At this point, it's pretty obvious that Kyrsten Sinema didn't denigrate her own state as an object of derision and contempt in a random throwaway line or two. No, dumping on Arizona has been a standard 'go-to' for years when she's addressed liberal out-of-state audiences. Here she is in 2010 riffing on a now-familiar theme, warning other Americans about the dangers of allowing their home states to slide into the unholy abyss that is Arizona. Remember, this is a woman who's currently running for statewide office -- not in Arizona's trash-talking rival state, but in Arizona:
New Video:
— The Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) October 18, 2018
Arizona Democratic Senate Candidate @kyrstensinema Warning People: Be Careful! Your State Can Turn Into Arizona Pretty Quickly.
Video Date: July, 2010#WhyDoesSinemaHateArizona pic.twitter.com/8Lqoe6r8uc
And via the same source, watch as Sinema makes...quite a face when she references her home state. Can you believe I actually stood for office in that living nightmare of a hellhole -- and won? ::grimace shudder:: Gross:
NEW VIDEO: @kyrstensinema can't hide her disgust of Arizona in March 2018. pic.twitter.com/hZX6Ot8pgn
— The Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) October 18, 2018
Note the date. That was earlier this year. She's trying hard to mop this up, assuring voters that she's a very proud Arizonan, you see -- even if she's not a proud Democrat. Uh huh. This is also an interesting move:
Sinema, who still won’t back Ariz’s Dem gov nominee, goes further 1/2
— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) October 18, 2018
“KTAR: You’ve not endorsed Democrat for governor, David Garcia. Are you voting for Ducey?
“Sinema: I already voted, but I’m not going to tell you who I voted for.”
That approach didn't work out so well for Mitch McConnell's last opponent, but let's face it: There's no way Sinema voted for Gov. Ducey. He's way too pro-Arizona for her tastes. Snark aside, I'm not sure that this poll is anything other than an outlier. Sinema's consistent lead may have evaporated, but I'm not convinced Martha McSally has opened up a lead. Perhaps Sinema's attacks on her own state have yet to get into the bloodstream out there (I've only seen one ad produced to highlight the controversy thus far, and it just went up), and I'd imagine McSally may have more room to grow if it starts to break through. But for now, it's looking awfully close. Allahpundit thinks this one is shaping up as a "pure toss-up." That sounds about right. Nationally, Karl Rove examines Republicans' enhanced electoral standing in October and draws some conclusions:
Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings jolted Republican enthusiasm. The July 22 NPR/PBS News House/Marist poll, for example, found that 78% of Democrats and only 68% of Republicans considered this midterm “very important.” By October, the same poll showed the Democrats’ edge had mostly evaporated: 82% of Democrats and 80% of Republicans called the elections “very important.” There was a similar change in the generic ballot. In the Sept. 12 Quinnipiac poll, voters preferred Democrats to Republicans for the House by 52% to 38%. Jump to Oct. 2 and the same survey finds 49% support for the Democratic candidate and 42% for the Republican, cutting the gap in half. But it isn’t just about Justice Kavanaugh. The GOP position has improved as Republican voters are naturally rallying to their party...All this is a reminder that election results are not preordained or driven wholly by impersonal forces. They are heavily influenced by the quality of candidates and campaigns. With 19 days until the election, lots of twists and turns are still possible.
That last line is a word of caution. The GOP has been on the comeback trail, but it's not clear whether mid-October will represent a high water mark for the party this cycle (with already-favored Democrats blunting momentum and pulling away via late deciders and new voters), or whether key late developments will protect Republicans from a major wave. As Republican voters contemplate their priorities and intensity over the next two-plus weeks, I'd urge them to consider this answer Mitch McConnell gave earlier in the week on the topic of his most consequential leadership legacy:
Q: If Democrats win back the Senate, do you believe the confirmation of President Trump's judicial nominees, even at the circuit court level, will stop completely?
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) October 18, 2018
McConnell: "I do."https://t.co/tpYXDlpyMO
Sinema has said she'd have voted against Justice Kavanaugh. She'd have joined her would-be colleagues who lined up behind Chuck Schumer and Dianne Feinstein's appalling smear campaign, including Jon Tester, Joe Donnelly, Claire McCaskill, Heidi Heitkamp, and Bill Nelson. By the way, Nelson -- after attacking Rick Scott for focusing too intently on helping Florida recover from a terrible storm -- has announced that he's supposedly done everything he possibly can in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael and will resume campaigning. I wasn't aware that he'd ever stopped. If he's so keen on electoral politics, why's he playing these games?
Looks like there will be no widely watched US Sen debate in FL, and it's @NelsonForSenate who seems to be creating most obstacles. Do yourself and FL a favor, Sen Nelson, and just accept 10/25 on CNN.
— Adam Smith (@adamsmithtimes) October 18, 2018
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