I have been hearing a lot of static noise about who may be considering a run for the State Party Chairman. This may not be breaking news, but it appears that Matt Salmon will not be seeking a new term at the convention in January, so ostensibly, the post will be wide open.
To my knowledge, however, the only sure candidate at this time is Randy Pullen. Nobody else is stepping forward publicly right now.
If you were the gambling sort, I would look for another candidate to come forward under John McCain's banner, as I do not believe Pullen is McCain's man. McCain will need that extra support of the State Chair, especially if Mitt Romney continues to build momentum. With his LDS background it is possible that Romney could manufacture a sizable ground game in short order to compete for Arizona's electoral votes in the Primary.
This is not to say that there is any connection between Pullen and Romney, or any of the other possible Republican presidential candidates, for I do not believe there is. However, McCain will want to lock down the state party as soon and as comfortably as he can, and this may not be possible with Pullen in charge.
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7 comments:
State Party:
Salmon must go...Too self absorbed.
Pullen is pawn of East Valley.
Fyfe Symington good all-round balanced Republican.
Toni Hellon...flat out stated: "I hated my job as Senator. I am delighted to be rid of the political scene!" That is not follow-through Party Loyalty!!
Framer,
Do you think that McCain's age will be a problem when he tries to get the Republican nomination for 2008?
PLEASE go ahead and pick Pullen! That would be about as wise as nominating Melvin and Jorgenson in LD26. Democrats will stand ready to welcome more disgruntled common-sense Republicans into the fold.
Hey, Rex....Your old party in unbelievable disarray Big Time!!
At least The Clown Jorgenson is Fini and Melvin on the cutting edge! Agreed, Pullen,same dosage as above. A pox on them!!!
I heard rumors to the effect that Fife Symington would challenge for the Chairmanship, but I have dismissed them until I hear something more. He is definately more McCain friendly, however.
Indeed, McCain is getting older which virtually assures that he will run with everything he has this time around, as it will likely be his last opportunity. Consequently, should he fall short, I believe that this may make him a very attractive vice presidential choice as there is little chance he could use it as a springboard to run for president at a later date, perhaps molifying some of his more conservative critics.
Toni Hellon would have no chance at all to win the chair, Mike Hellon however could make things interesting, as he has earned some conservative cache by standing firm against Jim Click and Steve Huffman.
Any prominant Republican that will go on record as actively supporting Gabby Giffords will likely not be a deciding factor in the Republican convention. So called "extremeists" on both sides are the lifeblood of each party, and are likely the people walking and volunteering for each campaign and showing up regularly to precinct meetings. This also means that the convention is likely to be filled with people who feel strongly about conservative issues (or as some would term, "extremists."
I have not heard of any serious challenge to Judy White, but I will check.
Interstingly enough, it sounds like the coming internicine battle that many have been anticipating may not take place to the degree previously thought, which in my opinion is good news.
I wouldn't worry about Romney's LDS background having any effect on the state party's support of McCain.
First of all, only 5.5% of the state is LDS. Second, Senator Hatch (LDS senator from Utah) was on the ballot in 2000 and only got 637 votes (0.2% for 5th place), compared to McCain's 193,708 (60%).
Third, of the LDS people I have talked to (I'm LDS) who actually have heard of Romney, a lot of them are worried about what moral compromises he may have made in order to win election and govern in such a liberal state as Massachussetts. They see private religion as much less important than public actions when choosing a candidate for president.
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