The Arizona Democratic Party Leadership is quoting anti-immigrant Sean Hannity with regard to a call for Senator John McCain to retire. More importantly, a member of their Party Leadership structure is downplaying the role of Independent voters here in Arizona.
Mary Jo Pitzl recently wrote: "That means come March 22, elections officials are bracing for a wave of angry would-be voters who will be turned away if they try and vote in the Democratic, Republican or Green elections." There is a lot of truth to what Pitzl wrote because often times Indies are they angry key swing vote. Independent voters understand the bull that comes along with hypocritical Party bosses, and it is high time the Arizona Democratic Leadership (like Adrian P. Fontes) should take some time to read more about the role of the key swing Indies from the AZ Capitol Times:
At last, a spotlight is on the most important group of voters in Arizona: independents.
Our state’s largest voting group deserves the same treatment and the ability to participate under the same rules as those who choose to join a party – it is one of the most fundamental American values of equal citizenship. However, the reality is that independents are treated differently than party voters, requiring extra steps to vote with an early ballot, for example. Meanwhile, independent candidates face appallingly higher petition signature requirements. This is the largest voter suppression effort in modern times.
And it’s working. Data show that independents do not vote in proportions consistent with other voters. This is most notable in the primary elections. While turnout is low among all voters in the primary elections, it is abysmal among independents, only in single digits. This is no surprise when, (1) poor voter education and intentionally confusing rhetoric has left half of independents believing they don’t have the right to vote in the state’s primary election; (2) the parties in Arizona exclude them altogether from the presidential primary, and (3) some local parties have voted to exclude them from all primaries.
The only answer to this problem offered by those who currently write the rules: “Just join our party and you won’t have any of these problems.”
That completely defies what the Morrison Institute study revealed through focus groups of independents. These voters do not want to participate in an inherently partisan process which is unrepresentative of their views and which has converted our democracy into a shouting match between small bastions of ideologues whose extreme views produce today’s gridlock. The only choices they are offered are Coke or Pepsi, when they would rather have a Dr. Pepper.
Here is my question to the political hypocrisy within the Arizona Democratic Party: If they want John McCain John McCain to retire, should the Arizona Republican Party ask the same of self proclaimed #Socialist Bernie Sanders who was a Congressman for years and years before becoming a US Senator, too? Bernie Sanders is the epitome of a career politician and I'm not sure it's wise for the AZ Dems to throw stones while living in glass houses.
The State of Arizona has suffered a lot of black eyes because of the anti-immigrant extremism, and I'm not sure why the AZ DEMS would want to use well known anti-immigrant talking head like Sean Hannity. Did the AZ Democratic leadership forget when Sean Hannity came to Donald Trump’s defense following backlash over the billionaire presidential candidate’s controversial remarks about Latin American immigrants?
Perhaps it is time for Senator John McCain to woo the Independent voters as he once did well in. Afterall, U.S. Sen. John McCain is criticizing attempts by some Arizona Republicans to close their primaries to party members only, shutting out independents who can choose to participate under a 1998 voter-passed ballot measure, and more independent voter organizations support this issue.
Now, McCain should attack Democratic Party Leadership for essentially downplaying the role of Independent Voters in Arizona, too, because at least McCain recognizes the important role Independent voters play -- particularly when we are the largest voting bloc in this state.
