Arizona is a blasted hellscape

[Thad]

Yeah, the statewide races are still too close to call, but as of this writing Kelly and Fontes are both up by significant margins and the others are much closer.

I'm a little surprised by Fontes, but I guess the bottom line is what it says in your screenshot: "Most people were expected to vote early." We fucking love our early voting system in Arizona, we've had it for decades, it's extremely popular, and for all that "the election was stolen" is Republican orthodoxy at this point, when the rubber meets the road most people, regardless of party, do not want to vote for a candidate whose whole deal is that he wants to make voting harder and more inconvenient (for them).

It also strikes me that, while Lake may still pull this off, she'd have won in a walk if she hadn't gone all-in on the Trump stuff. In statewide races, Arizona likes Republicans, but it likes Republicans who at least pretend to be moderate. Guys like McCain, Flake, and Ducey weren't actual moderates, but they faked it well enough that people saw them that way. Nobody's gonna call Lake a moderate, and while she still has a chance of pulling this out I think it's clear that that's been to her detriment. If she'd just stuck to the classic AZGOP playbook -- small business good, illegal immigration bad, respond to any question on a subject more controversial than those with a vague non-answer -- I think she'd have had this in the bag. Similarly, I think Brnovich would have still had an uphill battle against Kelly, but he'd have done better than Masters.

It'll probably be awhile before we know the results for sure -- I'm pretty comfortable saying Kelly and Fontes have got it, but less comfortable about the others. I do think we know enough to conclude that extremism ain't helping the AZGOP at the statewide level, but we don't know yet if it's hurting them enough to actually cost them elections.

[Thad]

Judge cites Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone with contempt in racial profiling case

Never forget that "better than Joe Arpaio" is the lowest of low bars.

[Thad]

Kelly and Fontes have both been called; those are probably the most important races.

Governor, AG, and school superintendent haven't been called yet; Democrats are up in the latest count for each.

Looks like Stanton will still be my Rep, too.

Maricopa County Attorney hasn't been called; the Republican incumbent is up in the latest count. That's not ideal but it's pretty good news otherwise.

[Thad]

Arizona called for Hobbs.

Imagine setting fire to your reputation for Donald Trump. Lake can go stand in a corner with Martha McSally.

[Mongrel]

Hopefully to be joined by Sinema shortly (via primary, preferably).

[Thad]

Not really what I'm talking about. Sinema's torched her reputation, but not by going all-in on Trump.

(I did see someone comment yesterday that once Hobbs takes office Biden should offer Sinema a nice ambassadorship.)

[Mongrel]

Not really what I'm talking about. Sinema's torched her reputation, but not by going all-in on Trump.

(I did see someone comment yesterday that once Hobbs takes office Biden should offer Sinema a nice ambassadorship.)

Oh now that's a good idea.

[Thad]

It's not all good news -- the state superintendent of schools race has been called for racist piece of shit Tom Horne -- but it's still mostly good news, and I'll take it.

[Mongrel]

THE HONKENING.

THEY NAMED IT "THE HONKENING".

Also classic "Nazis repeatedly defeated by DC traffic" vibes.

[Thad]

[Mongrel]

Kari Lake's suit tossed out by Maricopa County judge

She'll appeal, of course, but it seems like it was a complete and utter wash for her (WHAT A SURPRISE!), so we'll see how far she can push it.

But hey, Merry Christmas Arizona.

[Mazian]

A little reminder of the real looming Arizonan hellscape: City of Scottsdale cuts off water supply to a suburb.

It's not quite leaving them out to die yet – this is a 'burb that never had piped drinking water, but instead relies on water tankers filling up local storage. Scottsdale has cut the tankers off due to serious supply shortages, but for now that just means they have to go elsewhere, at much greater time and expense, and no guarantees from whoever they find as the next supplier. That's a loud warning shot for all the developments where real estate companies snuck through loopholes mandating a long-term water supply.

[Thad]

Gallego makes it official.

[Mongrel]

Not relinking video cos I didn't see one in a quick search that won't give a RW idiot clicks, but

Kari Lake used her speech at CPAC to declare that Steve Bannon is "a modern-day George Washington": "I call him the patriotic stud muffin."

[Thad]

Going through the publicity pamphlet for the Tempe special election -- to build a hockey arena, some apartments, and an "entertainment district" right next to the airport -- and look, I've got my biases about building stadiums going in but I decided to at least hear them out since they've got like the last 5 mayors endorsing it.

But got damn the "Against" arguments are like a got-dang high school reunion up in here.

Or at least, like, one degree away from one. Friends with his daughter, friends with their daughter, dated her sister...

[Thad]

Coyotes concede defeat after Tempe voters reject hockey arena deal

It hasn't officially been called yet, but the current count has it losing by double digits and it's pretty unlikely it'll make those numbers up as the count continues.

[Mongrel]

BoingBoing: GOP grifters drain Arizona Republican Party to near-bankruptcy

hee hee eh hee hee hee

[Mazian]

Sinema's not running for reelection. Only surprising in that it took this long to make the decision.

[Thad]

oh wow she didn't disable comments.

[Friday]

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