Quantcast
Channel: Rum, Romanism and Rebellion » Raul Grijalva
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 5

No Big Surprise

0
0

Becky Pallack has a story in this morning’s Star about national Republicans throwing in the towel on the CD 3 race.

I’m always struck that people are shocked about how resilient Raúl Grijalva is. The Republicans had their best shot at taking him down in 2010, when the national mood gave every Democrat a strong headwind and the Republicans had a decent candidate. Grijalva’s ill preparedness that year and the boycott didn’t help either. Still, they couldn’t do it.

I’m sure the Republicans are blaming redistricting, but they really have to look at the rhetoric that comes from their state leadership and their own very poor candidate for thirty to forty point drubbing they are about to take in CD 3.

Early on in the campaign, Grijalva pointed out that for all the rhetoric about his being “out of touch” with the district, none of the opponents he had drawn at that point actually lived in the district. It illustrates something I’ve seen for a while. I hear knocks along the lines of “how does he keep getting elected?” from people (even Democrats sometimes) who don’t live in the district. Well, maybe he actually knows what his constituents are concerned about? Maybe they agree with him?

The whole “how does he get elected?” thing doesn’t seem to get asked about, say, Trent Franks for some reason.

By the way, ever notice how many Gabriela Saucedo Mercer stickers you see on pickup trucks in Eastside driveways? Not in the district either.

It’s been a funny thing to watch for a while. When I attended the 2004 Democratic Convention, I chatted with a columnist for the Republic who was still in shock that Grijalva won the primary in 2002. He wasn’t a fave of the money folks in Phoenix, after all. That was supposed to trump being active in the community of the folks that were going to be voting, I guess.

Yep, Saucedo Mercer has been cut off from the NRCC. It would be nice to say that it is because she’s a wingnut, but they are spending money on Steve King’s race after all. Let’s not give them too much credit.

By the way, let’s not pretend that the Republican establishment has cut her off completely. That recent kerfuffle about the governor cancelling an appearance not with standing, la Cervecera didn’t withdraw her endorsement and Saucedo Mercer is still considered polite company in Republican circles.


Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 5

Latest Images

Trending Articles





Latest Images