roy moore

Former Alabama Chief Justice and U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore votes at the Gallant Volunteer Fire Department, during the Alabama Senate race, Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017, in Gallant, Ala. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Even before last week's allegations against Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore dropped I had dozens of friends and acquaintances who had confided in me their hesitance in voting for the twice-removed judge.

But since that bomb dropped? Oh buddy, have those conversations picked up.

Over the last several days I've heard from hundreds of people on why they can no longer support Moore, and several who say they absolutely still do. Among all of these people I began to see a pattern develop: those who are standing behind Moore tend to be the above the age of 40, and those for whom Moore is an unacceptable candidate tend to be younger than 40.

So I put a call out on social media. The conversation picked up even more, and that dividing line became even clearer.

A common refrain I heard was that the allegations of sexual assault were simply the final nail in the coffin. They believed he was unfit for office before, and that grandstanding isn't a substitute for real policy accomplishments. Before the allegations most said they were willing to hold their nose and vote for Moore to keep a pro-life candidate in that office, but weren't happy about feeling required to cast their ballot for someone they don't feel represents their other stances.

David Wisdom and Marco Rubio

Madison Smith, a college student, said she is a two-time survivor of sexual abuse who didn't feel comfortable with Moore before. "Then these accusations came out and it just affirmed my thought that he doesn't need to be anywhere near the justice system."

There are very vocal young republicans like David Wisdom and Michael Bullington, who record a weekly podcast about Alabama Politics called Young Alabama.

Wisdom, whose grandfather Elbert Peters is a prominent and longtime Republican figure, proudly displays a Trump sticker in the background of the featured image of this week's episode and says, "No one here wants to endorse Doug Jones. He stands for everything I'm against. I just want us to stop and think about what we are doing in supporting Roy Moore, especially considering what has transpired over the past few days."

Michael Bullington

"I wasn't going to vote for Moore before all this came out because of his lack of policy understanding (or at the least policy communication) and his dismal history in office," Bullington told me Tuesday. "But I definitely won't vote for him now. The line has to be drawn somewhere, and he's long since passed it. People need to put principle over politics because without principle there's no value in the politics."

(For more of their commentary, check out the hour-long episode on the topic they released this week)

Here's a sampling of what some other young Republicans have told me, on the record:

Collier Tynes

"I am a lifelong conservative who simply wants the Republican Party to live out our values. Even if Roy Moore receives more votes than Doug Jones, it will not be a win for our party. It will be another signal to the world that we put politics over human decency. If defending victims of childhood molestation has become controversial, we have hit rock bottom. To what end are we not willing to hold our people accountable for their actions? If you are a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault, there is hope and help in Alabama. By calling 1-800-650-6522, you can reach the nearest domestic violence center. You will be believed, you will be heard, and you can begin healing, no matter how many years it has been. (emphasis mine) " - Collier Tynes, former chief of staff for First Lady Dianne Bentley and current chief of staff at a child and family agency

"Before this whole sex scandal even erupted, Moore was unacceptable to me because as a so-called constitutional conservative there are parts of the constitution that he seems not to respect, like the supremacy clause and the equal protection clause... In addition to the problems I have with Roy Moore because of his policy positions, we now have these allegations that came out about sexual misconduct... As somebody who lives in a state that's supposed to be super conservative and believes in the founding principles of this country, we're left again without a morally-acceptable candidate who truly believes those things. It's incredibly frustrating." - Jordan LaPorta, law student.

Austin Harrington

"I am a millennial conservative and I can not and will not be voting for Roy Moore. Moore's brand of fire and brimstone politics misrepresents not only Alabama, but conservatives and Christians. His comments and actions in the past and his handling of recent allegations have proven the toxicity of this closed-minded and immature school of conservative thought. He does not represent the honor and compassion of Conservatives or Christians." - Austin Harrington, college student.

"I'm 35 and I vote for the candidate, not the letter beside their name, but as someone who doesn't have children yet but just moved back to Birmingham from Atlanta in April, I do not want that man representing our state and my home in Washington. He does not represent us, he is going to be a punching bag nationally for our state and he would be the absolute worst representative for Alabama in Washington. You wouldn't want your children to play little league football or baseball with him as a coach, you wouldn't want to do business with this man, why would you put him in the Senate?" - Matthew Morris, works in marketing and advertising.

Brett Walton

"I am a 23 year old Christian, conservative, white male who grew up in a small town in Alabama. During my time at Auburn (one of the most conservative schools in the nation), I served as the Chairman of the Auburn University College Republicans. I voted for President Trump. So I am not a Democrat, Independent or even what some would call a Moderate Republican. However, I cannot support Roy Moore. The allegations against him are sickening, and the sources appear to be credible. I was willing to look past Judge Moore making Alabama look foolish by riding around on his horse brandishing his gun like a wannabe cowboy, but enough is enough. I may fundamentally disagree with Doug Jones on many issues, but he at least seems to be a respectable man who won't continue to further embarrass the state of Alabama. It is time that we as Republicans and Alabamians demand better out of our leaders, but the only way that will happen is we get out and vote with our guts, our minds, and our consciences. I sincerely hope that my fellow Alabamians will not stand by any longer and let Roy Moore continue to degrade what it means to be a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican." - Brett Walton, an accountant.

Of course all of this is anecdotal, and there certainly were voices on the other side of the dividing line.

One in particular, third generation Republican Ann Bennett, says she believes Moore, and sees the allegations as fabrications.

Ann Bennett

"I believe Roy Moore's denials because I believe he is a man of integrity. I don't know him personally, but I know people who do, and they say he is a man of integrity. When you don't know someone and are having to judge their character, we are told to know them by their fruit. He twice gave up one of the most powerful positions in Alabama for his principles, and suffered financial consequences for doing that. It would have been so easy to just agree with what the media urged him to do and keep his job and power. I don't know many people who will do that who have been elected to political office, and that looks like good fruit to me."

The only young Republican who was willing to go on the record with me in support of Moore had this to say:

Dylan Smith and Roy Moore

"The Democrats can't run on their radical liberal agenda of big government, open borders, and unrestricted abortion. I firmly support Judge Moore because he will fight for the values of hard working, God-fearing Alabamians. I want the debt reduced, taxes cut, Obamacare repealed, and our liberty protected. Judge Moore is a constitutional conservative who has shown throughout a lifetime of service that he is willing to stand up and fight for principle." - Dylan Smith, works in banking.

Whether or not Roy Moore wins this Senate race, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: the Republican party is heading toward a reckoning. The question they should consider when discussing if they will continue supporting Moore is whether or not it is worth the long-term ramifications putting down their names as in support of an accused child molester.

Kids these days aren't supporting Roy Moore. Where will that leave the Republican party when these "kids" start running for office?