AZ 2 Democratic Candidate Forum - Unmitigated Disaster
AZ 2 Resistance group got very well organized a year ago and decided to form a PAC (Represent Me AZ) which is a pretty interesting way to go and its grass roots organization includes a lot of grey haired folks (like I am) who have done a surprisingly good job of getting things organized And by folks I mean women.
One of the things that they have organized is a candidates forum and they have done a very good job doing it but last night was a disaster. As a back story I have a little difficulty getting Mrs. grantcart to engage in these events because even though her English is quite good its still her second language and when the candidates start getting into complicated explanations of policy it can be hard for her to follow.
My 36 years with Mrs grantcart has taught me that in such situations a bribe in the form of a dinner invitation after the meeting works.
We head to Catalina Foothills High School and find only a single car in the parking lot (last day of the strike) and ask if he knows where the forum is and he informs me that its at the OTHER Catalina High school (we moved to Tucson after our kids finished school) and were unaware that there were 2 schools with the name Catalina in it.
We drive 15 minutes to the other high school with the similar name and I begin to see all of the elements of a disaster (I may have to upgrade to a better restaurant). The road to the high school is under construction and as I circle the High School I can see that my detour is going to cost me. Every parking place is filled. If we can't get parked at the High School its going to be a 5 block walk. We find someone going back to his car but are crestfallen when he gets a sweater and goes back in (the auditorium is going to be very cold).
I decide to go back down an alley over to the football field and take the last possible spot. We enter the school and find well organized tables for different Democratic interest groups and for each of the 6 candidates. We enter the huge auditorium and find that there are a few seats left in the back.
Hundreds of folks showing up for a candidates forum in Arizona. This seat is baked. People are angry. The candidates don't differ on any substantial issue but on presentation and explanation of how they are going to pay for it (my key interest). Medicaid for all is supported by all 6 candidates with load cheering by 500 or more who appear to be folks mostly already on Medicare. Two candidates have proposals on how they are going to pay for the 1.3 trillion it takes and my favourite candidate, Dr. Heinz is the strongest.
We had to sit so far away that we could barely recognize the faces of the candidates but the organizers have big screens on stage with closed circuit feeds so the huge crowd could be accommodated.
Republicans avoided parking disaster and crowd accommodation problems
This PAC was formed to defeat Rep. McSally and she gave up and decided to run for Senate in order to save herself the embarrassment of a huge loss. So the Republicans had their own candidate forum. In order to avoid parking problems they kept the location a secret and only invited well known party members to attend.
http://blogforarizona.net/small-crowd-at-secret-tucson-gop-congressional-candidate-forum/
You could smell the fear in the room at the Pima County GOP’s secret CD 2 Congressional Candidate Forum at the gaudy Oyster Club in Tucson. The candidates were asked how they could win in light of recent democratic victories, and how they could govern without dominating all three branches of government.
Lea Marquez-Peterson repeatedly pleaded for donations, noting with alarm that “Nancy Pelosi has already been in Arizona and made a half-million-dollar ad buy!” and that front-runner Ann Kirkpatrick had raised more money than she did.
Only 40 people attended the event, which the Republicans tried desperately to keep secret. The GOP tried to ban reporters, to prohibit photos, and to require all cell phones to be turned off. The forum was so secret that candidate Casey Welch didn’t show up.
. . .
Martin and candidate Danny Morales battled to take the more arch-conservative position. Candidate Marilyn Wiles didn’t really have many positions. Marquez-Peterson appeared to be the only serious candidate.
None of them proposed any idea to actually help people. They were all against things — like “chain migration,” not becoming “part of the establishment,” against the “Dreamers,” against raising taxes, and against the Mueller investigation.
. . .
Asked if it would be an impeachable offense for Trump to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller, they all said no — and that they would support Trump. “I would give him a high-five,” Morales said. Each said the investigation should be stopped.
The Represent Me AZ is going to have to work a lot harder to avoid similar disasters in the future. They should look to getting much larger venues with much larger parking lots especially if the front runner, Ann Kirkpatrick, who was not even at the event shows up at the next one. Republicans just keep doing what you are doing, you aren't going to have to worry about parking problems.
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