The meanings of the Doug Jones election

Doug Jones won the Senate race in Alabama.

And now the long arguments over how to interpret it have already begun.

Here are some notable Twitter reactions:

Dear White People... pic.twitter.com/Y5eWxD0FX1

— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) December 13, 2017

White people, y’all gotta get it together. pic.twitter.com/THek4WkTTN

— Imani Gandy Canes (@AngryBlackLady) December 13, 2017

Charlie Pierce reminds us of the likely symbolic importance of the fact that Jones had prosecuted two of the KKK Birmingham church bombers. (Doug Jones triumphs in an Alabama Senate race that conjured a deadly church bombing Washington Post 12/12/2017)

I come away believing that Jones's prosecution of the Klan bombers had a deeper and more abiding resonance than anyone understood.

— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) December 13, 2017

Responding to the pundit conventional wisdom that Doug Jones would have had a chance to win if only he'd been anti-abortion:

OH HEY JUST A REMINDER THAT DOUG JONES IS A DEMOCRAT WHO HAS STOOD UP FOR ABORTION RIGHTS IN ALABAMA

— Erin Matson (@erintothemax) December 13, 2017

He also identifies with labor unions more than corporate Democrats do:

A candidate not afraid to wear a union button in the South just won public office.

The tide is, well, rolling #OrganizeTheSouth https://t.co/OXCw0cGxMs

— Mike Elk (@MikeElk) December 13, 2017

The guy who championed the 50 state strategy as chair of the Democratic National Committee had this observation. Which is dead right:

This puts the US Senate in play in 2018. NEVER EVER GIVE UP ON ANY STATE

— Howard Dean (@GovHowardDean) December 13, 2017

Elizabeth Warren's message was general and chipper:

We elected a Democrat in deep red Alabama tonight. Why? Because @GDouglasJones was a great candidate. We had the right message. We had the wind in our sails. And we fought our hearts out.

— Elizabeth Warren (@elizabethforma) December 13, 2017

Democratic base turnout is critical. That requires organization at the local level and it requires candidates to motivate their supporters to turn out. And seeing their elected Democratic representatives seriously fighting for Democratic priorities like Social Security and Medicare and a peace-oriented foreign policy is a big part of motivating the base.