McCain to face 2010 primary challenge

[WilliamPitt]

McCain facing 2010 primary

Social conservatives tolerated John McCain as the party's nominee, but never trusted him, and he now appears to be facing a serious primary from the right in Arizona next year.

Chris Simcox, the founder of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps and a prominent figure in the anti-immigration movement, will announcing tomorrow at an event on the Mexican border that he's resigned from the group to run in the 2010 Senate primary.

From a forthcoming release:

"John McCain has failed miserably in his duty to secure this nation's borders and protect the people of Arizona from the escalating violence and lawlessness," Simcox said. "He has fought real efforts over the years at every turn, opting to hold our nation's border security hostage to his amnesty schemes. Coupled with his votes for reckless bailout spending and big government solutions to our nation's problems, John McCain is out of touch with everyday Arizonans. Enough is enough."

McCain was forced to abandon his own immigration reform legislation during last year's Republican Primary, a move that may have cost him substantial Hispanic support to which his record could have given him access.

So he's basically getting it from both sides on this one.

Simcox, with a national base and a high profile on the right, is well positioned to give McCain a serious local headache. He'll find some allies among the conservatives who recently took over the Arizona Republican Party from McCain's allies, and he has a national fundraising base.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0409/McCain_facing_2010_primary.html?showall

[LeftishBrit]

1. Could this mean a Dem winning; or that there'd be yet another RW nut?

Arizona could get its very own Palin!

[WilliamPitt]

7. Primary challenges often help the opposing party.

Bush Sr. entered the 1992 presidential race badly battered and drained of funds thanks to Buchanan's brutal and effective primary challenge. It's one of the reasons (along with Perot) that Clinton eventually prevailed.

So yes, if this goober runs a strong campaign and wins, he'll be battered and cash-strapped in the general election. If he loses, he'll have busted McCain up in time for the general.

So it would help the Democrats, for sure. The question of whether a Democrat has a chance of winning a Senate seat in AZ is a dicier question. Napolitano was Arizona's governor, so Democrats *can* win there, but it'll be an uphill fight no matter what happens. Plus, I don't know off-hand if the AZ Democratic Party has any good candidates willing to run. Napolitano could have won, but she's busy now. :)

[MineralMan]

2. Simcox?

Now there's a candidate for the GOOPers! Geez...

[NC_Nurse]

3. Great! Let's hope the race goes to a Dem.

[Atman]

4. From what, his heart?

He's going to be so old in 2010 that the biggest challenge he'll face is being able to pee in the morning.

.

[tabbycat31]

6. he's a spring chicken compared to some of the other senators

NJ just re-elected an 84 yo senator (and I voted for him)

[Fireweed247]

5. I hope it spreads

This should be the case in every district. With the Harman revelations, it appears that possibly all of our Congress has been tapped/bribed/blackmailed. Judging from recent history, and Bushco getting away with so many crimes...almost the entire US Congress has been compromised. They ALL need to be thrown out of office. Why do they keep ignoring the will of the people? Because no one runs against them. We need real Americans in every state to consider running for Congress. We need to take back the government for We the People. McCain is not our only problem, not by a long shot.