Wednesday, March 18th, 2009...6:39 am
Cat Exits Translucent Bag
Yes, I filed a committee to run for legislature last week. For those of you that are concerned: I plan to keep the content of this blog the same as it has been for four years (yes, it has been that long) and not make it into an arm of the campaign. Keeping my own campaign propoganda off of here isn’t out of some sense of “neutrality” or “objectivity.” Folks who still insist on coming here looking for those will always be disappointed. It’s just a decision I have made, like keeping my comments about last year’s District 29 race off of this blog.
In a few months, when the campaign gets more intense, I may have to dial back my participation here and leave the bulk of posting to others. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Or, maybe burn it.
I appreciate the good words from you both here and on the Facebook page. Back in 2006, the four of us (Me, Dave Bradley, Steve Farley and Matt Heinz) ran a friendly, substantive race that said as much about the voters in the district as it did about any of us. District 28’s voters gave us the room to run that sort of race, and we are all grateful for that. I hope that despite the advance billing of this as the “Octo-Slam,” we can run the same sort of race this time.
As I said before, I don’t plan to use this as a forum to advance my campaign, although my views on a variety of issues facing our state are always on display here. This will be my last post about the District 28 race until next November.
16 Comments
March 18th, 2009 at 11:50 am
Tom,
We look forward to lively debates and discussions based on the difficult issues facing the state. We have business and professional folks that have expressed an interest in the state legislature this cycle so we should be able to present the voters with clear choices. Good luck in the primary but to wish you good luck in the general would be disingenuous of me.
Walt Stephenson…
Chairman Legislative District 28
Republican Party
March 18th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Walt-
Who is Tom?
March 18th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
How soon they forget! (sniff!)
March 18th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
I think the LD 28 Dems and Repubs should have drinking night. Both County HQ’s are within a block of each other. If we plan a out meetings on a simultaneous night and arrange and after meeting spot, (turn a local establishment into Tucson’s very own Hawk and Dove for the night) we can clear some air, put names with faces and discuss Tucson’s future in a more profound and meaning ful way. I think Wings Over Broadway, Mid-Town, CASA Molina and the Viscount are decent locally owned places that are less than one mile for each HQ. The exact Center is the Bambi, but that place maybe a little rough around the edges for the Republican crowd, despite 75 cent drafts. Sure I like hanging out with people I agree with, but that can get a might boring. C/mon Walt. Whaddaya say?
March 18th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Paul-
The Bambi. Really? The Bashful Bandit softened up too much lately?
March 18th, 2009 at 7:10 pm
The Bashful Bandit would represent a homecourt advantage for gunowners who want to legalize pot. Maybe we can go to one the upscale ‘gentlemenly’ clubs….kidding….no i am totally serious about having a Dems buy Repubs a drink and vice versa night…..a little piece treaty in the NO DRAMAOBAMA chapter of America……unless Walt is too chicken to debate me in public.
March 19th, 2009 at 11:47 am
Paul,
I haven’t been threatened with the word”Chicken” in a few years. I have been toying with a similar idea for a little while. It seems we have some common issue’s we might be able to resolve, one of which is the way clean elections runs their “debates”. I think if both sides agree we can change the format and provide the voters with a better look at the candidates. In my opinion the current formats leave a lot to be desired. I have no problem with Ted giving you my email address for further discussion…..Walt
March 19th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Walt– the chicken line–was in jest of course, I wouldn’t ever take you for being chicken considering you willingness to post on this blog. When are your PC meetings? Maybe we can meet up after one of them….bring re-inforcements….and a have some free discussion….no formats, no agendas, some a few drinks and some prognosticating about Tucson’s future…..
March 20th, 2009 at 6:21 am
If you two gentlemen (Walt and Paul) meet, don’t forget to invite Democratic LD 28 PC “Wood” Sanders, whose email is: LD28chair@gmail.com.
Good idea to get together and discuss common ground.
March 20th, 2009 at 7:50 am
If I’m not mistaken (and I might be) Walt and I met each other during the election, when he was the Republican judge at my precinct’s polling place and I was the Democratic poll-watcher. I know he was a bit wary of me at first but we ended the day sharing jokes and mutual respect. I’d let him buy me a beer…
March 20th, 2009 at 9:02 am
I think this would have to be arranged at the LD Chair level….Wood, we can talk about it on Sunday….
March 20th, 2009 at 11:09 am
Is a Republican leader criticizing Clean Elections? How dare you, sir. Without Clean Elections, we wouldn’t have ever elected guys like Cap’n Al and Frankie (Too Dirty For Thirty) Antenori.
March 20th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Frank ran traditional in LD-30. My concern is the format that Clean Elections allows in the “Forum-Debates” is less than useless in defining candidates and their positions. You can tell how popular it is by the lack of attendance. We should have 100’s of people in attendance not 20 or 30.
March 20th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
Walt, traditional candidates don’t have to attend any forums at all, and often don’t, so what’s your point?
March 20th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
Ok—ok—ok—lets keep our eye on the ball, LD 28 Republican/Democrat hangout night are you in or are you out?
March 22nd, 2009 at 9:27 am
RE: Antenori – Touche’
And yes, the formats for the debates are a joke.