The TAKE with Rick Klein
It's not every race where those on both sides can honestly ask: How is this thing even close?
A Democrat usually has no business challenging for a Senate seat in Alabama. Some feel this particular Republican, facing this avalanche of allegations, should arguably be nowhere near a Senate seat anywhere.
The Alabama Senate race is testing the volatile politics of race and gender. It is gauging both Steve Bannon's push for candidates bucking the GOP establishment — and Democratic rebuilding efforts.
President Donald Trump's political muscle and policy influence are on the line all at once.
This single race could help determine control of the Senate, and maybe the House as well.
Some Republican lawmakers such as Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. worry that, if elected, "Roy Moore will be the gift that keeps on giving for Democrats. It will define the 2018 election, at least 2018."
There's something even bigger going on, too: A unique confluence of timing has put this race in the middle of both the Trump presidency and the #MeToo movement.
Today's election could shed light on critical questions about where we are as a country.
But these are loud national conversations – and won't be quieted by the results in Alabama.
The RUNDOWN with MaryAlice Parks
Doug Jones on Monday predicted victory in today's Alabama Senate race, telling reporters he was tired of questions about whether a Democrat could win in the state.
"A Democrat is going to win," he said.
While one last minute poll stood out and had Jones up this week, make no mistake: what he was forecasting would be remarkable and is quite the challenge.
There are simply a lot of Republicans in Alabama.
President Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton by almost 28 points here and a lot of people in the state will tell you point-blank that they just cannot not vote for a Democrat, no matter what.
Plus, Jones has been on his own. Without any other Democrats on the ballot today, it has been up to him to try to both energize the Democratic vote and win over moderate Republicans and independents.
Playing to all sides has been hard.
Take the robocall, for example, that President Barack Obama recorded to help get voters out for Jones.
On the one hand, clearly the Jones campaign thought it could be useful in some communities, but on Monday Jones did not want to talk about it. Obama is not exactly popular in a lot of the state.
In fact, Jones praised Alabama's Republican Senator Richard Shelby more often than he mentioned the former Democratic president.
The TIP with Benjamin Siegel
Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wis., has written a letter to the Senate Sergeant at Arms asking if the office is "taking steps to prepare the Page Program for the possible election of Roy Moore."
"I believe my fears are well founded. We have seen Members of Congress abuse the Congressional Page Program," she wrote. "You will recall that in 2006, former Republican Representative Mark Foley resigned after sending suggestive emails and text messages to male Pages. Unfortunately, this was a contributing factor in the elimination of the House Page Program."
"We need to be vigilant stewards of these children going forward," she urged.
In his most recent interview on Sunday, Judge Roy Moore again denied the accusations made against him.
"These allegations are completely false," he said. "I did not date under-aged women, I did not molest anyone. So these allegations are false."
The Senate Sergeant at Arms office responded to Rep. Moore's letter in a statement that said the "safety and security" of pages is a "top concern."
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"President Trump should resign. These allegations are credible; they are numerous. I've heard these women's testimony, and many of them are heartbreaking." — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, told CNN's Christiane Amanpour.
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