Senator Kyl’s wake-up call
Last week I read a post over at Sonoran Alliance about Senator Kyl pointing a finger of blame at the AZGOP. This post was parallel to an article published in the Sierra Vista Herald about the Senator meeting with local political activists and community leader groups in Sierra Vista.
This article in the Herald quoted Senator Kyl as saying, “I don’t think the state party is doing everything it can.” As well as saying that the state of the Arizona Republican Party is not good.
Needless to say, quite a stir has been created in the blogosphere and Arizona political community, and I really had to wonder why the Senator would make such a statement, especially to a group of party activists. Well after speaking to a member of the Kyl Senatorial staff, things became much more clear.
What I learned was that Senator Kyl was simply summing up the numbers he sees being produced by the AZGOP. Those numbers being voter registrations and dollars raised. The Senator believes that these numbers are not what they should be. Between April and July 3,619 news Republicans were registered in Maricopa County. The Democrats registered 10,036 of their own. The most astonishing number was 14,007 new Independent registrations. The total Maricopa registrations are 641,630 GOP; 453,289 DEM; and 423,871 IND.
Statewide things aren’t looking any better. Between April and July 4,288 new Republicans were registered. The D’s grabbed 14,313. Again, the surprising number was the new Independent registration at 39,782. The totals statewide are now 1,023,508 GOP; 873,301 DEM, and 2,649,367 IND.
As far as money goes I’m not sure what the AZGOP has raised, but I’ve been told it is next to nothing. Now one could make the argument that Republicans still have the advantage, but I’m confident that the Senator is more interested in keeping our distance far ahead of the Democrats, and trying to bring more Independents into our camp.
So what Senator Kyl is trying to tell us faithful Republicans is that we may be a Red State, but we don’t have the luxury of our Republican-edge being self-sustaining. We Republicans need to keep up the fight. When we are a united party, we win. So the work is far from over and we have 14 months in which to do what is necessary to deliver Arizona to our Republican nominee and take back CD5 and CD8, as well as keep CD1.
Thank you for the wake-up call, Senator Kyl.
Ever watchful, ever mindful.
The Guard
Arizona Watchtower
26 September, 2007 at 12:53 am
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http://www.mikehuckabee.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=VerticalDay.Home&l=0A8242CD3D2CBFD6D6C0957CD339A949
26 September, 2007 at 3:03 am
What a load of crap. If Senator Kyl wants to complain, maybe he should start helping out. Oh, wait, maybe another amnesty bill will really pump up the numbers. You people are stupid.
26 September, 2007 at 4:04 am
“The most astonishing number was 14,007 new Independent registrations…”
The Honorable Gentleman from Arizona well knows that his stubborn allegiance to the Administration’s hemispheric vision of the SPP and open borders well drove thousands in Arizona to re-register Independent and quit the GOP.
“As far as money goes I’m not sure what the AZGOP has raised, but I’ve been told it is next to nothing.”
Then sir, you are not qualified to comment. But since you have, you are passing along rumors which do nothing for the unity of which you speak.
“…do what is necessary to deliver Arizona to our Republican nominee and take back … CD8, as well as keep CD1.”
Perhaps IF the party had fallen behind the winner of the 2006 Primary in CD8 (in compliance with RR’s 11th Commandment) and fully supported “our candidate” in spite of the differences in the Big Tent - then perhaps CD8 would not be occupied by a Democrat today.
A side note: When well known Republican Women openly support a Democrat for Governor, and a Democrat for CD8 how can the AzGOP win those seats? BTW: my charges here can be documented.
There are two lessons to learn: United we stand and divided we fall; and a top-down management model of government is no Republic.