THE PAROCHIALS: The case of Roy Moore's troubling marriage!

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2017

Part 1—Our own Dimmesdale disapproves: On Friday evening, November 17, Lawrence O'Donnell got a snootful and began revealing himself as perhaps a bit of a Dmmesdale—and, perhaps, as one of our legion of pseudo-liberal parochials.

In a well-known book you read in high school, Dimmesdale thundered against Hester Prynne. Lawrence now thundered against the conduct of Roy Moore.

There's a great deal to criticize in the realm of Roy Moore's public conduct. Routinely, Moore's public conduct has proven too extreme even for Alabama conservative elites, as well as for substantial numbers of Alabama Republican voters.

Beyond that, several women have made very serious accusations against Moore, accusing him of serious sexual misconduct in 1979. But these matters weren't enough for our own Dimmesdale this night.

On this night, our Dimmesdale decided to voice his disapproval of Moore's 32-year marriage.

People like Lawrence will always engage in this sort of behavior. Despite their powerful moral intentions, they've stained the history of our highly sub-rational species down through the annals of time.

Our Dimmesdale got a good snootful this night. After that, he rose in the pulpit, offering this astounding complaint at the start of a segment:

O`DONNELL (11/17/17): When Roy Moore was a 32-year-old assistant district attorney, he was reportedly constantly trying to date teenage girls who were at least 14 years younger than he was, and one who was only 14 years old.

And when he was 38 years old, Roy Moore actually succeeded in marrying a woman who was 14 years younger.

As he opened his segment that night. Lawrence didn't mention the fact that Moore stood accused of assaulting two teenage girls. He seemed to be more upset by the fact that Moore had dated teenage girls—and that he'd even married someone fourteen years younger! Without first asking Lawrence!

At any rate, when Moore was 38 years old, he married someone who was 24! Our own Dimmesdale, astride the pulpit, seemed upset by this fact.

On Monday night, November 20, the Dimmesdale's attack continued. With the help of several smarmy guests, the smarmy fellow launched several attacks against Moore's troubling marriage.

As Moore tells the story, you see, he first set eyes on his wife at a junior college dance recital when she was 16 years old. Eight years later, he actually met her at a party. By now, she was a divorced, 24-year-old woman with one child.

He met her that night, and he married her; they've been married for 32 years. But on this particular Monday night, Lawrence delivered a lot of smarmy remarks about that troubling initial encounter.

As the Dimmesdales always are, Lawrence was deeply troubled. "He seems so comfortable with the idea that he met her so many years before, when she was 15 or 16 years old and in high school, at a dance recital," our own Dimmesdale complained. The smarmy remarks by Lawrence proceeded along from there.

In fairness, Lawrence had a lot of help that Monday night from several smarmy guests. That said, he seemed to be troubled by the fact that Moore is fourteen years older than his wife, to whom he's been married for 32 years.

This was smarmy enough by itself. But then, on Wednesday night, November 22, Lawrence staged a moving tribute to one of his tribe's greatest figures.

In his closing segment that night, Lawrence recalled the greatness of President Kennedy, known to his tribe as Dear Jack. He recalled the way the nuns helped himself, and the rest of the boys, deal with President Kennedy's murder in Dallas.

Do you mind if we quickly explain the way the minds of the Dimmesdales work? Let's start with Jack Kennedy's marriage.

When Jack Kennedy married Jackie, he was 36 years old. She was 24.

To a fellow like Lawrence, that 12-year difference is Camelot. The Moores' age difference—fourteen years—is a serious warning sign.

Might we mention something else? Moore stands credibly accused of molesting a 14-year-old girl, and of violently attacking a second girl who was 16. (Warning: "Credible" doesn't mean "true.")

To Lawrence, this is, by law, extremely bad. On his program that Thanksgiving week, one guest even attacked Moore as a "bigoted child molester." Several of Lawrence's guests saw no need to say "accused!"

Moore stands credibly accused of serious misconduct. But might we mention something else? Jack Kennedy stands credibly accused of a sexual assault on a sexually inexperienced 19-year-old intern right there in the White House.

Dear Jack was 45. Mimi Alford was 19.

A few years ago, she told the story of that attack—essentially, of a repulsive procurement and rape—in a very well-written book. When Mimi Alford's book appeared, no one really seemed to doubt that her story was true. She received the inevitable sneering review in the New York Times.

(For People's report, click here.)

Lawrence is upset by what Moore is alleged to have done. Allegations against Dear Jack don't exist on his morally uplifting program.

In a somewhat similar vein, Lawrence is troubled by 14 years, perhaps enraptured by twelve.

This is the way the Dimmesdales work—the way they've always behaved. This helps explain why so many Alabamians will line up to vote for Moore next week.

Lawrence struck us as a Dimmesdale on those programs, a smarmy Dimmesdale at that. That said, we'd say that he's a parochial too. But what do we mean by that?

Tomorrow: "The best love story, ever"