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Arizona special election: About Gabrielle Giffords or President Obama?
Christian Science Monitor ^ | 6/11/12 | Lourdes Medrano

Posted on 06/12/2012 4:26:42 AM PDT by Haiku Guy

The special election Tuesday to fill the House seat vacated by shooting victim Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is overshadowed by the memory of the tragedy, but the Republican has tried to make it about Obama's policies.

Tucson, Ariz.

In a closely-watched race, Arizona voters on Tuesday will choose a candidate to complete the remainder of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’s term in Congress nearly 18 months after a gunshot wound to the head, which forced her to resign in January.

The names on the ballot will be Ron Barber as the Democrat and Jesse Kelly as the Republican. But perhaps the two more important names in the race are those of Giffords and President Obama – the former still invoking significant goodwill here, the latter far less so.

(snip)

(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Arizona
KEYWORDS: giffords; teaparty
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It makes a lot more sense to make this election about the policies of the sitting President than to make it about the policies of a retiring Congressman.
1 posted on 06/12/2012 4:26:48 AM PDT by Haiku Guy
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To: Haiku Guy

NOW?

they waited 5 months before the general election?
I mean, when was she shot?


2 posted on 06/12/2012 4:33:58 AM PDT by Vaquero (Don't pick a fight with an old guy. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.)
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To: Haiku Guy

Why not make it a twofer? She supported the policies of the Post Turtle in the White Hut so why not use him to infuse a little bit of reality to the electorate there. This election is about the future for the 8th District, not the result of an out of control leftist that caused her injuries.


3 posted on 06/12/2012 4:34:31 AM PDT by mazda77 (and I am a Native Texan)
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To: Vaquero
She didn't retire until this past January. Her handlers waited until she had 5 years in Congress. That way she would qualify for all the benefits that Congresscritters get. The ‘Independent’ Redistricting Committee put more Dem voters into the newly created District. It will be Ron Barber. He, who came out and nastily blamed Republicans for the shootings. Jesse Kelly almost won in 2010. Won't happen this time.
4 posted on 06/12/2012 5:04:50 AM PDT by originalbuckeye
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To: Haiku Guy

The voters in AZ-8thCD would be wise to vote for Jesse Kelly and the future of our country, rather then vote for Ron Barber, an Obamabot with no view for the future. The Gabby Giffords sad song has been played too long by Obama and the Democrat Party. Ms. Giffords, sad as her misfortune may be, is in the past...and should stay there.


5 posted on 06/12/2012 5:06:47 AM PDT by JLAGRAYFOX (My only objective is defeat and destroy Obama & his Democrat Party, politically!!!)
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To: JLAGRAYFOX
The Gabby Giffords sad song has been played too long by Obama and the Democrat Party. Ms. Giffords, sad as her misfortune may be, is in the past...and should stay there.

A voice of Reason here. Hope it is shared by these voters.

6 posted on 06/12/2012 5:15:17 AM PDT by cricket (Who ART THOU, Obama???. .)
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To: Haiku Guy

I don’t like to see anyone shot or hurt, not even one of the Rats, but the voters need to remember that Giffords was a Rat bassturd that supported obamacare and odongo’s policies. There should be no sympathy vote here with respect to her. It’s about who best represents the voters of that district. Personally, I think that district needs to dump the Rats and their policies completely, but I must admit...I’m a little biased.


7 posted on 06/12/2012 5:17:42 AM PDT by lgjhn23
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To: Haiku Guy

Any polls on the race?


8 posted on 06/12/2012 5:21:47 AM PDT by Perdogg
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To: Perdogg

I saw a poll in the last couple of days that had Barber up by 10. Check Real Clear Politics. I think that’s where I saw it.


9 posted on 06/12/2012 5:25:53 AM PDT by randita
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To: Haiku Guy

If Jesse Kelly wins who wants to bet how long it will take for the MSM to bring up the Palin crosshairs crap.


10 posted on 06/12/2012 5:57:31 AM PDT by OrioleFan (Republicans believe every day is July 4th, Democrats believe every day is April 15th.)
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To: randita

I think it is impossible to poll this one.

First of all, it is a special election. So it’s all about turnout. People who vote consistently might not vote this time around, so the Likely Voter models go right out the window.

Secondly, there is the sympathy factor. A lot of people are going to say they support Giffords to a pollster, but may not support Barber in the voting booth. The pollster will make it clear that Barber is Giffords’ successor, but Giffords’ name will not appear on the actual ballot.

At the end of the day, this will be about GOTV. This is true of all elections, but I think it is particularly true here. Ten points in a poll can vanish instantly in a situation like this.


11 posted on 06/12/2012 5:59:13 AM PDT by Haiku Guy ("The problem with Internet Quotes is that you never know if they are real" -- Abraham Lincoln)
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To: Haiku Guy
At the end of the day, this will be about GOTV. This is true of all elections, but I think it is particularly true here. Ten points in a poll can vanish instantly in a situation like this.

