Calling out "the moral values of the people of Alabama," The Birmingham News has endorsed Democrat Doug Jones after a complete rejection of Republican Roy Moore for the Dec. 12 special election for the Alabama U.S. Senate seat.
"By the various misdeeds, miscalculations, and mistakes of its voters and leaders, Alabama has left itself with few options," the editorial board wrote in an opinion piece Saturday night. "Alabamians must show themselves to be people of principle, reject Roy Moore and all that he stands for.
"There is only one candidate left in this race who has proven worthy of the task of representing Alabama. He is Doug Jones."
Moore has denied allegations that have surfaced in the final weeks of his campaign to take the Alabama Senate seat once held by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Moore has been accused of sexual misconduct with underage girls around 40 years ago when he was in his early 30s.
"The seriousness of these incidents, including one involving a 14-year-old child, cannot be overstated. Nor can the growing number of accusations — from the women who were at the receiving end of unwanted adult male overtures as teens, to those who say they were physically assaulted — be parsed with talk of statutes of limitations or whether proof has been recorded on a stone tablet," the board wrote. "In the American system, proof beyond a reasonable doubt is a consideration for the courtroom, not the ballot box. It is our job as voters to look closely at the candidates and make up our own minds.
"Do not let this conversation be muddled. This election has become a referendum on whether we will accept this kind of behavior from our leaders."
The allegations should be enough, the paper believes.
"A vote for Roy Moore sends the worst kind of message to Alabamians struggling with abuse: 'If you ever do tell your story, Alabama won't believe you.' Or, worse, we'll believe you but we just won't care," the board wrote.