So Russell Pearce filled out some paperwork that suggests he might (or rather, could) run for a state Senate seat from a newly and differently configured Mesa district.
There is no "Dracula" clause for public officials removed from office via recall - Arizona's constitution only allows the Legislature the power to ban an impeached-and-removed elected official from ever seeking state office again - so Pearce is free to run again.
Pearce is keeping his options open, although less than one year between his ouster in November to the primary next August may be too brief a time for voters to believe Pearce will be offering something new.
Political comebacks, real and attempted, are nothing new in American politics, of course. People who run for office tend to think very highly of themselves, even to the point where they feel called by the greater good - rather than by actual voters - to serve even after being turned out of office.
The most successful comeback kid was Grover Cleveland. He won an election for president in 1884, lost in 1888 and sat out four years, then ran again in 1892 and won, becoming the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms.
Richard Nixon lost his 1960 bid for the presidency then a race for California governor in 1962, when he made an election-night retirement announcement at what he himself referred to as his "last press conference." He sat out eight years and was elected president in 1968. There were more press conferences.
In the losing column, William Jennings Bryan kept coming back and coming back, having been the Democratic presidential nominee three times in a row - 1896, 1900 and 1904 - and lost all three times. Here in Arizona, impeached-and-removed Gov. Evan Mecham tried a few years after leaving office in 1988 to win a U.S. Senate seat, but didn't get past the primary.
Pearce certainly hasn't been in hiding since his double-digit-percentage-point loss to state Sen. Jerry Lewis, R-Mesa. In the tradition of J.D. Hayworth, Pearce has got his own radio show. And last weekend he was handily elected first vice chairman of the state Republican Party by delegates in Phoenix.
Party faithful often hold differing views and priorities than most party voters. Phoenix New Times' Stephen Lemons reported last week that these same delegates also gave their preference for president in a straw poll whose results were: Ron Paul, 256; Newt Gingrich, 20; Mitt Romney, 17 and Rick Santorum, 8.
Never mind that among Arizona Republicans who don't attend party meetings, according to the latest Rocky Mountain Poll from the Phoenix-based Behavior Research Center, Romney holds a more than 27-point lead in advance of the state's Feb. 28 primary.
On that day Paul, who received only 4 percent in the poll behind Romney, Santorum and Gingrich, will be swamped. At least as far as Arizona is concerned, Paul is proving that, as important as they are, a candidate needs much more than party regulars to win an election.
In the new district where Pearce finds himself, if he won the primary election he'd be odds-on to win the general, because of the GOP voter-registration edge in that district. But that's a big if.
If Pearce runs again, he would almost certainly face a primary battle in which this time he would not be the incumbent. Recent realignment of legislative districts means that he is now living in a district where the sitting senator is Mesa's Rich Crandall.
One potential help to Pearce would be that in August, only Republicans and a smattering of independents will be casting primary ballots. Last fall, Democrats were allowed to vote in the recall, of course, and far more independents than will request a GOP ballot next August. But Pearce will have to show voters why Crandall should be replaced with him.
The Arizona political system is one in which primaries tend to produce candidates at the edges of the political spectrum. Only the most motivated voters show up in primary elections, and they tend to have the more out-there views. Meanwhile, only a smattering of independents, who aren't fond of political parties, vote in primaries.
The result is that in general elections we often must choose between very liberal Democrats and very conservative Republicans, neither of whom share most political views held by the 70 to 80 percent of us in the middle.
Try to move toward the center and you get pummeled from the edges. Romney feels that pain. So does Barack Obama, who as president often has disappointed liberals as much as he riles conservatives.
In the conservative East Valley, you don't have to move too much toward the center to win a legislative seat. But history has often shown that you must offer something new to voters if you're trying to mount a comeback, which by definition has voters asking you if there's anything new about you they already don't know.
Read Tribune contributing columnist Mark J. Scarp’s views here on Sundays. Watch his video commentaries on eastvalleytribune.com. Reach him at mscarp1@cox.net.
Carolyn posted at 9:32 am on Sat, Feb 4, 2012.
Russell Pearce - his arrogance is still evident!!!!! He is a disgrace to his church, the community, and Arizona - a CREEP EXTRAORDINAIRE!!
chatmandu002 posted at 9:46 am on Sat, Feb 4, 2012.
Go Russell. And Please Mr Scrap don't imply that President Obama is anything other than a far left socialist democrat.
