I gotta tell ya. The fever is red-hot for the Biden-Harris campaign here in the Grand Canyon state.
You can almost “feel the excitement” emanating from this image of a massive turnout for the former vice president and his running mate down along the border in Yuma, Arizona, on Friday, as my Townhall Media colleague Kurt Schlichter shared in a tweet:
Feel the excitement https://t.co/bOQ5JG4FGR
— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) October 9, 2020
Of course, we’re both joking. Guess the brain trust running the Biden campaign realized they need to bring in some reinforcements, as we enter the final weeks of the campaign. And here they come.
You may remember a specific moment, earlier this summer during the Democratic National Convention (DNC), when a video played showing clips of the late Arizona Sen. John McCain, once the nominee of the Grand Old Party, “growing up” with then-Sen. Joe Biden in the Upper House, with a voice-over provided by his wife, Cindy McCain.
Now, Mrs. McCain didn’t outright endorse Biden as president, nor did she speak live at the convention. It was more of a, shall we say, endorsement from beyond the grave — whoever put the montage together had the audacity to resurrect the video of Sen. McCain’s infamous, “thumbs down” against the Senate Majority Leader’s bill to begin to dismantle Obamacare.
But Cindy McCain officially endorsed Biden near the end of September this year. And this week, her support was on full display during a Biden-Harris stop in Phoenix:
Biden and Harris are kicking off a multi-city tour in Arizona today. And they started with this appearance with Cindy McCain at the @HeardMuseum. #Election2020 https://t.co/I4cae2SrZ5
— Katie Campbell (@katiecampbellaz) October 8, 2020
Now, the widow of my state’s former senator is allowing herself to be used as a human cudgel against Pres. Trump, by starring in a new Biden ad, which started airing Saturday in Arizona, then will air nationwide tomorrow, during top-rated Fox and CBS news programming.
The new Joe Biden ad featuring Cindy McCain will air statewide in Arizona beginning today, as well as during Fox News Sunday and 60 Minutes. pic.twitter.com/xORXRg1N88
— Sarah Mucha (@sarahmucha) October 10, 2020
But, as ABC News’ Johnny Verhovek shared on his Twitter account, you won’t be left out if you’re not a news junkie. This garbage will be spread during Sunday NFL coverage, too:
Per the Biden campaign the ad will begin running across Arizona starting today, and then it will premiere nationwide on Fox News Sunday tomorrow before airing on 60 Minutes and during NFL football games Sunday https://t.co/HVMvulu30Z
— Johnny Verhovek (@JTHVerhovek) October 10, 2020
One other tiny thing, Sen. Sinema — why so silent on Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s SCOTUS confirmation hearings? You’re pretty much the only U.S. senator not to give any indication of your thoughts and feelings on the potential High Court jurist. Are you going to be like your best buddy, Sleepy Joe, and not tell voters what you intend to do when it comes time to vote on her…because the voters don’t have a right to know? Just checkin’ in!
And though her name’s not mentioned, the campaign ad’s a sly attack on Sen. Martha McSally, too, for her opponent Mark Kelly in the general election. Not only is a display like this sad, but it’s distasteful. It makes me sick to my stomach.
As I wrote during the DNC about the the late senator’s further actions which disgraced Arizona and her citizens:
McCain’s decision not to retire before his death threw Arizona into a years-long tumult to regain two, fully-vested senators to represent her. It’s a drama that still hasn’t been resolved, with the appointed Sen. Martha McSally in the race of her life against former astronaut, wannabe gun-grabber, and progressive darling Mark Kelly in November.
In fact, as I reminded readers in a lead-up to the McSally-Kelly debate a few days back, November’s contest will only serve to fill the final two years of McCain’s term. Then voters will have to go through this election rigmarole all over again.
Now, former astronaut and CCP pal Mark Kelly has his own, sly new advertising airing in the state, this one starring the woman who beat McSally in 2018 to take the Senate seat vacated by the appropriately-named Jeff Flake. Talk about rubbing salt in a person’s wounds. It’s worth noting, though, that Kyrsten Sinema’s win was by only a 2.4 percent margin — not a blowout by any stretch.
Senator @KyrstenSinema knows that Arizonans need an independent voice representing them in the Senate. pic.twitter.com/quSlnyMAj5
— Captain Mark Kelly (@CaptMarkKelly) October 3, 2020
Since I last shared the number, the Real Clear Politics folks have added three new polls (taken through Oct. 7) to its average for the AZ Senate race. Kelly has gone up a modest 1.2 points, from 6 to 7.2 points, over McSally.
But, neither the Trump nor the McSally campaign have been left flatfooted, as these upcoming, GOP appearances show, by First Daughter Ivanka Trump on Sunday visiting Phoenix for the president…
@IvankaTrump is scheduled "to participate in a conversation with local supporters" tomorrow in Phoenix#AZpol pic.twitter.com/ZKKU77SVGC
— Alexander Tin (@ThisAlexTin) October 11, 2020
…then former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley stumping in Scottsdale for Sen. McSally on Monday:
Arizona, we are coming to you! ❤️🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/1ce3HW6358
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) October 10, 2020
(Before he got the China flu, Pres. Trump was scheduled to make a two-stop swing through the state.)
So, the question in all of this is why. Why would the McCain family stoop this low?
Arrogance. It’s as simple as that. Our governor, Doug Ducey, reportedly “checked” with Mrs. McCain before he appointed stop-gap Sen. John Kyl to fill in immediately after the senator’s passing. Kyl only served in the position from September through the end of 2018.
It needs to be said: You and your family don’t own the Senate seat, Mrs. McCain, despite your late husband’s insistence on staying in it and holding us hostage, until he decided to work his own will in that vote. Don’t talk to Arizonans about anyone respecting people. Sen. McCain showed disrespect for Arizona, just utter disdain for the people he had promised to serve, by his own selfish actions.
