Sen. John McCain Survives Arizona Primary Battle
He’s seemingly immune from “Anti-Incumbent Fever”.
While I had hoped Dr. Kelli Ward would be the Republican candidate for Arizona’s U.S. Senate seat, it looks like Senator John McCain is immune from “anti-incumbent fever” and handily won Tuesday’s primary battle.
U.S. Sen. John McCain beat back a primary challenge Tuesday from a Republican tea party activist to win the right to seek a sixth Senate term in November, clearing an important hurdle in a race that was inundated with questions about GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump.
The 2008 GOP presidential nominee easily defeated former state Sen. Kelli Ward and two other Republicans on the ballot.
He faces a tough Democratic challenge in the November general election from U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick. She advanced Tuesday after facing only a write-in opponent in the primary.
I don’t know if the November battle will be all that challenging, as indicated by a glimpse of the RealClearPolitics poll summary.
The fight for the newly open U.S. House of Representatives seat that Kirkpatrick is vacating was more robust:
A wild GOP primary campaign in Kirkpatrick’s open district has ensued. There are six candidates. The most competitive are Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, Air Force veteran Wendy Rogers, former Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett, and Ken Giehne, who was Kirkpatrick’s opponent in 2014.
At the time of this report, the votes were still being tallied and Paul Babeu was up by a couple of thousand votes over his closest challenger, Wendy Rogers.
Living in California, my choice for U.S. Senator will be between an ultra-progressive Democratic Attorney General who wants to punish climate change deniers and a poorly funded Democratic Congresswoman who doesn’t have glamor or political connections. Two guesses as to which one is currently way ahead in the polls, and the first one doesn’t count.
So, I will be living vicariously through other national races. I was hoping that Arizonans would give McCain a much earned retirement at this point, and opt for new Senator with fresh ideas and the will to fight for real change.
Alas, it is not to be. Good thing I have gotten used to living with political disappointment in the past 8 years.
Now, I am going to have to look around for another Senate race to adopt for November’s election. Any suggestions?
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Comments
Kelli Ward is a nut job. Look up her position on “chemtrails”, which she backed off on only after she decided to run. Look up her position on Cliven Bundy.
I was born in Arizona. I have kept an eye on John “Keating 5” McCain for many years. I prefer a US Senator that doesn’t think bombing is the go-to solution to problems in other countries.
I can only hope there are enough folks like me who are independent (formerly Republican), fed up with McCain and willing to vote for Kirkpatrick to get his ass out of the Senate. He’s a Democrat in an elephant suit & would cast the precisely same votes Kirkpatrick would so it’s a no lose situation. In fact, her ads have been more hawkish/conservative than McCain’s so far, but this is Arizona where campaign bait/switch lies are the norm – “Build the dang fence!”
Roberta McCain (born February 7, 1912) is the centenarian widow of Admiral John S. McCain, Jr. (married from 1933 to 1981, his death) and mother of the Republican Arizona Senator and two-time Presidential candidate John S. McCain III.
McCain comes from a long line of honorable people (who have long lives) – don’t be so quick to degenerate a hero.
John McCain received the following medals and decorations:
Naval Aviator badge
Silver Star
Legion of Merit with Combat Distinguishing Device and one star
Distinguished Flying Cross
Bronze Star with Combat Distinguishing Device and two stars Purple Heart with one star (Trump was handed one/never having served)
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal with one star and Strike/Flight numeral “2”
Navy Commendation Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device and one star
Combat Action Ribbon
Prisoner of War Medal
Navy Expeditionary Medal
National Defense Service Medal with one star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Vietnam Service Medal with two stars
Commander of the National Order of Vietnam
Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation
Vietnam Campaign Medal
denigrate NOT degenerate – spell check is not always your fiend/friend.
Then please explain to those of us who fail to see his worth or value. This country needs leaders, men and women, who are courageous, steadfast, and morally strong. I woke this AM to the news that John and Little Debbie were IN for November, and I felt sick. Maybe this is God’s Way of preparing me for a Hilly victory. See, to me, McCain SHOULD have been able to clean the floor with a communist–in one sense, I blame JM for the past 8 years.
McCain has dishonorably & repeatedly SOLD OUT his country to the Globalists, thereby denigrating himself and his “honors.”
John McCain’s patriotism is not in question. Nor is his heroism as he returned with honor after 6+ years as a POW. Thank God for men and women like him who are willing to risk it all in defense of their country. Similarly, millions of Americans have taken the same Oath to the Constitution and risked their lives.
However, that alone does not qualify them for an appointment to the Senate for life. Votes must be earned and his eagerness to go along with Progressives and Globalists and shun Conservative Tea Party types wouldn’t earn a vote from me.
The bottom line is McCain acquired Stockholm Syndrome while a prisoner of war, and carries it with him today: he purportedly gives his body to the GOP, but his mind is with his democrat captors.
I don’t judge a persons worthiness to be a senator by his ribbons and badges. I will judge him on his record and he has never been a friend of veterans and there are plenty of young men and women who could use a friend in Washington. McCain needs to just leave.
Using medal math, Truman should have stepped down and McArthur should have become president. The heroes are in cemeteries.
IIRC, Chawley Rangel was an Army guy in Korea, and won a Bronze Star. Love and appreciate his service.
Hate and deplore his conduct in office. Different cubbyholes.
Leslie, this is not an insurgent primary. The RINO incumbents got re-elected in the primaries.
Most of the anger was generated from within our own ranks, by supposedly conservative media with an agenda to make money, not advance the ball.
But irrespective of that, you can’t beat something with nothing, and even when you do – think Christine O’Donnell – they lose the general. Ward believes in chemtrail conspiracies, for crying out loud! You thought she was going to beat McCain? Well, if you did, you’re an idiot.
Incumbents aren’t easy to unseat, but if you run nuts against them, it is even harder.
Kelli Ward: I don’t believe in ‘chemtrails’
http://www.azcentral.com/story/azdc/2015/04/18/kelli-ward-i-dont-believe-in-chemtrails/25968215/
“I am not a witch”.
“I don’t really have any opinions about ‘chemtrails’ one way or the other,” Ward told The Republic at the time. “I think that environmental quality, though, is very important.”
As I wrote, she modified her position on this AFTER she decided to run. And what about Cliven?
Looks like an exciting fall matchup, John ‘Cadaver’ McCain vs Ann ‘Braindead’ Kirkpatrick. Who says that democracy isn’t vibrant and alive?
I live in AZ and other than some street signs and some TV as the election date neared, I saw very little campaigning from Kelli Ward. She was either poorly funded, lackadaisical or didn’t have any confidence in her own campaign.