I feel the need to celebrate...

I've been reviewing the results of yesterday's primary elections in my lovely state of Alabama, and I want to jump for joy. Roy Moore and his entire slate of candidates were resoundingly defeated in yesterday's Republican primary, though one aligned candidate did advance yesterday. That candidate, whom I had incorrectly identified as a member of Roy Moore's slate, was Glenn Murdock. The four members of Roy Moore's slate, not including Bierficker Moore himself, are as follows: Tom Parker (candidate for Chief Justice, lost 59%-41%), Ben C. Hand (candidate for Associate Justice Place 1, lost 58%-42%), Hank Fowler (candidate for Associate Justice Place 2, lost 71%-29%), and Alan Ziegler (candidate for Associate Justice Place 3, lost 70%-30%). Glenn Murdock, while not affiliated directly with Moore's slate, was aligned with them, and I fully intend to vote for his opponent in November, Tuscaloosa County Circuit Judge John England. Oh, and I left out the results of Roy Moore himself in his campaign against incumbent Governor Bob Riley. That putz lost 65%-35% in an unusual display of good sense and taste on the part of the people of Alabama, myself included. He slated 5 candidates including himself to run on his God and disrespect for the law ticket, and each lost by double digits, three by 30% or more. I think I'll take this moment to say, in the words of the bully from the Simpsons, "Ha-ha!"

Roy Moore was such a distasteful option that I know at least a couple of people crossed over, much like Snave did in his native Oregon, to vote in the Republican primary, and I know they weren't alone. I thank them all, and to all who voted against Roy Moore and his chosen candidates (such as I who used Roy Moore as a negative litmus test), I say "Well done. Well done indeed."

As a side-note, there are two coastal counties in Alabama. I have mentioned in the past how Mobile County recently lost a sheriff due to charges relating to misuse of his office. Obviously, there was no incumbent running for the vacant sheriff's seat in that race. Across Mobile Bay, however, there was a 5-term incumbent, Jimmy Johnson, who ran against his former Chief Inspector, Huey "Hoss" Mack and some other guy. It's not terribly unusual for an incumbent to lose, though it's far from common for someone of that long a tenure. What is unusual is the margin by which he was defeated. The people of Baldwin County, AL, sent Sheriff Johnson his walking papers by a margin of 69% to 24%. My first, and indeed, only reaction, is DAMN!!! Since the only candidates for that office ran in the Republican primary, "Hoss" Mack will be formally elected to the office of Baldwin County Sheriff with the first Republican straight ticket ballot in November. Rock on.