Fred Duval is "boring"? The AZGOP should consider becoming less "interesting".

The Arizona Capitol Times ran a story today about Democratic gubernatorial candidate Fred Duval's clear path to the nomination in 2014. (subscription required)

The money quote was from Robert Graham, chair of the AZGOP.

"DuVal is a plain vanilla candidate. He has no texture to him and he has a party that’s not working for him at this particular point."

Now, granted, Fred Duval isn't Barack Obama or Bill Clinton on the stump.  But to be fair, no one is, including (especially?) those vying for the Republican nomination next year. 

On the other hand, he hasn't suffered the brain freeze heard 'round the world, either. 

Fred has been a successful businessman and dedicated public servant.  

More to the point, he is smart and accomplished and has a positive vision for Arizona.

Unlike, say, some of the candidates that Graham considers to be "exciting" -

- One was a senior executive of a company that markets its product by objectifying women, and not very subtly, either.

- Another brought ridicule to and wasted taxpayer resources of Arizona in the pursuit of a radical fantasy.

- Yet another was accused of defrauding franchisees and the government.

- One more proposed turning the state into a nuclear waste dump. 

- And the capper?  One was disbarred.


There is an old saw, a curse, about living in interesting times.

Mr. Graham may find that supporting "interesting" candidates is just as much a curse.


People who want to volunteer to help Fred's campaign sign up here;  people who want to make a financial contribution can do so here.

Campaign and committees update: busy day

...First, the big news:  Rep. Chad Campbell, Democratic leader in the AZ House, announced his decision to not seek the Democratic nomination for governor in 2014.

His statement, via Facebook -

It’s been no secret that for the last few months I have been considering running for Governor of Arizona.  Our analysis, as well as independent polling, confirms that I would be in a very strong position if I entered the race.  I have talked with Arizonans across the state about the need to move Arizona in a new direction.  We must focus on job creation, improving our education system and instilling transparency at all levels of government.  However, there are other issues that need to be considered outside of purely political factors when deciding whether or not to run.  It is with these considerations in mind that I have decided to not run for Governor of Arizona at this time.  This decision was not made lightly. I need to focus on my family and other new business opportunities that will allow me to improve communities not only in Arizona, but also across the nation.  To the countless number of people across Arizona who have encouraged me to run, I cannot thank you enough.  While I look forward to serving my last year in the Arizona Legislature as the House Democratic Leader, this decision by no means marks the end of my public service.  I will continue looking at all options in the future to determine how best I can serve Arizona.

Campbell's departure from the race leaves Fred Duval as the only "name" Democrat in the race.  While there is still time for someone else to enter, it's going to have to be soon.

Note:  I didn't have a "favorite" in the projected race but I thought, and think, that a robust primary at the top of the ticket would benefit all Democratic candidate by generating interest and media coverage.

...Human Rights Campaign and other groups announced their plans to support an effort to repeal the state's constitutional prohibition of same-sex marriage.

From the Arizona Daily Sun, written by Howie Fischer of Capitol Media Services -

Hoping to create a change in attitudes, various civil rights groups are taking the first steps today to convince Arizonans that letting gays wed would be a good thing.

The education campaign being launched comes just five years after 56 percent of those who went to the polls voted to put an amendment in the Arizona Constitution defining marriage in this state as strictly between one man and one woman. But supporters of rescinding the ban contend there are Arizonans who can be convinced — if not now, then by 2016 — to support repeal. And they say there already is evidence of a sharp change in public attitudes.

“For example, Wisconsin in 2006 passed a similar amendment,” said Paul Guequierre, a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign, one of several groups involved in today’s event. “And yet this past year (they) elected their first openly gay senator in history.”

Irony alert, from the same article (emphasis added) -

But Cathi Herrod, president of the Center for Arizona Policy, said supporters of gay marriage are reading far too much into last year’s election of Baldwin, a seven-term member of Congress who edged out former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson.

“I would not say that the voters of Wisconsin elected that senator because of her sexual orientation and that reflects a change in attitudes,” Herrod said. “People judge candidates on the basis of their qualities, where they stand on the issues.”

I wonder if Ms. Herrod, president of the Center for Arizona Theocracy Policy, actually understands the significance of what she said, because for the first time in, like, EVER, I find myself in agreement with one of her statements.

...A candidate with a last name that's famous in AZ politics has entered the race for the Republican nomination to the Arizona House of Representatives in LD 25.  Mesa school board member Michelle Udall has opened a committee for a run.

