Republicans are publicly standing by their man, Herschel Walker. This may seem absurd on some level, given the litany of scandals revealing the multi-layered hypocrisy and unpredictability of their favorite former N.F.L. heartthrob “womb to the tomb” candidate. Despite Walker decrying “fatherless households,” the Daily Beast’s Roger Sollenberger revealed this summer that he has as many as three secret children. Sollenberger also reported this week that Walker subsidized an abortion for a woman that he impregnated. (Walker has denied this and threatened to sue the pants off The Beast, although he hasn’t followed through. Other mainstream outlets have not verified the claims.) And these revelations are heaped atop Walker’s ex-wife’s claim that he once tried to kill her. (Walker has offered various responses, including telling ABC News in 2008 that he “probably did it” but did not remember, possibly due to psychological issues.) Anyway, a complicated candidate.

Cynically, it’s late in the game for Republicans, fighting for a highly contested Senate majority, to completely drop Walker given that their path to a majority is largely predicated on his race. “What a fucking disaster, we just ride this to the end,” said one Republican strategist consulting other Senate campaigns, but speaking for many in this town. “We’re not going to switch candidates at this point, but we can’t lose Georgia and win the majority.”