Republicans across the nation are cheering over the results of the Alabama senate race.  No, you didn’t read this wrong.  Sure, Democrats are celebrating over the election victory of one of their own for the first time in 25 years.  But it should be no surprise to learn that key Republicans are also pleased with the outcome.

The reason for GOP rejoicing is that they have thrown off the albatross of Roy Moore from around their necks.  Republicans will no longer have to answer, month after month, every question from the press that begins with: “Now about Roy Moore?”

Like Alabama, Louisiana is a deep red state with a large majority of conservative voters. In Louisiana, all of the statewide elected officials are Republicans, except for the accidental Governor, John Bel Edwards, a Democrat.  

In November of 2015, he was victorious in the Louisiana gubernatorial race against then U.S. Senator David Vitter, the Republican candidate. Vitter is a staunch conservative who had been an elected official for almost a quarter of a century. Unfortunately for Republicans, Vitter was a very flawed candidate. He was controversial within the GOP and had alienated many of the state’s party leaders.

For a man who constantly talks about how much he’s winning, Donald Trump is obsessed with putting himself on permanent defense. Trump’s party dodged an immediate march towards extinction after the party’s unfortunate candidate, Roy Moore, faltered, President Trump didn’t escape as neatly. He will be forever tied to Moore, and the ethics of placing a single vote above principle.

The Republican Judge Roy Moore run for US Senate against Democratic candidate Doug Jones is generating significant anger throughout the country.  This fury is exhibited by many—from those for and those against the controversial former Alabama Supreme Court Justice.  The target of this enmity is not just Moore but towards the Republican National Committee.  This week, the RNC changed course in the race once President Donald Trump flip-flopped on the controversial candidate who some call, a pedophile. Now both back Moore, changing the momentum in the contest in favor of the former justice who was removed twice from the court.

According to Louisiana pollster John Couvillon of JMC Analytics and Polling, Roy Moore is in the driver's seat in the controversial Alabama runoff election for US Senate.  Moreover, the automated poll indicates that the sex scandal has not had any material impact on the race.