Tuesday, June 17th, 2008...10:55 am
Hershberger is Just Like Bruce Cockburn: He Doesn’t Believe in Generals
Many of us on the Democratic side thought that Pete Hershberger’s selling point to Republican primary voters would be something along the lines of: “Yeah, I’m moderate, but look what happened when you picked Al Melvin before.” For those of you who didn’t keep track: Melvin defeated Toni Hellon in the primary which many people thought gave a big opening to Charlene Pesquiera, the Democrat who carried the otherwise bullet-proof Republican district despite her inexperience in politics.
It appears that Hershberger has a different strategy: pretend that there is no general election. This is his message to non-party voters on his website:
Any person registered as an Independent or Party Not Designated (PND) - formerly No Official Party (NOP) - may select a Republican ballot in the Primary Election, September 2, 2008. This is different than the Presidential Preference Election where Independents could not vote.
Why?
- Your legislators will be determined in the primary election.
- Make your independent voice heard in the primary in September 2008.
A mailer that has been hitting the district even features a “handwritten” note from Hershberger claiming that “Your next Senator will be chosen in the Republican Primary on Sept. 2.”
Normally, in someplace like District 26 that would be the case, but it seems a bit presumptious to make this claim given the recent electoral history in the district, doncha think? It also removes one of Hershberger’s best arguments to Republican voters that might be shaky about him given his percieved centrism: that nominating Melvin again would be like handing the seat to Democrat Cheryl Cage. How does he make the electability argument if he pretends that he doesn’t have another election to run in?
3 Comments
June 17th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Who’s going to tell Cheryl Cage she might as well pack it in and not bother running against the heir apparent? Here she thinks she actually is in a race to be the LD-26 Senator.
I think I’ll leave it to all those folks who told Senator Charlene Pesquiera to stop wasting her time back in 2006. How silly of her to think she could win!
June 17th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Does Hershberger really believe he is so entitled to senate seat that he can blow off the general election? Problem Polititians like Pete and his entilted co-horts in the legislature are doing nothing to solve Arizona’s difficulties - and we need solutions in this state, not more of the same.
June 23rd, 2008 at 3:24 pm
The election of EITHER Republican would be bad news for LD 26 and the Arizona Senate. One of the two candidates may be more “moderate” than the other one, but both of them will be part of a GOP Senate caucus that will be run by the same tired, right-wing leaders. Haven’t we had enough of what Republican hegemony in Phoenix has done to this state? How does electing a “moderate” who may be a lone voice on certain issues TRULY help this district and the rest of Arizona?
Pesquiera and Saradnik did not pull upsets in LD 26 in 2006; rather, they worked the grass roots hard and tapped into the desire voters of all parties have for pragmatic, results-oriented leadership. Democrats CAN win all three seats this year, regardless of who the Republicans send forth after their contested primaries for both the Senate and the House. If you live in a district that does not have a contested race for House and Senate, you should spend some time helping the team in LD 26.
Cheryl Cage will be our Senate candidate. Rep. Nancy Young Wright and Don Jorgensen will be our duo for the two House seats. While the Republicans fight amongst themselves, these three exceptional candidates are already busy getting their message out to the voters of LD 26.
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