For the first time in Arizona history, independent voters have become 2nd largest voting bloc surpassing the Democrats.[/caption] It is a mistake for people to ignore the independent vote in Arizona that is now the 2nd largest voting bloc regarding Maricopa County Sheriff race. Several people are forgetting the John McCain "maverick" factor and also forgot how approximately 200,000 independent votes carried the Senator. Ever wonder why the corrupt Sheriff Joe Arpaio is not attacking independent candidate Mike Stauffer for Sheriff and independent voters of Maricopa County? Indeed Mike Stauffer for sheriff is looking better and better as both the Republican and Democratic candidates go negative against each other. Arpaio NEEDS the independent conservative vote in order to survive. More importantly, if Arpaio attacks independent candidate Mike Stauffer for sheriff -- then he will have legitimatized him, and he is too cunning and wise to do that. The only folks attacking Mike Stauffer are Paul Penzone supporters and they are shooting themselves in the foot.

Additionally, it was not smart for Ann Wallack (supports Penzone) to call independent voters "ignorant" either.

Unfortunately the political novices have no idea that independent voters now make up the 2nd largest voting bloc in Arizona and in Maricopa County surpassing Democratic voter registrations for the first time in Arizona history. More importantly, independent voters become independent voters because we are sick and tired of partisanship gridlock. Period. Libertarians, Libertarian-Republicans, and Independent voters who support Mike Stauffer for Maricopa County Sheriff believe that the Sheriff Office should NOT be partisan. In fact, professionalism needs to be restored at the MCSO. Who in their right mind would attack key independent voters when they are a surging voter bloc of people sick of negative ads from both the Republican and Democratic Party? According to ABC News:

Independent voters are an increasingly important voting bloc. They have outnumbered both Democrats and Republicans continuously for the past two and a half years, by far the longest period in which they’ve done so in ABC News-Washington Post polls dating back to 1981. Gallup’s recent poll bears mixed news for the two parties. While the gap between those who identified as Democrats and those who said they were Republicans widened to 4 percent, more independents appeared to lean toward the Republican Party than to the Democratic Party and the split between the two was equal. “Increased independent identification is not uncommon in the year before a presidential election year, but the sluggish economy, record levels of distrust in government and unfavorable views of both parties helped to create an environment that fostered political independence more than in any other pre-election year,” Gallup stated.

Here is a breakdown of the demographics in Maricopa County, and it also supports why I believe Mike Stauffer is going to hurt Sheriff Joe Arpaio in the Maricopa County Sheriff race.   [caption id="attachment_2151" align="aligncenter" width="813"] Maricopa County Sheriff Office Demographics between 2008 and 2012 in key Arpaio race.[/caption]