Accuracy posted at 11:00 am on Sat, Feb 4, 2012.
Mark J. Scarp interpreted: “- so Pearce is free to run again.”
Yes, and the U.S. Supreme Court’s action to rule and decide on the Arizona’s SB 1070 law will be just in time to impact that Arizona November election.
Arizona illegal immigration (SB 1070) law is a lawful supplement to, rather than unconstitutional invasion of, the federal government's comprehensive immigration laws.
Conservative Russell Pearce, who wrote the Arizona laws that made changes to laws relating to the enforcement of federal and state illegal immigration laws, is confident the high court will rule in Arizona's favor. "This is a states-rights battle more than anything else, and I predict a huge win," Pearce has said many times.
Just like Arizona employer-sanctions HB 2162 law (which penalizes businesses that knowingly hire “illegal immigrants”) that the U.S. Supreme Court concluded is constitutional.
Rich posted at 8:23 pm on Sat, Feb 4, 2012.
Let's make 'recall' a felony. Just a bigger jury and we are done with it. If you let his creep back into public life, you deserve what you get.
phxvato1202 posted at 9:14 am on Sun, Feb 5, 2012.
Pearce and brewer have said every court case that they would win and they seem to lose them all. thus the name for them LOSERS
ChillbertAZ posted at 2:26 pm on Sun, Feb 5, 2012.
Actually, they are losing because our judicial system is corrupt and so is our local government. The feds buy off or threaten anyone who may rule against them, and logic and common sense are a thing of the past. How can any of you be against SB1070? That's what Pearce was demonized for, just like Sheriff Joe is now. Go live in Los Angeles, and tell me you welcome these people into your state. That place is
a hell hole, and until people stop listening to the media and researching the real fact on their own, nothing will change.
Save Homeless Pets, Euthanize Liberals.
Cerulean posted at 9:00 pm on Sun, Feb 5, 2012.
Mark Scarp,
This is a good column, very well said. [smile]
tularockstar posted at 9:35 am on Mon, Feb 6, 2012.
Wow, the liberals are coming out of the woodwork for this one! I will keep supporting Pearce and Sheriff Joe as long as they are willing to serve the Arizona public! All of the demonizing and hatred have come from mainly the pro-illegal immigration lobbyist groups like La Raza, and the pro-amnesty liberals! Arizona will never become another sanctuary State like California, where the liberals are destroying it and people are leaving in droves! The Democraps will keep on taxing their residents to pay for the free services to illegals and those too lazy to work!
Rational Human posted at 11:07 am on Mon, Feb 6, 2012.
Ever wonder why carp and scarp rhyme? Very little worthy of commenting on here. Pearce is coming back as was expected and you liberals will just have to learn to live with it, but thanks again for wasting 200k that could have been better spent on the community. I heard Pearce may donate the money you will have to reimburse him for his defense of his office to helping to build the border fence since him and Joe have tons of donations for their campaigns. lol Your money helping to build a better tomorrow. lol Thanks liberals.
bobunf posted at 9:47 am on Tue, Feb 7, 2012.
Tea Party, quit quoting delusional nonsense.
I wonder if former Senator Pearce has called current Senator Pearce to congratulate him on his win. You know, the sportsman like thing to do when you lose.
Masterrogue666 posted at 12:31 pm on Tue, Feb 7, 2012.
I'd believe "Snopes" or Tea Party before I'd EVER believe you, bobunf.
Rational Human posted at 3:40 pm on Tue, Feb 7, 2012.
Bob the evidence of what this Obamanation is actually doing as quoted by Tea Party Patriot is pretty much self explanatory. I would expect even a liberal could see that. The only person that could ever remember going to school with the community organizer seems to know his stuff.
Rational Human posted at 8:13 am on Thu, Feb 9, 2012.
This country desperately needs patriots like Pearce to fight this new communist threat that has emerged.
OBAMA'S COLLEGE CLASSMATE SPEAKS OUT
By Wayne Allyn Root , June 6th, 2010
Barack Hussien Obama is no fool.
He is not incompetent.
To the contrary, he is brilliant.
He knows exactly what he's doing.
He is purposely overwhelming the U.S. Economy to create systemic failure.
Economic crisis and social chaos -- thereby destroying capitalism and
Our country from within.
Barack Hussien Obama was my college classmate
He is a devout Muslim do not be fooled.
Look at his Czars...anti-business..anti- American.
