We’ll be joining the entire crew of Phoenix talk radio station KFYI 550 for live coverage of election results at the Montelucia Resort’s new CENTRO Lounge in Paradise Valley, Arizona. You can find us among the guest panel of political bloggers KFYI has invited to join in the coverage. The political bloggers include:
Mike Broomhead and Andrew will begin broadcasting live at 4:00 PM (6:00 PM EST). You may have heard Mike filling in for Glen Beck on Beck’s radio show. There will be surprises and guests, including Rep. John Shadegg and Democratic political consultant Mario Diaz. KFYI morning personalities Jim Sharpe and John McJunkin will join in, as well as the rest of KFYI’s crew. Join us for insightful, and possibly inciteful, commentary, political humor, and straightforward political analysis throughout the night.
Here’s where I think we’ll be when it all shakes out:
I know it may look to optimistic to some, but I think that Romney will take it with an overwhelming amount of electoral votes. I’d love to see Nevada turn red this year, but despite the horrendous economic conditions there, I think the muscle of the service workers unions puts Obama over the edge.
As far as the “swing states” go, Florida will handily go to Romney, and it will be close in Ohio, but no cigar for the Republicans. Colorado will comfortably go to Romney, and Paul Ryan’s good looks and ability to do math will bring Wisconsin to the dark side (where Walker will squeak it our for the win in the Senate race). I think Virgina will be close, with Romney ultimately getting the win after being the closest state race in the country.
And, a final local prediction – Arizona will go to Romney by at least 10 percent.
The Attorney General in Texas has issued a statement that says, “The OSCE’s representatives are not authorized by Texas law to enter a polling place”, but how are Arizona’s officials planning to handle this UN invasion?
Jeff Flake, Representative for Arizona’s 6th Congressional District and candidate for US Senate weighed in on this issue last night during an NRA-ILA Grassroots Workshop in Arizona. When asked if UN representatives would be monitoring the polls in Arizona, his response was, “It’s NOT going to happen.” He then explained that they are not immune to Arizona’s election laws, and would need to stay at least 75 feet away from the polling stations on Election Day.
We will have to wait until Election Day to see if these observers do indeed show up at any of the polling locations in Arizona. If they do show up as planned, it will be very interesting to see if they decide to abide by Arizona law, or end up “observing” the interior of Tent City.
Robb Allen has a great post about citizen engagement in legislation and how you need to be involved to get good laws, specifically good gun laws. He notes that legislators aren’t experts on the issues they legislate. That’s where you, the engaged and informed citizen, have a duty to write, call, or visit your elected officials. Deeply flawed bills can be derailed by investing a little of your time in the process. Stopping bad bills from becoming law is cheaper, easier, and safer than trying to overturn a bad law in our court system.
For instance, a politician trying to “do something” might be extremely uninformed about the standard magazine capacity for a firearm. For the ambitious legislator, limiting magazine capacity might sound like a great way to “do something” about crime. Making it a felony to possess a magazine that can hold more than ten rounds will prove that the politician is really serious when he/she/it is trying to do something about crime. A courteous meeting with your politicritters could educate them about the range of standard capacities available, how the law will unjustly criminalize their voting base, negatively impact the poor, minorities, and women.
The alternative is; bad laws, a loss of rights, and hours wasted on internet forums complaining about how NRA let you down because they didn’t airdrop a team of lawyers and lobbyists in to rescue you from the city council/legislature/Governor your fellow citizens elected. At the local and state level, it’s your job to engage your representatives!
Even if NRA has a lobbyist in your state, that lobbyist doesn’t have as much influence as large numbers of constituents calling a state senator, flooding a representative’s inbox with email, or overloading the governor’s phone system.
The NRA is the 800 pound gorilla for Federal gun legislation and elections. At the state level in Arizona, the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL) and the Arizona State Rifle and Pistol Association (ASRPA) are our 800 pound gorillas when it comes to gun rights. If your state has an NRA affiliate like ASRPA, or a comparable Citizens Defense League, you should join immediately. In California there is CalGuns and Florida has Florida Carry. Just about every state has a group fighting for their resident’s rights.
After you’ve joined a group that protects your rights, you need to participate as well. These groups get a reputation as 800 pound gorillas because their members demonstrate that they are watching, voting, and dethroning bad politicians.
If you don’t interact in the process, you are dependent on a few dedicated volunteers and a generous individual or two to protect your rights and interests. If you aren’t gaining ground in your state, it’s probably time for you to get involved.
NRA Executive Vice-President, Wayne LaPierre, was at Scottsdale Gun Club today to announce NRA’s endorsement of Congressman Jeff Flake for U.S. Senate. Representative Flake is running for retiring Arizona Senator Jon Kyl’s seat.
NRA’s endorsement is vital in a pro-gun state like Arizona.
Jeff Flake’s Democrat opponent, Richard Carmona, was personally recruited by President Obama to run for Jon Kyl’s senate seat. Carmona supports gun control and does not view the Second Amendment as an individual right, in spite of two Supreme Court rulings to the contrary, and his own defensive gun use:
We want to make sure that anybody who owns a weapon legally has the appropriate training, education, and that we can be assured that society is safe with a person who owns a weapon. We do the same thing for automobiles or any other technology, if you will, that the average citizen gets to use. We ensure that they can use it safely, because we have to look at the greater good of society. – Richard Carmona to Democracy Now, Jan 11, 2011
Would Richard Carmona’s “greater good of society” approach lead to encroachments on rights? Absolutely!
An aristocratic, megalomaniac mindset convinces the holder that he is the final arbiter of determining whether an “average citizen” gets to exercise a fundamental right. Mr. Carmona doesn’t seem to understand the fundamental basis of our nation – a government of the people, by the people, for the people. We do not select politicians to run our lives for us or determine if we are worthy enough to protect ourselves from criminals. What’s next for Carmona? Internet access permits? Privacy licenses? Birth control permits? Big Gulp possession licenses?
Representative Flake has an excellent record on gun control issues, along with his adoption of the Republican Liberty Caucus position statement in 2000. The endorsement of Jeff Flake by NRA should go a long way towards reassuring Arizona voters that they can trust Flake to oppose infringements on our Second Amendment rights. Vote for freedom, not “free” handouts.
We are saddened to learn Cochise County sheriff, Larry Dever, died in a single-vehicle crash in Northern Arizona last night. Sheriff Dever’s county shares a border with Mexico and he was an outspoken defender of Arizona’s attempts to reduce the crimes associated with illegal immigration and lax border enforcement. Dever also stood with nine other Arizona sheriff’s to demand accountability for those involved in Operation Fast and Furious.
Sheriff Dever was running unopposed for his fifth and final term as Cochise County sheriff. Our condolences go out to Mr. Dever’s family and friends, who were already dealing with the loss of his Mother to cancer less than a week ago. Sheriff Dever devoted 34 years of his life to law enforcement in Cochise County and he will be greatly missed.
