal charge — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said he was the victim of a fake news hit on Tuesday, and has turned over to Capitol Police a document that purports to detail lurid sexual harassment accusations by a former staffer.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, NBC News, TheBlaze, Fox News, Betsy's Page, Media Matters for America, Splinter, Business Insider, The Week, Mediaite, The Daily Caller and Raw Story, more at Mediagazer »

Darlene Superville / Associated Press:

Prominent black supporter of Trump set to leave White House — WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says Omarosa Manigault Newman — one of President Donald Trump's most prominent African-American supporters — plans to leave the administration next month. — White House press secretary …

Discussion: Axios, IJR and TheBlaze

Denis Slattery / New York Daily News:
Omarosa Manigault reportedly escorted kicking and screaming from White House as resignation announced

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

USA Today:

Will Trump's lows ever hit rock bottom? — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand says President Donald Trump's latest tweet about her was a ‘sexist smear’ aimed at silencing her voice. The New York Democrat says she won't be silenced on the issue of sexual harassment. (Dec. 12) AP

Carrie Johnson / NPR:

White House: Nomination of Alabama Lawyer Brett Talley ‘Will Not Be Moving Forward’ — The nomination of Brett Talley, the Justice Department official in line for a lifetime judicial appointment, “will not be moving forward,” a Trump administration official told NPR Wednesday.

Discussion: The Week

Henry C. Jackson / Politico:
Trump After Dark: Empire Strikes Back edition

Discussion: ABC News, Splinter and Shareblue Media

Rick Hasen / electionlawblog.org:

Breaking: Under Alabama Law, Roy Moore May Not Be Able to Request a Recount If The Margin is More than 0.5% — In a prior post, I noted that under Alabama law, if the margin between the candidates is within 0.5% there is an automatic recount at state expense. That statute is Section 17-16-20.