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Darth LaFaro
The right wing soared at Saturday’s Maricopa County Republican Party meeting,
as A.J. LaFaro was elected the new chairman of the county GOP.
LaFaro was a choice of outgoing GOP chairman Rob Haney and the right wing. I had hoped that sanity would prevail and still conservative (but more moderate) Lisa Gray would win, as clearly did a number of the more pragmatic party officials, given the number of endorsements she had.
But, alas, the ideologues control the party and so I suppose it was a given that LaFaro would coast into office. These are people who see John McCain and Jon Kyl as RINOS, people who think that Andy Tobin is a Democrat in disguise.
LaFaro was one of Republican party leaders behind the push to oust then-Senate President Steve Pierce and install Pearce pal Andy Biggs, as the new No. 1. Clearly the party has sway at the Capitol.
At Saturday’s confab, I’m told that Russell Pearce got a rousing ovation. Is it any wonder that this crew also overwhelmingly approved resolutions calling for elimination of the 17th Amendment (direct election of U.S. senators), defeat of the DREAM Act and, of course, a new push for state sovereignty?
Meanwhile, the Arizona Legislature returns to town today, with smaller Republican majorities and a deep divide within the GOP caucuses.
Dekookificiation seems a looooong way away.
I would have guessed that the party workers would have seen the national handwriting on the wall and moderated some of their hardline positions in an effort to begin reaching out to Latinos, many of whom would be naturals for the Republican Party given their religious beliefs.
Republicans dominate Arizona politics. But long term, demographics are not their friend.
LaFaro was a choice of outgoing GOP chairman Rob Haney and the right wing. I had hoped that sanity would prevail and still conservative (but more moderate) Lisa Gray would win, as clearly did a number of the more pragmatic party officials, given the number of endorsements she had.
But, alas, the ideologues control the party and so I suppose it was a given that LaFaro would coast into office. These are people who see John McCain and Jon Kyl as RINOS, people who think that Andy Tobin is a Democrat in disguise.
LaFaro was one of Republican party leaders behind the push to oust then-Senate President Steve Pierce and install Pearce pal Andy Biggs, as the new No. 1. Clearly the party has sway at the Capitol.
At Saturday’s confab, I’m told that Russell Pearce got a rousing ovation. Is it any wonder that this crew also overwhelmingly approved resolutions calling for elimination of the 17th Amendment (direct election of U.S. senators), defeat of the DREAM Act and, of course, a new push for state sovereignty?
Meanwhile, the Arizona Legislature returns to town today, with smaller Republican majorities and a deep divide within the GOP caucuses.
Dekookificiation seems a looooong way away.
I would have guessed that the party workers would have seen the national handwriting on the wall and moderated some of their hardline positions in an effort to begin reaching out to Latinos, many of whom would be naturals for the Republican Party given their religious beliefs.
Republicans dominate Arizona politics. But long term, demographics are not their friend.
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