Arizona becoming a blue state - time for McCain to switch parties?

[Woodstock]

AZ: 34 percent say they would vote to re-elect Bush; 44 percent say they would vote for somebody else

http://www.emergingdemocraticmajority.com/donkey/drsept17_23_2003.cfm

&

in the print edition of Washington Monthly a few months ago, the Tilting at Windmills section had a bit where McCain's wife said she and the kids want him to switch to Democrat (yes, I know he's said he wouldn't do it, BUT...)

[Hawkeye-X]

1. Sweet words to hear.

"Arizona becoming a blue state" - truer words never said.

I have lived in Tucson from Feb 2001 to Feb 2002, and have seen the growing discontent of being a Repukkklican in Pima County, plus the massive growth of Hispanic folks living in Tucson.

I miss Arizona, and would love to move back. That's one more Democrat.

Hawkeye-X

[La_Serpiente]

3. They even have a Democratic Governor

I think that entire region is changing...Bush was lucky in 2000 because the South was increasing in population... and many people were still moving from North to the South...but now, the changing Demographics show that many Southerners don't adhere to the traditional Southern Identity and in fact reject it.

So will Arizon and New Mexico be Blue States in 2004? Looks like it.

[hyphenate]

2. I have several friends scattered in Arizona

And all of them are Democrats. One is a very outspoken one as well, with three who are outspoken when necessary. Two are women and two are male, and one of the male's girlfriends is also pretty much swinging to the left as well. :)

[9119495]

4. THIS WOULD BE HUGE

If the nominee carries Gore States plus AZ, He (or C-MB) wins it all! Remember it is the Electoral votes that count. Not a single southern state is needed--not even FL. Dems need only focus on the Blues and possible swings like AZ, yet beware of Bush inroads into Dem states last time.

[Langis]

5. Well I live in AZ

And I can tell you the past year it feels more and more like a blue state. Democratic governor, and people here have a strong hatred for Bush.

[hatrack]

6. McCain go Democratic?

After endorsing Schwarzenegger?

I don't think so.

[Woodstock]

8. Schwarzenegger isn't your typical Republican

He pretty much had Maria/Eunice licking his feet on stage, and if you think the sight of Kennedy's alongside of him was lost on California voters, I say think again.

A lot of bad stuff was said about him by the "true Republicans" who view Swarz... as an aberration.

McCain is a moderate and has been decried as a traitor by said "true Republicans as well.

And McCain might wake up and see his political future in a blue state will be a little brighter on the other side.

[IrateCitizen]

10. McCain is a moderate? Are you kidding me?

He's an ultra-conservative. Check his voting record.

The main difference with McCain is that, unlike the majority of Republicans on the national stage, he is an honorable man. He is not a reactionary or bigot. But don't kid yourself in thinking he is anything BUT conservative.

[Woodstock]

16. I disagree

he's left for his party

[IrateCitizen]

7. I WOULD NOT WANT JOHN MCCAIN AS A DEMOCRAT!

And I say that as someone who actually has a decent amount of respect for the man.

But face it, he's a free market zealot, and uber-hawk, and is the embodiment of a Goldwater Republican. I wish there were more like him on the OTHER side, but I do NOT want him on "our" side.

[SmileyBoy]

11. I bet John McCain is more left then Zell Miller.

He and Arlen Specter are probably the two most left-leaning repubs in the senate.

[IrateCitizen]

14. Not at all.

John McCain is an ultra-conservative. He always has been. He always will be.

Lincoln Chafee and Olympia Snowe are FAR more moderate than he is. And McCain is not more liberal than Zell.

The mistake many people make is that they equate the fact that John McCain is an honorable man with the idea that he is somehow not conservative. The reason he sticks out is because he is not a reactionary nor is he a religious bigot, like so much of the rest of the Republican Party.

[NewJerseyDem]

17. McCain isn't that liberal

McCain is a conservative who isn't a partisan republican. He does what he wants to and doesn't listen to his party. He also has a few liberal ideas. He isn't as conservative has some republicans but he isn't one of the most moderate.

I would agree that McCain is probably more liberal than Zell Miller, however, Lincoln Chafee is by far the most liberal republican in the senate. Snowe, Specter, and Collins are all certainly more moderate and some others may be more liberal as well.

[stevedeshazer]

18. Did you watch the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings?

With all due respect, Arlen Specter exposed himself as a bigot, and I for one have not forgotten. His attacks on Anita Hill were despicable.

[NewJerseyDem]

26. Well

In what way were his attacks on Anita Hill bigoted?

Also, he is largely credited with defeating Robert Bork's confirmation so if it wasn't for him we might have Bork instead of Kennedy on the court. That is scary.

[Woodstock]

12. A Senate majority brings a lot of benefits

Even as McCain broke ranks with Dems on general bills (and I suspect if his state is turning blue, he'd be doing that less and less) there are benefits to having that majority re: committees, etc. that I'd not turn down. Anyone wants to come across the aisle, I say fine.

[stevedeshazer]

13. *ding*

What, exactly, do all you McCain supporters think he stands for that would help the Democratic Party?

