Posted on 06/04/2015 5:24:29 PM PDT by cotton1706
The pressure for Arizona Rep. Matt Salmon to challenge Sen. John McCain doesn’t end with conservative outside groups hoping to unseat the five-term Senator.
“Numerous members in the House — and some members of the Senate — which has shocked me greatly,” have encouraged him to run in a GOP primary, Salmon told CQ Roll Call Wednesday.
“It seems like the drumbeat is getting louder and louder and louder. From colleagues here, from colleagues over on the Senate side,” Salmon said.
But Salmon, 57, isn’t ready to take the jump — at least not yet. And he thinks much of the chatter about him being eager to take on McCain, 78, is overblown.
“I love where I’m at,” he said. “I’m not chomping at the bit. I’m not one of those guys who is always looking for the next better gig.”
Not all of the pressure is coming from Washington. “There has been a substantial amount of people from Arizona — not just in one wing of the party — there have been moderate people, there have been conservative people, ultraconservative people,” Salmon said. “I probably get, you know, 40 or 50 calls a week from people in Arizona encouraging me to jump into that race.”
Salmon arrived in the House as part of the 1994 Republican Revolution. But in 2001, fulfilling a term-limit pledge, he left to mount a failed bid for governor. After several years serving as state GOP chair, he won his old House seat back in 2012.
(Excerpt) Read more at atr.rollcall.com ...
McLame has to go.
I live in Arizona. ABM. Anyone but McCain. He is really pathetic.
Too easy.
As old McCain is, biding his time might be a very good strategy for Salmon.
At least he’s not swimming upstream.
Salmon is smart enough to not take on McLame unless or until it is clear that he’ll have enough support and funding to give him a fighting good chance of success.
Running against McCain in a GOP primary is like hunting an old lion with a pistol. You’d better hit it in just the right spot on the head, so to speak, or you’re the lion’s lunch.
PS, and you only get one shot.
Run Matt, run. Or swim.
Salmon is pushing 60. We need younger blood in the Senate. Kelli Ward fits the bill.
Salmon is a stronger candidate. A 2nd tierer isn’t likely beat McLame.
Arizona voters, please find and run a good candidate against John McLame in the Republican Senate primary. McPain’s use by date is way past, he needs to be put in the throw away bin.
Yeah, I was going to say, we need someone that will beat McCain in the primary and then beat Kirkpatrick in the general. I think that Salmon has a much better shot than Ward in the primary, and is less likely to blow it in the general. I just hope that McCain faces a single, prominent conservativexand not two conservatives that split the vote.
Oh, and as for Salmon being 60, I’ll take two or three terms from Salmon anyday.
I’m not sanguine on Salmon, especially given his inexcusable statewide loss for Governor in 2002 against an absolutely execrable cretin in Butch Napolitano. We need new blood, and Salmon isn’t it. Ward is far preferable in that regard.
McCain spent $21,600,000 to win in the last election.
Salmon had better bring serious dough to the table.
I like Kelly Ward, but she might have the name I.D. or fundraising ability to win. McCain was challenged by a former Congressman last time and stomped him in the primary.
Maybe Matt Salmon is the best we can do.
IIRC Ward said she would drop out if a stonger candidate entered, hopefully one does and she meant that.
Her Serene Highness (you know who I mean) better damn well stay out of it this time, or else support the conservative.
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