Sheriff Joe Arpaio Weighs Arizona Senate Run

[sabra]

Source: CBS News

Joe Arpaio, the controversial Arizona lawman who calls himself "America's Toughest Sheriff," said Monday he is open to a run for Senate in 2012 in the wake of a poll that found him to be the leading Republican contender.

Arpaio, the Maricopa County sheriff best known for his aggressive efforts to capture illegal immigrants, said "the door is open right now" to a run, as The Hill reports, though he said he was not sure he wanted to leave his job as sheriff.

The comments came in the wake of a release of a poll conducted by Summit Consulting Group that found Arpaio to be the leading candidate to replace retiring Arizona Republican Sen. Jon Kyl. Arpaio had 21 percent support among likely Republican primary voters, followed by Rep. Jeff Flake (who yesterday announced a run) at 16.8 percent and former Rep. J.D. Hayworth at 16.6 percent. Former Rep. John Shadegg came in fourth at 12 percent, and freshman Rep. Ben Quayle fifth at six percent.

The poll should be seen skeptically for three reasons. First, early polling usually doesn't matter all that much, and tends to reward name recognition. Second, the poll was conducted using auto-dialing, a method CBS News believes yields subpar results. And third, it was conducted by a company that is raising money for Arpaio's reelection campaign for sheriff and employs Arpaio's campaign manager. (The company also has done work for Flake, and one principle was a Hayworth advisor.)

Still, the survey has provided an opportunity for Arpaio, who has flirted with gubernatorial bids in the past, to get his name in the mix for the Senate seat.

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20031979-503544.html?tag=cbsnewsSectionContent.5

[Zephie]

1. Now that is a scary idea. Knowing how Arizona is lately I wouldn't be surprised if he got elected

makes me shudder.

[TheCowsCameHome]

2. They'll probably elect him.

Judging by the nuts they've already placed in office.

[KamaAina]

3. *Senator* Joke??!!

:scared: :scared: :scared:

[politicat]

4. This is awful, but I kinda hope he does.

Full disclosure: I don't live in Arizona anymore, and haven't for many years, but my mother still lives in Maricopa county, so this is a one degree removed issue for me. Maricopa county residents are in danger of falling afoul of Sheriff Joke just by having the wrong address, or driving the wrong vehicle, or making a stupid tag and plate error. Nobody is safe, and everybody pays the price for his illegal detention camp and its human rights and civil rights abuses, and the resulting litigation and judgements.

For one, he'd have to quit being sheriff. Right there, that's a bonus. Getting him out of office and anyone not to the right of Mussolini in is worth almost anything. While I can't expect a truly good sheriff to replace him, someone who actually had read the law and the Constitution might be possible. A lot of Maricopa county residents are getting really tired of the multi-million dollar judgements against the sheriff's department, and someone with half a brain has a better chance in an open race instead of against such a long-term incumbent. (Plus, popcorn factor - that campaign will go negative at the speed of light.)

Two... Assuming he did get elected, which I doubt, given that the rest of the state isn't too fond of him, He'd be the junior senator, and his lunatic ravings would be somewhat mitigated (drowned out) by the other lunatic ravings coming out of the Senate. Can he be worse than Kyl? Well, yeah, but could he be so much substantially worse that the rest of the country would notice all that much? Not really. Right now, Joeker gets his press because he's a big fish in a relatively small pond. As the junior senator, he wouldn't be in line for plum committee appointments, and he'd be up against Michelle Bachmann for the Crazy press time. She'll win - she's younger, more photogenic, and nuttier. And would he vote differently than Kyl? No. Would he listen to his constituents any better than Kyl? No, but on that, he wouldn't be worse than Kyl, either, and slightly better than JD Hayworth. The chances of getting anyone but a Blue Dog into that seat is microscopic, and a true liberal? No. Not unless the AZ Dems can manage to get the Navajo Nation and Yuma County turnout to previously unseen levels, and the ADP has no budget for remote county GOTV. (GOTV in those counties is awful. They're huge and empty.)

Three... he's not young. He'll be 80 next year, he's about as fit as as a double sheet on a loveseat, so... I'm not seeing that he'll live all that long. He might see one re-election campaign. I doubt two. and if he dies in office, well... There's a special election.

However, I don't think he'll run. He's got a good racket going, scaring all of those Sun City snowbirds and law'n'order types. He's happiest being King Log of Turd Mountain. He makes noise about running for gov every couple years, too, but he never does.

He and the climate are the biggest reasons I left AZ. Like a citizen of Omelas, I could no longer stand living in such a domain.