As Glenn Beck correctly predicted from day one!
Barack Hussien Obama is following the plan of Cloward & Piven,
two professors at Columbia University ..
They outlined a plan to socialize America by overwhelming the system.
With government spending and entitlement demands.
Add up the clues below. Taken individually they're alarming.
Taken as a whole, it is a brilliant, Machiavellian game plan to turn the United States into a socialist/Marxist state with a permanent majority,
That desperately needs government for survival ... and can be counted on
to always vote for bigger government.
Why not? They have no responsibility to pay for it.
Universal Health Care .
The health care bill had very little to do with health care. It had everything to do with unionizing millions of hospital and health care workers, as well as adding 15,000 to 20,000 new IRS agents (who will join government employee unions).
Obama doesn't care that giving free health care to 30 million Americans
will add trillions to the national debt.
What he does care about is that it cements the dependence of those 30 million voters to Democrats and big government .
Who but a socialist revolutionary would pass this reckless spending bill
In the middle of a depression?
Cap & Trade.
Like health care legislation having nothing to do with health care, Cap & Trade has nothing to do with global warming.
It has everything to do with redistribution of income, with government in control of the economy and a criminal payoff to Obama's biggest contributors.
Those powerful and wealthy unions and contributors (like GE, which owns NBC, MSNBC and CNBC) can then be counted on to support everything Obama wants.
They will kick-back hundreds of millions of dollars in contributions to Obama and the Democratic Party to keep them in power.
The bonus is that all the new taxes on Americans with bigger cars,
bigger homes and businesses helps Obama "spread the wealth around."
Make Puerto Rico a state. Why?
Who's asking for a 51st state?
Who's asking for millions of new welfare recipients and government
entitlement addicts in the middle of a depression? Certainly not American taxpayers.
But this has been Barack Hussien Obama's plan all along.
His goal is to add two new Democrat senators, five Democrat congressman and a million loyal Democratic voters who are dependent on big government.
Legalize 12 million illegal Mexican immigrants.
Just giving these 12 million potential new citizens free health care alone could overwhelm the system and bankrupt America .
But it adds 12 million reliable new Democrat voters who can be counted
on to support big government.
Add another few trillion dollars in welfare, aid to dependent children, food stamps, free medical, education, tax credits for the poor, and eventually Social Security .
Stimulus and bailouts. Where did all that money go?
It went to Democrat contributors, organizations (ACORN), and unions -- including billions of dollars to save or create jobs of government employees across the country.
It went to save GM and Chrysler so that their employees could keep paying union dues. It went to AIG so that Goldman Sachs could be bailed out (after giving Obama almost $1 million in contributions).
A staggering $125 billion went to teachers (thereby protecting their union dues).
All those public employees (unions) will vote loyally Democrat to protect their bloated salaries and pensions that are bankrupting America .
The country goes broke, future generations face a bleak future, but Obama, the Democrat Party, government, and the unions grow more powerful. The ends justify the means.
Raise taxes on small business owners, high-income earners, and job
creators. Put the entire burden on only the top 20 percent of taxpayers,
redistribute the income, punish success, and reward those who did
nothing to deserve it (except vote for Obama).
Reagan wanted to dramatically cut taxes in order to starve the government.
Barack Obama wants to dramatically raise taxes to starve his political opposition. With the acts outlined above, Barack Hussien Obama and his regime have created a vast and rapidly expanding constituency of voters dependent on big government; a vast privileged class of public employees (unions) who work for big government; and a government dedicated to destroying capitalism and installing themselves as socialist rulers by overwhelming the system.
Add it up and you've got the perfect Marxist scheme -- all devised by
my Columbia University college classmate Barack Hussien Obama
using the Cloward and Piven Plan ..
"Correctly attributed" says snopes!
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/overwhelm.asp
Welcome to the new Soviet Union folks.
In_God_We_Trust posted at 1:27 pm on Thu, Feb 9, 2012.
You ain't a kiddin' RH.
A firm overseen by one of President Barack Obama’s trade advisers has just announced plans to export 149 white-collar jobs — including numerous high-tech jobs — to an India-based info-tech firm.
The outsourcing announcement came during an election campaign in which Obama’s allies frequently lash former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for supposedly exporting jobs, and only two weeks after Obama showed he had little understanding of outsourcing in the high-tech sector.
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/02/09/obama-export-adviser-exports-jobs/#ixzz1luziv0Ql