This past weekend, Tucson was infused with Young Republicans from all over. They rang doorbells and called voters for two days for GOTV. I know of many YRs that came from CA to help Kelly. I hope the polls showing he's down by 10 pts are wrong....

12 posted on 06/12/2012 6:18:04 AM PDT by CAluvdubya (I just try to stay out of the fray...)
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To: Vaquero

Wasn’t the fault of Arizona. She is a typical demo, wanting public money, so waited to retire until she was eligible for Congressional retirement. We have been without representation for over a year because of her greed.

I proudly cast my early ballot for Mr. Kelly two weeks ago.


13 posted on 06/12/2012 6:28:30 AM PDT by FrogMom (There is no such thing as an honest democrat!)
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To: CAluvdubya

The Republicans and the Tea Party have the enthusiasm. If they get their voters to the polls, along with a certain number of Donks figuring they’ll not bother because this one is “in the bag”, we could see a massive upset in Arizona.

Winning any election is good, but this one would be particularly sweet. You just know the MFM is looking for a ray of sunshine to illumine the Lil’ Emp’rer. It would be great to see him get a lightning bolt instead!


14 posted on 06/12/2012 6:29:26 AM PDT by Haiku Guy ("The problem with Internet Quotes is that you never know if they are real" -- Abraham Lincoln)
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To: originalbuckeye
"Jesse Kelly almost won in 2010. Won't happen this time."

The Giffords - Kelly campaign two years ago was pretty tough and left bitter feelings even before the shooting. But all is not lost, even if Barber wins, because he would have to run again in the fall. Waiting in the wings is Martha McSally, retired USAF combat veteran colonel, who placed second to Kelly in GOP primary this spring, and was closing fast at the end. She will run again to oppose Barber in the fall, and would be an excellent candidate with no previous baggage. McSally is smart, articulate, conservative, and tough. In the fall, Barber will be weighted down with Obama heading the ticket. My hunch is, as the district gets to know her better, she would clean Barber's clock.

15 posted on 06/12/2012 6:46:08 AM PDT by Reo (the 4th Estate is a 5th Column)
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To: Haiku Guy
You just know the MFM is looking for a ray of sunshine to illumine the Lil’ Emp’rer. It would be great to see him get a lightning bolt instead!

I agree! I hope Obama's day ends as it began, nothing but gloom and doom!

16 posted on 06/12/2012 6:50:01 AM PDT by CAluvdubya (I just try to stay out of the fray...)
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To: Reo

You might be right!!! Neither major party is paying much heed to this race. Obama would not touch it with a ten foot pole, and.....it seems the Pubbies are not interested either. The Giffords spin factor is about zilch in the real world!!! I am ticked off at the Pubbies because a Jesse Kelly victory would have been a nice slap in the face for America hater and would be destroyer of our nation, POTUS, Barack Hussein Obama!!!

But....a great turnout for Jesse Kelly could still win it for the good guys. Folks in AZ-8thCD, turnout and vote for freedom, liberty, opportunity, our children and our future. Vote for Jess Kelly for Congress, Today!!!! A victory for Ron Barber is just another positive notch for the destruction of our great republic. All Democrats must be defeated!!!


17 posted on 06/12/2012 8:13:54 AM PDT by JLAGRAYFOX (My only objective is defeat and destroy Obama & his Democrat Party, politically!!!)
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To: Reo

I pray you are right . We are going to need every Conservative vote we can find.


18 posted on 06/12/2012 9:31:04 AM PDT by originalbuckeye
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To: Haiku Guy; Reo

You have to wonder about the interest of folks in this district. They have effectively been without a representative this entire session of Congress, yet didn’t really seem to care that much. If they did care, there would have been an uproar that Giffords was biding her time for so long. It was clear a short time after the shooting that she would be unable to resume her duties, let alone run again.

I guess the people were just showing her deference, but 18 months worth of deference - almost an entire term! - is a mite excessive, IMO.


19 posted on 06/12/2012 9:33:27 AM PDT by randita
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To: originalbuckeye
The ‘Independent’ Redistricting Committee put more Dem voters into the newly created District. It will be Ron Barber.

You have your facts wrong. The election today will use the old district boundaries so it will be the same as the one where Jesse came within a few thousand votes of winning in 2010.

Gabby portrayed herself as a "conservative Democrat" and with the help of the media was able to sell that load of cr*p to the voters. Barber is running a hard-Left class warfare, mediscare campaign with no pretense to being a conservative. I don't think that will sell in the district for today's election. Also, this year Jesse has a lot more money and is running good ads. He has his Grandpa in a lot of them assuring the oldsters that their Medicare is safe. Finally, the media won't talk about it but Republicans are as fired up as they were in 2010.

I think Jesse has a good chance.
20 posted on 06/12/2012 10:28:02 AM PDT by fifedom
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