Regardless of party affiliation, any objective observer ought to recognize the role party sponsored machine politics has played and is playing in today’s two party political system. In Chicago, one had to be sanctioned by the Daley family to get elected. In all likelihood, our current president, arguably a closeted moderate, had to run as a Democrat in order to get past first base. Here in the West, getting past first base usually means one has to be a Republican. The list of successful Democrats in Arizona is a short one. Outside of Tucson, Terry Goddard and Janet Napolitano pretty much comprise the entire list. And both of them had unique circumstances propelling them forward, inept machine opponents.
Look at what political endorsements are sought in primary elections. Heading the list has been Joe Arpaio’s. He also has been an elector, a person who appears on the ballot for selection to a trip to Washington to cast our collective vote for president, a prestigious yet archaic practice if ever there was one.
Things might be changing. Arpaio stood fast behind his candidate for Senator from Mesa’s District 18, his former lieutenant Russell Pearce. And Pearce championed SB1070, a means to put Sheriff Joe back into the illegal alien profiling business, a business recently taken away from him by federal authorities. After a lifetime of being a Federal Authority, one would expect Joe to understand how the machine works. But maybe he never caught on.
Regardless, Russell Pearce now lies in the dust. The party machine failed to deliver him from his disappointed voters. The machine antics played did not work. Does this mean Jerry Lewis will be Pearce’s permanent replacement? Heck no. Does this mean District 18 voters are catching on? Perhaps.
It took another registered Republican to unseat Pearce. And the machine likely will be oiled next time around. Should Pearce get the nod again from the party machine to run in the next primary, Lewis is likely to go down, unless of course SB1070 dies at the U.S. Supreme Court, then Lewis just might win. Or Lewis might try changing party affiliation to Democrat. Then at least we might see another Pearce vs. Lewis general election!
Dale Whiting (Registered Republican)
Chandler
Dale Whiting posted at 1:26 am on Fri, Nov 11, 2011.
[wink] It's 1:25 a.m.!
Rational Human posted at 10:37 am on Fri, Nov 11, 2011.
His disappointed voters? Pearce was defeated by democrats and a few moderate republicans that put the bishop over the top in what was essentially a republican primary where democrats were allowed to vote. Most of the democrats hate Pearce for his stance on illegal immigration. That is the only reason Pearce lost and you know that Dale, so why write such meaningless tripe so early in the morning? The trib must really love your nonsense for them to have rammed this meaningless garbage through so fast. Really speaks loudly of the tribs politics.
bobunf posted at 11:39 am on Fri, Nov 11, 2011.
The latest results show Lewis with nearly a 12 point lead over Pearce - 55.2 versus 43.6 - and that lead will increase as the rest of the late "early" ballots and provisional ballots are processed today. Lewis will probably wind up with a 14 point lead.
That's more than "a few moderate republicans." It's a very substantial win.
You sure have a weird argument: that only Republicans should get to decide who will be the Senator from District 18.
Rational Human posted at 2:23 pm on Fri, Nov 11, 2011.
Lewis thinks Arizona is a racist state because of SB1070 and he supports amnesty. Do you think district18 republicans will vote for him in the upcoming republican primary? I think almost any other republican including Pearce can beat him in the republican primary where only republicans can vote, and a dumbocrat can't win there in a conservative republican district. I never said only republicans should get to decide who will be the senator from district 18. Kind of a retarded statement on your part bob. Maybe you fail to understand what really occurred in this recall election. All of the Pearce hating libertards like yourself and a few moderate republicans decided who the winner was. This will be corrected next election. Don't stop celebrating though. You helped waste up to 350k on a meaningless election getting revenge on the father of the much hated SB1070 that upwards of 70% of Arizonians support. 100k on the election itself and another 260k on the amount the state will have to reimburse Pearce for defending his office. A 14 point lead you say? That about sums up how many moderate republicans are in Mesa. That about sums up the percentage of votes the bishop will get in the upcoming republican primary as well.
Dale Whiting posted at 5:13 pm on Fri, Nov 11, 2011.
Actrually Irrational/Inhuman Individual,
It was 1:25 a.m. Friday morning when I noticed that my piece written at about 8 a.m. two days earlier had been selected for printing. Notice that it had been placed on line 10 minutes earlier!
Have any of your pieces ever been selected? Or have you been able to but coherent thoughts together sufficiently to attract the attention of journalists? The answers to both questions are resounding NO's.
As much in error as Pearce was for introducing SB1070 [a law founded upon unconstitutional grounds], his errors became compounded by the campaign tricks others played, either with our without his permission. That's what really sank Russell Pearce. It would be telling for Russell to reveal just who was behind his push to get this bill out. But as I observed, machine politics demands absolute devotion. So Russell must keep his lips sealed tight!
Cerulean posted at 7:43 pm on Fri, Nov 11, 2011.
Dale,
Your letter is interesting, and so is your comment to Rational: "So Russell must keep his lips sealed tight!" Inquiring minds want to know 'who was behind the push to get the bill out?'
We may never know, but it was worth the thought.
Dale Whiting posted at 8:27 am on Sat, Nov 12, 2011.
P.S. from Dale to the Neo-cons on this site.
The % of Republicans in Arizona now supporting what is in effect comprehensive immigration reform, i.e. a pathway to citizenship, provided difficult steps are undertaken by the illegal alien applicant, is 69, better than 2/3rds, this according to our own Morrision Institute.
Will the neo-cons fall in behind? I doubt it! But if all Independents and all Democrats join in with 2/3rd of us Republicans, our Republican Machine may have to drop its support of SB1070 and maybe even Joe Arpaio and Russell Pearce. Those numbers are imposing! ! !
Accuracy posted at 11:44 am on Sat, Nov 12, 2011.
Dale Whiting posted: ......"Republican Machine may have to drop its support of SB1070 and maybe even Joe Arpaio and Russell Pearce."
Goes to show that Dale is claiming to be a registered Republican who is in complete agreement with Obama, the ACLU and the National Immigration Law Center when it comes to anti-illegal immigration laws.
Asserting a possible contradiction. While, Arizona officials contend the SB1070 law is an attempt to cooperate with federal officials, and it's the only way to defend this state from a surge of people arriving illegally.
Dale Whiting posted at 4:57 pm on Sun, Nov 13, 2011.
Accuracy,
Your list of people with whom I appear to be in agreement is incomplete. Add to it Governors George W Bush, Rick Perry, Ronald Reagan, Bill Richardson and Senator John McCain [at least version 1.0 of McCain]. Not sure about Arnold. But he'll be back!