...Gary Kiehne, campaign address in Eagar, has opened a committee for a run at the Republican nomination in CD1.  Arizona Republic story here.

An open letter to Chad Campbell and Fred Duval...

...and anyone else looking at entering the 2014 race for governor...and anyone looking to convince one or another candidate to drop out of the race to avoid a messy primary.

Earlier today, Tom Prezelski and Bob Lord, two of the contributors to Blog for Arizona, wrote "open letters" to State Rep. Chad Campbell.  Tom urged Campbell to drop out of the race, while Bob didn't go that far, instead suggesting that Campbell examine his motives for running, and possibly reevaluate his candidacy.

Time for a bit of a contrarian view.

Dear Chad and Fred,

 

I know, like, and respect you both. 

 

I firmly believe that either of you will make a fine candidate for governor and a good governor of the state of Arizona, and certainly a better one than anyone who can get through the Republican primary. 

 

Don't get too excited - I think that a mop in a janitor's closet in the basement of the Executive Tower would do a better job than any of the likely Republican candidates.  The mop wouldn't do a *good* job - it wouldn't do much of anything at all.  However, by the same token, it wouldn't set out to do a *bad* job, either.  Which places it head and shoulders above any of the Rs...but I digress...

 

I also believe that both of you, and/or anyone else who may jump into the race, *need* a contested primary, against a serious and capable opponent.

 

Fred, you are an intelligent and accomplished man with a long record of public service.  And, so far as I can tell, you've run for office once many years ago (Congress, 2002) and it wasn't statewide.

 

Chad, you are an intelligent man who has done some incredible work in the legislature.  And so far as I can tell, you've only run for office in a relatively small and Democratic-leaning district in Phoenix.

 

Running for a statewide office will be outside of the experience of both of you, and clearing the primary field will only serve to put the beginning point of the learning curve for that at the start of the general election season.

 

Given that there will be five or six weeks between the end of primary election voting and the beginning of early voting in the general election, that's not the place to start learning how to be an effective candidate for high office.

 

A robust primary is the place for that learning process.

 

Witness two examples -

 

In 2006, Jim Pederson ran for the US Senate seat held by Jon Kyl.  A good man and an effective businessman, like Fred, he had never run for office before.  As a former chair of the ADP, many party insiders worked to clear the primary field for him, and it showed.  At the start of the general election campaign he was painful to watch on the stump.  To be sure, he learned, and learned quickly.  By the time the GOTV push came around during the last weekend before the election, he was far more relaxed in front of crowds.  However, by then it was far too late.

 

He got smoked in the general election by Kyl.

 

On the other hand, in 2012, Kyrsten Sinema ran for Congress.  Like Chad, she had run for office before (and also like Chad, won), but only in a Democratic-leaning legislative district.  The 2012 primary that she won was a robust one (OK.  It was probably the most rugged seen by AZ Dems in recent memory, but compared to some of the D primaries in Massachusetts, where I grew up, it was no worse than one of the neighborhood games of tag that we played as kids).

 

She emerged from that primary as a strong and toughened candidate who hit the general election ground running, and ran right over the Republican nominee in the race.

 

 

There are a number of Arizona Democrats, many of whom I respect and some of whom I count as friends, who always work to avoid primaries.  Too "messy", or something like that.

 

I think that they, and candidates who go along with that line of thinking, are doing the people of Arizona in general, and Arizona Democrats and Independents in particular, a supreme disservice.

 

Primaries, uncomfortable though they may be for some people, toughen candidates for their general election races and also raise the public profiles of those candidates.

 

As things stand right now, even the worst Republican candidate goes into any general election race with advantages that go beyond a voter registration advantage.  Their primary battles generate public interest and media coverage for their candidates, and their candidates start the general election season already at full campaign speed while generally facing opponents who are still gearing up for the real race.

 

Instead of clearing the field for a single candidate, party activists, grassroots and establishment alike, should encourage the candidates to run in, not to get out of, races.

 

Chad, Fred, and anyone else who gets in the race - instead of reaching out to contacts within the party who might help convince one of the other candidates to step aside, focus on reaching out to Democrats (and Independents) who will vote for you not only in the primary but in the general.

 

Oh, and while the primary campaign should be "robust" and energetic, it should also be fairly clean.  Regardless of who wins the primary, the victor will need the general election support of the runner-up's supporters.

 

Just a few things to keep in mind.

 

Sincerely,

 

Craig McDermott

Scottsdale, Arizona