The Bubble: Roy Moore the victim of an 'orchestrated hit,' Bannon says

William Cummings | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption McConnell reiterates 'Moore should step aside' Repeating assertions that GOP candidate Roy Moore should step aside in the Alabama Senate race runoff, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he has spoken to both President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in recent days. (Nov. 14)

Each week, USA TODAY's OnPolitics blog takes a look at how media from the left and the right reacted to a political news story, giving liberals and conservatives a peek into the other's media bubble.

This week, commentators from the left and the right reacted to allegations that the Republican candidate in Alabama's Senate race, Roy Moore, had pursued teenage girls about 40 years ago, when he was in his 30s. One of those women said she had sexual contact with him when she was only 14.

Some conservatives, like Breitbart News' Steve Bannon, are standing by Moore, saying he is the victim of a conspiracy between establishment Republicans and the liberal media. Others say defending Moore could do lasting damage to the GOP's reputation.

Liberals, on the other hand, roundly condemned Moore and his supporters for defending "child molestation."

Last week: Prayer and good guys with guns fall short, liberals say

From the right: It was a 'Republican operative hit on Judge Moore'

Breitbart News Executive Chairman Bannon called the allegations against Moore "an orchestrated hit from the Uniparty." He said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell worked with the Washington Post, which is "lying about this," in "concocting" the accusations about Moore.

"The key thing here is the opposition party is working with establishment Republicans," he said.

Bannon said establishment Republicans like McConnell "would rather be in the minority and control the Republican apparatus" so that "they can suck out a lot of money." Noting "what's good for the goose is good for the gander," Bannon said he is looking at "some controversial things that we haven’t brought to light" about McConnell and the Kentucky senator's "earlier life."

More: Mitch McConnell says Roy Moore 'not fit' to serve in the Senate, won't rule out expulsion option

From the left: If Republicans believe Moore accusers, 'why not Trump's?'

Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus wants to know why Republicans like McConnell believe the women accusing Moore when they ignored the women who made accusations against President Trump.

The difference, Marcus concludes, is that "Republicans can afford to throw Moore under the bus," but they "could not risk losing the presidency, even if it meant electing Trump."

And as for those who argue, "What about the accusations against Bill Clinton?" Marcus said, "give it a rest."

"Bill Clinton is not the president," Marcus said. "Hillary Clinton is not the president. Trump is. He’s the one whose conduct, present and past, remains relevant, and for which he and his party should finally be held to account."

Opinion: President Trump needs to push Roy Moore out of Alabama Senate race

From the right: Bannon making a 'terrible mistake'

Bannon is "doubling down" on Moore because he believes "politics is a form of warfare in which no quarter can be given," Jonathan Tobin wrote for National Review. But Bannon may be making a "terrible mistake" in sticking with the former judge because there is a "new awareness about sexual assault" that could transcend politics, Tobin said.

While Tobin understands Bannon's concerns about media bias and liberal hypocrisy, he said the evidence against Moore is too damning to hide behind those excuses. And he believes being on the wrong side of history on this issue could have long-term costs.

"While many on the right are still thinking of this as just another battle in the long culture war between right and left, religious conservatives need to ponder whether their cause will be damaged by the widespread disgust for Moore," Tobin said.

"Holding your nose and voting for Trump was one thing. Backing a man accused of assault is quite another," Tobin added (without ever mentioning that several women did, in fact, accuse Trump of assault).

More: Woman says Roy Moore attacked her in a car when she was 16

From the left: Moore looks like 'king of hypocrisy'

"For decades, one of the most sanctimonious moralizers in American politics has been Roy Moore, the longtime Bible-thumper in Alabama who crusaded against gays, transgender people, Islam and 'sexual perversion,'" wrote Nicholas Kristof for The New York Times. And the accusations against Moore appear to show he has been "the king of hypocrisy."

Kristof said it was "staggering to see 'family values' conservatives making excuses for child molestation" and citing "the Bible to defend child molestation."

"If you find yourself excusing child molestation, then you are driven not by morality or faith, but simply by the emptiest kind of tribalism," he said.

More: Roy Moore questions timing of allegations, says 'revelations about motivations' coming

From the right: Don't blame Moore's supporters for sticking with him

Eric Erickson said he doesn't blame Moore's supporters for standing by him and that they don't deserve to be attacked for it.

Erickson admits the facts against Moore are "pretty damning" and that if he lived in Alabama, he would likely stay home on Election Day. But he said he understands Moore's supporters because "the other side is bent on their destruction and they think, rightly, that Roy Moore is the only one standing with them."

We can say character counts. But they believe character and morals count too and while they might find Moore's actions reprehensible, they know the other side won't be happy until their kids are brainwashed into thinking boys can be girls, a baby's brains can be harvested with taxpayer subsides, and guns should be made extinct ... If you're demanding the other side surrender in the culture war, don't be surprised when they're willing to stand with people they'd never otherwise consider in the name of protecting themselves and their families.

Max Boot: Roy Moore response shows GOP deserves to die

From the left: 'Not even pedophilia is out of bounds' for Christian right

"Roy Moore, Republican candidate for Senate and alleged child molester, enjoys much of his political longevity to his celebrity status within the Christian right," wrote the New Republic's Sarah Jones. "The gay bashing, the Ten Commandments fetish, barring Muslims from serving in Congress — Moore’s most extreme positions are precisely what makes him a beloved figure to so many white evangelicals."

And Jones believes those supporters will stand by Moore thanks to the power of the "evangelical martyrdom complex."

"In their view, Moore has taken public stands for the word of God, and now the secular world is punishing him for his righteousness," Jones wrote. "What animates this movement is a sense of persecution; after all, you can’t be part of a faithful remnant unless you are surrounded by enemies."

Jones also cited a "general disdain for women" as another reason evangelicals will stay with Moore.

This is the upsetting truth: Religious traditions that embrace retrograde beliefs—that female sexuality somehow endangers men, that women should submit to men in the home and in the public sphere—aren’t equipped to deal with accusations of abuse.

More: Roy Moore scandal: Senate victory would be toxic for religious right

More: OnPolitics Today: Roy Moore v. the GOP