The Daily - Monday, Dec. 11, 2017

One day before the polls open in the Alabama special election, many are asking whether voters will find it harder to support Roy Moore or a Democrat. And we take a look at James O’Keefe, the newly emboldened conservative provocateur famous for trying to use secret recordings to embarrass liberals and journalists. Guests: Jonathan Martin, who is covering the Alabama Senate race; Kenneth P. Vogel, who writes about the confluence of money, politics and influence. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.

Duration: 26m
Broadcast on: 11 Dec 2017
Audio Format: other

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

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With no fees or minimums on checking accounts, it's no wonder the Capital One Bank Guy is so passionate about banking with Capital One. If he were here, he wouldn't just tell you about no fees or minimums. He'd also talk about how Capital One cafes are open seven days a week to assist with your banking needs. Yep, even on weekends. It's pretty much all he talks about in a good way. What's in your wallet? Terms apply, see CapitalOne.com/BankGuy, Capital One NA. Member FDIC. From the New York Times, I'm Michael Barbero. This is The Daily. Today, one day out from the special election in Alabama, the question is, will voters there find it harder to support Roy Moore or a Democrat? And the newly emboldened conservative provocateur, James O'Kee. It's Monday, December 11th. Good, even thank you for calling the e-lots and hotel. My name is Liz. How may I assist you? Hey, I'm trying to reach a guest named Jonathan Martin. Am I at your name? Michael. Give me one second, please. Jonathan Martin is covering the election from Birmingham. No on the ground down here, actually. Really? There is here too. Well, a little bit. It's kind of mush. Okay, so I'm going to jump in. Ready? Jonathan, it's the final weekend going into what I think we can say safely is the most unique special election that you or I have ever seen. This race in Alabama, what happens over the weekend? Well, the most striking development Michael over the weekend was Senator Richard Shelby, who was perhaps the most prominent Republican in the state. He's been in elected office for over 45 years, went on a Sunday talk show, which he does not do very often. He's now 83 years old. He's not a fixture on the television networks, but he went on a Sunday show on CNN and being a candy political veteran, he knew exactly the question that was going to be asked. Let's get right to Alabama, senior Republican Senator Richard Shelby, who joins us now from Tuscaloosa. Senator, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it. Got the question about Roy Moore. When it comes down to it on Tuesday, who would you rather see win? And he basically took a hatchet out and went out for Roy Moore hard. I couldn't vote for Roy Moore. I didn't vote for Roy Moore, but I wrote in a distinguished Republican name and he already filled out an absentee ballot with somebody else who he wouldn't reveal. We knew he wouldn't support Moore, but the fact that Shelby decided to say yes to a Sunday show two days before the election, apparently for the purpose of just going hard at Mr. Moore. I want to reiterate again, I didn't vote for Roy Moore. I wouldn't vote for Roy Moore. I think the Republican Party can do better. Really captures just how bizarre this race is. We're kind of the leading Republican in the state chooses to try to torpedo the campaign of the Republican nominee for what would be the other seat in Alabama. I tell you what, there's a time, we call it a tipping point, and I think so many accusations, so many cuts, so many drip, drip, drip. When it got to the 14-year-old story, a story, that was enough for me. I said, I can't vote for Roy Moore. Do you think the women who have charged Mr. Moore with sexual misconduct are believable? I have no reason not to believe him just like the Attorney General Sessions said he had no reason of something not to believe the women. They were credible, but you know, I wasn't there. I don't know what happened, but there's a lot of stories there. There's a lot of smoke, got to be some fire somewhere. I think what he was trying to do, Michael, is effectively stop Moore's campaign here in the final hours. I was really struck by the fact that Shelby seemed to be encouraging Republicans in Alabama not to vote for the Democrat, which seemed like a bridge too far for him, but to write in on their ballots just any other Republican. That's effectively a vote for Doug Jones, the Democrat, Michael, because all that does, it just lowers the threshold of votes that the Democrat needs to win here. So basically, if two or three percent of Alabamaans write somebody in, then Jones wouldn't have to hit 50. He could just get 48 or 49 and still win. And the fact that in a close race that Shelby would choose to do this could prove consequential. Coming up next on The Voice of Alabama Politics, a special edition with Judge Roy Moore.

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