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The Spectacle Blog
Today on the main site I wrote about a contentious Republican primary that will be decided tomorrow. I didn’t mention another contentious Republican primary being held tomorrow: the race between John McCain and J.D. Hayworth. If the polls are accurate, McCain is poised to win renomination. The Washington Post looked at how McCain turned back the Tea Party tide in Arizona:
McCain was particularly concerned about the Club for Growth, the anti-tax, anti-spending organization. It has been involved in many Republican primaries, and in May helped defeat Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah) in his bid for re-nomination.
McCain sought out leaders of the organization. He knew they might still be unhappy about his vote against the Bush tax cuts and disagreed with him on campaign finance reform. But he argued that, under Obama, government spending was now the big issue, and said that on that issue he had a solid conservative record compatible with theirs.
McCain also knew that Hayworth was handicapped in portraying himself as a small-government conservative because of his record of supporting earmarks as a member of the House. McCain attacked Hayworth as a pork-barrel spender and lobbyist, challenging his posture as a Washington outsider. The Club for Growth stayed out of Arizona.
“McCain took Hayworth very seriously very early in ways that other presumptive winners didn’t,” said one conservative strategist who declined to be identified in order to speak candidly. “If Bob Bennett had McCain’s political instincts, he might have been able to save himself.”
A lot of the establishment candidates who have lost Republican primaries to insurgents this year ran horrible races. Trey Grayson, Jane Norton, Bob Bennett were objectively bad candidates. Sue Lowden ran a decent race for most of the year but tripped up massively as she approached this finish line. A lot of criticisms can be made of McCain, but the way he’s run this race isn’t one of them. (Though you could wonder where this McCain was during the 2008 presidential election.)
ncatty| 8.23.10 @ 4:22PM
At his age and station in life, McCain must think he is an "indispensable man." You know where there are plenty of those.
Tim*| 8.23.10 @ 5:44PM
" The organizers of the four largest Arizona Tea Party organizations – including the Tucson Tea Party, Greater Phoenix Tea Party, Flagstaff Tea Party, and Mohave County Tea Party – issued a joint press release regarding their unified decision to decline endorsing a candidate in the Arizona Senate primary race between John McCain, J.D. Hayworth, and Jim Deakin.
“The Tea Party is a non-partisan, grassroots movement that stands for limited government, free markets, and fiscal responsibility. Both McCain and Hayworth’s records during their many years in Washington leave much to be desired on these issues,” said Robert Mayer, co-founder of the Tucson Tea Party. “It is their job to hold themselves up to these values and fight for our votes.”…
Some other Tea Party Groups endorsed.
Yosemeti Sam| 8.24.10 @ 12:59AM
" ... (Though you could wonder where this McCain was during the 2008 presidential election.)"
AWOL!
This spellbound politico from ARIZONA has served enough time - he and Kyl - to make his representative state the haven for illegals gatecrashers that were allowed to fan out across the 48!
Ryan| 8.24.10 @ 8:17AM
I think what we're seeing here isn't even a "lesser of the two evils" situation, simply because it's so hard to tell.
McCain could have been defeated by the right candidate. Hayworth isn't it.
C Bowen| 8.24.10 @ 8:44AM
McCain did spend close to $20 million on a primary. That's tough for anyone to beat, especially a flawed alternative.
dandy dale| 8.24.10 @ 9:21AM
On amnesty, McLame "was for it before he was against it". The war hero left 2500 MIA in Vietnam in order to normalize relations. 17% unemployed, he wants expanded NAFTA. He has done an admirable job fooling the people to vote for him as a conservative. Look at his voting record in the past, more of the same in the future, "We must reach across the aisle" to compromise. He and his ilk have compromised the Constitution. Same with Gingrich.
Paul Zummo | 8.24.10 @ 9:45AM
It truly is amazing, but it seems the main way to motivate John McCain during an election is to put an -R next to his opponent's name.