If Moore Wins on Tuesday....

[Cow Poke]

... does Al Franken renege on his promise to resign by end of year?

Please don't rehash the "Moore is creepy but Franken is worse" (or vise versa) argument - just your opinions, and why.

[Mountain Man]

He said without equivocation that he will resign. I'm not sure how he can back out now without completely destroying whatever vestige of credibility he has remaining.

[Cow Poke]

He said without equivocation that he will resign. I'm not sure how he can back out now without completely destroying whatever vestige of credibility he has remaining.

But.... this is Al Franken

[Thoughtful Monk]

... does Al Franken renege on his promise to resign by end of year?

Please don't rehash the "Moore is creepy but Franken is worse" (or vise versa) argument - just your opinions, and why.

Earlier today, the news station I was watching rebroadcast Franken's resignation speech. I heard him say "in the next few weeks", he'll resign. I think everyone assumed it would be by the end of year.

Given his own party was pushing him out, he'll resign. I don't see how it could be walked back.

[Mountain Man]

But.... this is Al Franken

Either he resigns, or the Democrat party disowns him if he seeks re-election. Either way, he's finished.

[Cow Poke]

Earlier today, the news station I was watching rebroadcast Franken's resignation speech. I heard him say "in the next few weeks", he'll resign. I think everyone assumed it would be by the end of year.

What's the difference?

Given his own party was pushing him out, he'll resign. I don't see how it could be walked back.

There's always the possibility that --- kinda like when Israel does something in the Gaza strip, and we have to publicly scold them, but privately do nothing.

It's possible that the Democrats will fuss and fume, but secretly let Franken hang on.

I doubt it, given the clarity of their scoldings, but nothing in politics surprises me.

[KingsGambit]

I don't see him changing his mind, no.

[Cow Poke]

I don't see him changing his mind, no.

Me too neither, but, again - nothing would surprise me.

[rogue06]

... does Al Franken renege on his promise to resign by end of year?

Please don't rehash the "Moore is creepy but Franken is worse" (or vise versa) argument - just your opinions, and why.

I brought this possibility up in another thread and will stick with my description of it being "an extreme outside chance"

[Cow Poke]

I brought this possibility up in another thread and will stick with my description of it being "an extreme outside chance"

Yeah, me too.

[rogue06]

Either he resigns, or the Democrat party disowns him if he seeks re-election. Either way, he's finished.

FWIU polling in Minnesota showed him facing an uphill battle if he ran for re-election but that wouldn't have been until 2020 which is a lifetime in politics and more than enough time for a liberal to be redeemed of any misdeed.

[Thoughtful Monk]

What's the difference?

Actually, it make it more likely he won't resign. By not setting a date, he can just keep going while he waits for it to blow over. He knows in politics there is a finite attention span
that he might be able to wait out.

I still think he'll actually resign, however.

[Starlight]

It seems like, especially after hearing Al Franken's side of it in his resignation speech, that there are quite a significant number of people on both the left and right of politics (ranging from Fox News to TYT) who think he shouldn't resign.

The various reasons given for this include:

• The accusations against him are not criminal in nature (e.g. attempted rape) but more inappropriate behavior (e.g. putting his hand in the wrong place during a photo)
• Al Franken outright denies many of the accusations, and in other instances says it happened differently. If he truly thinks they are untrue, he should fight them.
• Roger Stone was tweeting about the first accusation prior to it emerging, and thus it appears that the right-wing's primary political hit-man has had a hand in these allegations, and thus we should be cautious about their veracity. Especially in light of WaPo catching Project Veritas trying to fake allegations against Roy Moore in order to discredit existing allegations. Clearly groups on the right are playing dirty and trying to use the current climate of openness about harassment for their own political gain.
• At this stage the allegations are mostly anonymous, so journalists have thus far been unable to perform any level of vetting of accusers.
• The Ethics Committee investigatory process would provide a venue for both sides to be heard and the cases to be judged on their merits.
• Any Democrats who think they can attack Moore or Trump more successfully due to Al Franken's resignation are likely misjudging the way Republican voters respond to such issues.

For those reasons, I have changed my mind and now think Al Franken should not have resigned / should retract his resignation.

[rogue06]

• Al Franken outright denies many of the accusations, and in other instances says it happened differently. If he truly thinks they are untrue, he should fight them.

That is exactly what Roy Moore is doing but he is getting lambasted by the left (and a good number on the right) for doing so.

[Leonhard]

If Moore Wins on Tuesday ...

Then the Religious Right value power and strategy more than principles.

Secularly that's tactically wise, but I don't think they can ever again call out democrats on sexual escapades and hold the same high ground. At least, to be consistent, they should demand the same strength of evidence for them, as for Moore in order to be satisfied. And be just as quick to forgive, if the person says it was in the past and that they've grown as a person. Otherwise both sides would be thoroughly down in the filth together when it comes their political leaders and unclean deeds.