From inside Washington John McCain spoke about being outside of Washington in order to remain inside Washington.
It was a hard line to sell.
Sarah Palin helped the medicine go down for Republicans disappointed with all the ADD aisle crossing, yet too disgusted with the idea of a third Clinton term to vote for anyone else.
This time the Maverick line has a snag.
Tea Party and Townhall protesters just lifted a seat from under the well-established Democrat tushy. If the Kennedy legend has gone the way of the world, then come August 24th, McCain might also find his incumbent entrenchment swept away with the bitter wind of dissatisfaction.
J.D. Hayworth, previous U.S. Congressman and conservative radio talk show host, has unofficially announced his soon-to-be official candidacy to take the Maverick to the mat in the primaries. Known for his aggressive soundbites as a Representative from 1995-2007, Hayworth’s announcement means the primary campaign for the Arizona seat just got interesting.
At the moment, Hayworth is billed as the underdog. He doesn’t have McCain’s $12 million in campaign cash and those verbose political experts are already doubtful the new kid on the block can raise the funds.
What he does have, however, is time. With seven months until the primaries, he could be an unexpected adversary to McCain’s moderate status.
Ask Martha Coakley. It’s tough to judge these newbies.
Rasmussen took a hypothetical poll in November 2009 between Hayworth and McCain. The results had both mavericks tied, though McCain has since gained a significant lead.
Hayworth also has the history of rushing in where RINOs fear to tread, being brazenly outspoken about immigration reform and border security which often placed him on the opposite side of President George W. Bush. His opposition to the Bush, as well as Obama, establishment, could recreate the Brown boon all over again.
And unluckily for McCain, this means Hayworth is also a member of the Maverick club. Maybe McCain can change his tag line to “free spirit”.
Arizona voters might also view Hayworth with nostalgic fondness, a possible shot in the arm for his campaign. His previous jaunt to Washington occurred during the Republican election dominance of 1994. Big government spending and a President with too much hot air and too many interns sent Democrats packing at historical numbers.
This time, with the crescendo of voter frustration, the 2010 mid-terms could be a complete house cleaning of incumbents with any Obama big spending residue on their hands.
For now, we watch and wait to see if, though a year late, the change has come.
January 23rd, 2010 at 10:17 pm
After what happened in MA, anything can happen in AZ!
January 23rd, 2010 at 11:14 pm
I’m disappointed in Sarah Palin’s decision to support his bid for reelection. McCain has endorsed Charlie Crist over the conservative Marco Rubio in Florida, Fiorina in California over the grass roots conservative Chuck DeVore’s, and Jane Norton in Colorado over two conservative candidates that are both beating Dem. Senator Michael Bennet in the polls. Every one of his candidates are RINO’s just like him.
Apparently, John McCain didn’t notice or understand what happened in Massachusetts either. He needs to go and Sarah needs to rethink her position.
January 24th, 2010 at 12:32 am
Oy FM, that’s the thinking that is getting the Dems in trouble this year. When you try to cookie cutter candidates based on a narrow caricature of conservatism, you get a 60-40 Senate. John McCain is a good conservative, and good for the party. He voted against the party on the socialist Bush’s massive prescription drug benefit boondoggle that you and your kids will be paying for forever. That sort of genuine fiscal conservatism got him attacked by morons like Limbaugh. Good on right to arms, good on abortion. Get over the 10% disagreements.
January 24th, 2010 at 6:34 am
I think that John McCain, with his leftest buddies in the Senate, proved that he cannot be trusted with the nations health,the McCain-Finegold bill was unconstitutional, and McCain knew it. That is enough reason not to vote for him. Why is it necessary to bring up Limbaugh?, he’s not an office holder.
January 24th, 2010 at 7:19 am
McCain is opposed online where people have freer speech, but he is loved by the MSM. I wonder if the news media can keep McCain in his tenured position?
January 24th, 2010 at 7:50 am
McCain bought into Cap-n-Trade and is also for Immigration Reform as are the people he endorses. We don’t need any more of McCain’s touchy-feely reaching across the aisle bullspit.
McCain is like the neglected skinny kid who keeps trying to befriend the bullies who repeatedly toss his tennis shoes over the power lines. He’s a freakin’ idiot!
January 24th, 2010 at 8:04 am
McCain, I read the post but didn’t realize it was you defending your namesake.
The conservative TEA Party movement as well as your average run-o-the-mill voter is tired of politicians who do not represent our best interests.
With an electorate angry with both the Democrats and Republicans, the time is now for conservatives to take back the Republican Party. The TEA Party movement is furious with McCain for undermining them in Colorado, Florida and California.
What good is it to have a majority if five or six RINO’S are going to constantly vote against the party?
January 24th, 2010 at 10:26 am
@F-Monkey:
“What good is it to have a majority if five or six RINO’S are going to constantly vote against the party?”
EXACTLY!!!!!!
January 24th, 2010 at 11:15 am
@FM,
You said: “The conservative TEA Party movement as well as your average run-o-the-mill voter is tired of politicians who do not represent our best interests.”
And it is upon this simple truth hat many of us are now standing. Dem, Repub, Independent, etc…If you don’t really LISTEN to us, then please allow us to show you the door.
America is done being the cannon fodder for 2 political parties who treat us like nothing more than property to be won in their endless quest for National Domination.
Nice post, Tara! Hope to see more of you around here!
January 24th, 2010 at 12:36 pm
Voters want a candidate that stands on a solid principle, no matter the question. You either believe government is the answer, or you don’t.
The in-betweeners only infuriate both sides. I don’t see that as compromise or “getting things done”. To me, that looks like a politician more concerned with his/her public opinion and less concerned about their job. They want to be liked. If you need a confidence booster, go to therapy. Do not run for office.
We don’t elect these people to create their own culture of personality. We elect them to do a job. And it’s way past time our Congressmen got back to producing positive results for the nation and worried less about being interviewed by Katie Couric.
And thanks for the shout out Donald!
January 25th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
The Tea Party Movement is an American tradition. It comes from a tradition of local home rule, where government was no further from the governed than one day’s horseback ride, and individual interests were more important than are community interests. That led to a more involved citizen, through town hall meetings and even vigilante movements. The Tea Party Movement is but an extension of these American traditions and perfectly correct. It is what the elite few who want to rule the many, as the current Democrat Party and many old-line Republicans, would oppose. The differences are cited in the Changing Face of Democrats, Our Libertarian Roots Lost, on Amazon and claysamerica.com.
January 25th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
I will vote for the democrat candidate or the tea party/libertarian candidate if the RINO Jon McShame (McCain) wins the establishment primary.
Let us get behind Hayworth now. McShame is using our money, $27 million of it, stolen by wall street banks. That was payoff for McShame supporting the bailouts and TARP.
Hayworth should simply run as the conservative independent. That way he saves $$$ by forgoing the corrupt GOP primary.
Palin is a RINO traitor. Boycott her on Fox.
January 29th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
[...] a featured speaker at Arizona Tea Party events. When discussing a possible Hayworth Senate run, one conservative blog praised the former Congressman for his staunch right-wing ideology, saying that during his time in [...]