Polls Show Doug Jones Pull Ahead in Al Senate Race
WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back. Hello again, everyone. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Senator Dianne Feinstein has confirmed -- I'm sorry, we don't have our scripts together here. Where are we going here? All right. Less than two weeks before Alabama's closely watched special Senate race, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is softening his stance on Republican candidate, Roy Moore. When allegations of sexual assault first surfaced against Moore, McConnell was among the Republicans calling for the candidate to leave the race. But today, McConnell took a different view.</s>SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MAJORITY LEADER: I think we are going to let the people of Alabama decide a week from Tuesday who they want to send to the Senate and we will address the matter appropriately.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you believe that Judge Moore should be in the Senate?</s>MCCONNELL: I'm going to let the people of Alabama make the call. The election has been going on a long time and they will make their decision a week from Tuesday.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But you are prepared to take action if he is indeed elected?</s>MCCONNELL: The Ethics Committee will have to consider the matters that have been litigated in the campaign should that particular candidate win.</s>WHITFIELD: The latest "Washington Post"/Shar School poll has Moore's Democratic rival, Doug Jones leading Moore by more than three percentage points. To win, Jones would have to win a good number of Republican votes, and in a state as conservative as Alabama, that could be quite the challenge. Our Kaylee Hartung joins us now from Birmingham. So Kaylee, what are you hearing from people there?</s>KAYLEE HARTUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, keep in mind about half of the adults in the state of Alabama identify themselves as Evangelical Protestants. Pastors who I've talked across this state, many of them have told me you won't hear them offer a prayer for the candidates from their pulpit or specifically endorse either candidate from the pulpit. But as Dr. Daniel Wilson here at First Baptist Church in Pleasant Grove, Alabama, just outside of Birmingham illustrated for me today, he is willing to touch on social and moral issues from the pulpit, specifically those which he feels are rooted in biblical scripture. So, as we approach Christmastime, this morning in his sermon, he reminded his congregation that Jesus was once an unborn baby in his mother's womb and that God looked for a home for Jesus with a mother and a father. So, while he won't specifically endorse a candidate, it was clear to me it's hard to discern for a lot of people in Alabama where religion end and politics begin.</s>ROY MOORE (R), ALABAMA SENATE CANDIDATE: A poor that which is evil and (inaudible) to that which is good.</s>HARTUNG (voice-over): That's Roy Moore appealing to his constituents, but not all of them are convinced. Bill Brewbaker is a lifelong Republican and an Evangelical Christian, but he won't be voting for his party's candidate in Alabama's December 12th special election. No state has a higher percentage of Christians among them than Alabama according to Pew Research.</s>DR. JOHN KILLIAN, FORMER PRESIDENT, ALABAMA BAPTIST CONVENTION: And I think for that reason, Judge Moore's messages resonated because of the culture.</s>HARTUNG: Like many, Dr. John Killian, former president of the Alabama Baptist Convention thinks this deeply Republican state is ripe and ready for the taking by the former judge, but some like Brewbaker think that's an unfair assumption.</s>BILL BREWBAKER, LIFELONG ALABAMA REPUBLICAN: Evangelicals are being painted with a very broad brush.</s>HARTUNG: He says this goes deeper than the allegations of sexual misconduct against Moore.</s>BREWBAKER: The idea that there is a candidate who is wrapping himself in the mantle of Christianity and is at a political rally and pulls out a hand gun?</s>HARTUNG: Moore has been hitting his base visiting rural conservative churches. Though, some of the worship services have felt more like campaign events.</s>JEREMY RAGLAND, PASTOR, BRYAN BAPTIST CHURCH: The only way our voice can be heard throughout this country is by us taking our liberties and voting. They want to do two things, several things. They want to hide the true issues. That's why you see "The Washington Post" bring out the Russian investigation when the people want to know about immigration and health care.</s>HARTUNG: But Brewbaker worries about the message electing Moore would send.</s>BREWBAKER: I'm deeply concerned about the effect of Roy Moore's presence in the Senate will have on the reputation of Evangelicals. I'm tempted to vote for Doug Jones for that reason, but I can't bring myself to pull the trigger on that.</s>HARTUNG: Democratic challenger, Doug Jones's biggest hurdle with Republicans like Brewbaker is he is pro-choice, an issue, the issue that puts him at odds with conservative voters. Jones is also a man of faith, attending a fish riot in Montgomery.</s>DOUG JONES (D), ALABAMA SENATE CANDIDATE: Folks, pray but we have to move our feet, all right?</s>HARTUNG: Jones will need high turnout in metropolitan areas particularly the African-American populations in the state to capitalize on Moore's perceived vulnerability. It's a steep mountain to climb in a state that has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in a quarter of a century.</s>HARTUNG: Like many Alabamans across this state, Doug Jones and Roy Moore both attended church services this is morning and Fred, that latest "Washington Post" poll that has Jones with just a 3 percent lead over Moore is within the margin of error of that poll. As Bill Brewbaker illustrated for us there a hard number to pin down right now. How many people stay home come December 12th?</s>WHITFIELD: All right. Kaylee Hartung, it's right around the corner in Birmingham. Thanks so much. We'll be right back.