Fred DuVal

Hey, AZ “business leaders”, we need to talk about Doug Ducey.

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Crossposted at DemocraticDiva.com

Doug Ducey

One of the (many) problems in a red state as economically polarized as Arizona is that the wealthier people are, the more insulated they are from the terrible right wing laws and policies that get passed. They have no fear of being stopped on the street by law enforcement because of how they look. Their children attend private schools or what good public schools remain. The indignities and deprivations visited upon vulnerable members of the population due to cuts to safety net programs are abstractions to them. They live mostly segregated lives in exclusive communities where they only interact with poor people when they’re being served by them. And these affluent Arizonans wield nearly all the political clout because they are the people who fund lobbyists and campaigns, including those of some of the most noxious right wingers.

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Watch Fred DuVal’s ‘Problem Solver’ TV Ad

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Today, Republicans (and some Independents) will determine which of their six candidates will run against Democrat Fred DuVal for governor of Arizona. Today, the DuVal campaign released their first television ad. Game on. Go, git ’em, Fred! Don’t forget there are Democratic Party Unity events in Tucson at Junxion downtown (on the SunLink line) and … Read more

No, wobbly Democrats, Scott Smith is (still) not your GOP boyfriend

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Crossposted at DemocraticDiva.com

Former Mesa Mayor and AZ GOP Gubernatorial candidate Scott Smith got an undeniable boost on Thursday. He was not only endorsed by Governor Brewer (which everyone expected would happen, though it’s curious that they waited until after mail-in ballots dropped to do it) but AZ Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill swiftly cancelled a meeting with Smith backers in which he was going to try and get them to switch to Doug Ducey. This is a big deal. Smith’s team reports a big bump in fundraising overnight and, with Christine Jones’ campaign fading fast, Smith has a real chance in that primary. Smith will enjoy strong LDS support now that Ken Bennett is no longer a contender and it looks like he’s going to take business establishment support away from Ducey. (I still consider Ducey the favorite based on his early fundraising advantage, all the name ID he’s gotten with his feud with Jones, the continued dark money support from radical right wing moneybags, and the tendency of GOP primary voters to select the biggest asshole who is also electable in the general.)

Needless to say, this Scott Smith development caused a resurgence in the cooing and swooning that tends to overtake some of the more softhearted liberals/left-of-center types in Arizona where he is concerned. It’s so bad at this point that I’ve seen some Democrats bragging on Facebook how they changed their registration to get Republican ballots to vote for their dreamboat.

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We’re #3! States Where It’s Hardest to Find Full-Time Work

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It’s not surprising after 20+ years of trickle down economics and corporate welfare that Arizona has one of the worst performing economies in terms of job growth and employment opportunities. The 6 Republicans running for governor are preaching more of the same— more corporate welfare, more tax cuts for the rich, more Teapublican tinkering. We … Read more