[Woodstock]

20. Read on for McCain's moderate positions

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2001/0205.green.html

...the best Democrat may be someone who's no Democrat at all: Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). As a war hero who's hawkish on foreign policy, he more than matches Bush on the military front. As a reform-minded foe of corporate welfare, Big Tobacco, and the Republican right, he is peerless. McCain is Bush's most vociferous critic, voted against the president's tax cut, forced his hand on campaign finance reform, and federalized airport security in the face of White House opposition. He has co-sponsored numerous bills with Democrats--many of them in the presidential-aspirant class--requiring background checks at gun shows (Lieberman), a patients' bill of rights (Edwards), better fuel-efficiency standards in cars and SUVs (Kerry), and expanded national service programs (Bayh). He is even drafting a bill with Lieberman to reduce greenhouse gasses and mitigate global warming. As Ronald Brownstein remarked recently in the Los Angeles Times, " has become the most hyphenated name in Washington." ...

McCain couldn't fairly be described as an environmentalist, but he has fought to keep corporate polluters in check and endorsed higher CAFE standards for cars and SUVs--putting him to the left of Gore, who as vice president, endorsed Clinton's reneging on a campaign promise to raise CAFE standards. His position on abortion doesn't endear him to women's groups, but his progressive approach to tobacco, gun control, and a patients' bill of rights appeals to women generally. Perhaps more promising is that McCain's presidential run required him to delve into policy areas he'd previously ignored, such as healthcare, education, and the environment. More often than not, this consideration led him to adopt positions on the political center or center-left. "On the campaign trail and in the Senate, McCain was one of the few Republicans to make a forceful, centrist case for saving social security and cutting taxes to help the middle class, not just the wealthy," says Bruce Reed, president of the centrist Democratic Leadership Council.

[stevedeshazer]

24. Thanks for the response

I read the article, long and old but worth it.

But when it comes to the claim that McCain is Bush's most vociferous critic, every time I have heard McCain talk about the so-called "War on Terror", he says he is in complete agreement with Bush and praises him for his conduct. This is not indicative of a nemesis in any form or fashion.

As for the McCain-Feingold bill, it was a baby step. But I still see that Bushco intends to raise $300 million for their campaign, so how effective was this legislation? Corrupt money still manages to spill into campaign "war" chests, so what good was it? Only complete public funding of elections will equalize campaign money between qualified candidates.

I'll grant that I would rather have McCain than Bush as president because at times he has shown a willingness to work with Democrats on some issues. I just don't see McCain suddenly turning into a Democrat. The Dems already have their military candidate. McCain is still a war hawk.

Also, this snip from the article:

"More often than not, this consideration led him to adopt positions on the political center or center-left."

Center-left on what? I can't see such a thing. Gun control, maybe.

[Sephirstein]

15. No!

Goldwater wasn't socially conservative in his later years.

[IrateCitizen]

19. Goldwater was never socially conservative

But I think that the last thing the Democratic Party needs right now is ANOTHER market fundamentalist. And McCain IS one -- and an uber-hawk to boot.

[SmileyBoy]

9. AZ is probably becoming blue-violet at this point.

LOTS of transplanted old or retired, liberal Midwestern (ESPECIALLY Minnesotan) folks coming down there. The old HHH liberal platform is establishing itself there through the transplanted Minnesotans and Chicagoans.

[Zuni]

21. McCain is a real Conservative

that is why many people see him as a liberal.Just because he doesn't fit in with the ultra-right wing christians, is too independent minded for the Neo-Cons, and passes environmental bills and campaign finance laws that piss of big buisness fat cats does not mean he is not a conservative. he just does what he thinks as right and is not propelled by special interests--I wish more in the GOP showed his backbone.
He is a decent man. When he was a POW, after a few months the Vietnamese offered a chance to go home early. he had been badly injured, tortured, beaten, was gravely ill but refused to go home before the other prisoners. He stayed in the POW camp for 5 more years.

I think he is one of the rare GOP that votes out of conscience. It is too bad he is not a liberal, as he would be a great asset to the democrats.

[Padraig18]

22. Excellent points, everyone!

McCain is a true conservative, without a doubt. Sadly, he is a fundamentally decent and honourable man, something that is rare in the current Repuke party. Other than prestige, I don't see McCain contributing much to our party, should he switch.

[jiacinto]

23. He won't switch

And while AZ is hardly as Republican as it was back in the 1970s and in the 1980s it's nowhere near being a blue state either.

I do think, though, that in 2004, it will be competetive.

[Woodstock]

27. How is this "nowhere near"?

AZ: 34 percent say they would vote to re-elect Bush; 44 percent say they would vote for somebody else

Is there another Republican they will vote for besides Bush?

So a 10 point advantage is "nowhere near"?

[mndemocrat_29]

25. I also feel that the state is turning more and more blue

And that we will win it in 2004 (though it won't be easy). I also think that we can take seats like Arizona-1.

As for McCain, he may be too conservative to be a Democrat. I think that Zell is more liberal than McCain (at least he was when Clinton was in office), and McCain doesn't seem like the kind of party switcher who would change his beliefs. I wish we'd run someone against him who had a decent shot of winning in 2004, but McCain is probably just too popular. However, I think we should target the less popular Sen. Kyl, who is even more conservative than McCain.

[kwolf68]

28. McCain is NOT Conservative

Anyone who would vote for raising CAFE standards isn't. He has also been a leader on Global Warming and has voted against drilling on the North Slope of Alaska.

No...He isn't the greatest, but he's a good man and has some ideas that are tolerable. Geezus...They all can't be Paul Wellstone.

McCain or Lott?

If there were 51 McCains over there, this world may not be so f***** up.

[David__77]

29. I would welcome a Democratic Sen. McCain.

I haven't always agreed with him, but I do not think he has a place in the current GOP. We do need to build new alliances.

I would think it more appropriate if he were to become an independent. Perhaps he should run for president. Interestingly, I think that he would have a shot at that.