Fun with campaign lit... Part 2

Not really a surprise, but it seems that Elon Musk is prepping for 2028 even before the 2026 midterms.

Got a pro Jay Feely lit piece in the mail on Friday -

Like the previous one, it didn't mention Feely's opponent in CD1, Amish Shah.

Also like the previous one, Feely's picture was very small.

Lastly, as with the previous one, it was paid for by America PAC.

America PAC was formed by Elon Musk and some of his techbro pals in 2024 to spend money on electing Republicans...and it's still active, and not just in AZ.

It's pretty mundane stuff...in a shameless "fear the other" way.

The interesting parts are the pics on both sides of the piece.

On one side is a pic of notable progressive Democrats California governor Gavin Newsom, US Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), New  York City mayor Zohran Mamdani, and US Sen. Bernie Sanders.

On the other side is a pic of Newsom, AOC, and Sanders.

I don't believe that AOC or Mamdani will run for the Democratic nomination for POTUS in 2028; it *could* happen, but I think their focuses will be elsewhere then.  

Though I also both will look at it in future cycles.

While Sanders has run for the nomination before but he's 85 years old.  He's probably aged out of another run.

Newsom, on the other hand, hasn't been shy about letting folks know that he's *very* interested in becoming POTUS in 2028.

On the other have, while many words can be used to describe Newsom, "progressive" isn't one of them.

In a weird way, Musk's diatribes may actually help Newsom in the Democratic primary.

Most Democratic voters (including me) do not see him as progressive enough to support; Musk equating him to actual progressives can only help to burnish his image with us.

2028 presidential candidate handicapping

It's early yet, so this is more an exercise in name recognition than anything else.  Many of these folks won't run, either not considering it, or considering a run and ultimately passing on it.

Other names may/will consider running as we get closer to 2028.

Of course, Cheeto may attempt to cancel the 2028 elections, rendering this moot.

These (possible) candidates are rated from 1 - 5 Sinemas.  Or no opinion as yet.

I consider Kyrsten Sinema to be the worst person to hold federal or statewide office in AZ in my lifetime (which is saying something given that group includes the likes of Paul Gosar, Rick Renzi, and Evan Mecham).

Anyone rated at four or five Sinemas is someone I won't vote for in a primary (Democratic).  Three is a maybe.

No Republicans will be rated here, for two reasons: 1) The next time a decent human being makes it through a Republican primary will be the first time in a very long time, and 2) Cheeto will try to anoint/appoint his successor.  It may be DeSantis, Abbott/Paxton, Miller, or even one of his sons (or someone else), but it won't be a woman.  

Cheeto hates women.

I'll start close to home -

Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) - Four Sinemas.  He hasn't gone full Sinema yet, but he's well along that path.

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) - Two Sinemas.  Like all politicians, like all of us, he has an ego, but he hasn't become utterly self-focused.

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) - Four Sinemas.  Too self-focused.

Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO) - No opinion as yet.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) - No opinion as yet.

Former VP Kamala Harris (D-CA) - I don't believe she is interested in running again; as such, I haven't formed a 2028 opinion as yet.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) - Three Sinemas.

Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) - No opinion as yet.

Pete Buttigieg - Three Sinemas.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - Two Sinemas.

Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) - No opinion as yet.

Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ) - I won't vote for anyone from NJ (or NY.  The political class there seems to believe it's above society's standards of behavior.)

Gov. Josh Green (D-HI) - No opinion as yet.

Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) - Six Sinemas.  No way in hell would I ever vote for him.

Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) - No opinion as yet.  What little I know is positive though.

Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) - As with Harris, I don't believe the 2024 VP candidate is interested in running again; as such, I haven't formed a 2028 opinion as yet.

Warren Petersen can write letters. So can I.

Yesterday, I authored a post on how the president of the AZ State Senate wrote a letter to Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California.

Today, I wrote my own letter to Governor Newsom

Dear Governor Newsom,

It recently became public knowledge that the president of the Arizona State Senate, Warren Petersen, wrote a letter to you advising you to not not create more regulations for petroleum refineries.

I'm going to advise you to do what's best for the people of California; your salary is derived from taxes and your authority is derived from their consent.

Sen. Petersen's wish to protect the profits of Big Business and disregard for the public good is a problem for the people of 

Arizona to address (or not address,  if we don't flip control of the state senate and make him a former president of that body.)

Regards,

Craig McDermott

P.S. - I'm from AZ, and not from Sen. Petersen's district there.

What I wrote to him about taxes and consent is something that I believe is true for *all* public employees, elected, appointed, or hired - they work for us.

Not just wealthy people, not just well-connected people, and not just the people who agree with them or line their pockets with "contributions.".