
by: Scott Martin posted: 2009-12-03 15:26:00
Viewed 794 times. 16 Comments.
Senator John McCain has never faced a serious test for his Arizona seats, scoring five resounding victories and garnering 77 percent of the vote in the 2004 election, but it looks like he could have a major fight from a highly-respected conservative critic, former Congressman and current talk radio host J.D. Hayworth.
The latest Rasmussen poll shows some numbers that may startle outsiders to Arizona's political scene.
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely 2010 Republican Primary voters in Arizona finds the longtime incumbent in a virtual tie with potential challenger J.D. Hayworth. McCain earns 45% of the vote, while Hayworth picks up 43%.
Hayworth, a harsh critic of McCain on immigration policy who doggedly attacks the senior Senator over his many breaks with conservative ideology most afternoons and evenings on his highly rated Phoenix talk show, has not yet announced his candidacy. In the interest of disclosure, I'm a big fan of Hayworth, who I believe is a version of his idol, Ronald Reagan. He skewers leftists both locally and nationally, is extremely articulate and witty, and has unchallengeable conservative credentials.
Hayworth a conservative former U.S. congressman who now is a popular radio talk show host in Phoenix, is reportedly interested in the race but has not formally declared for it. He captures 59% of the male GOP vote, while McCain wins 58% of female voters...74% of likely GOP Primary voters have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of McCain, including 35% who view him very favorably. Twenty-four percent (24%) regard him somewhat or very unfavorably.
Hayworth is viewed favorably by 67%, with 37% very favorable. Only 16% regard the ex-congressman somewhat or very unfavorably. But 16% don’t know enough about Hayworth to venture even a soft opinion of him.
Hayworth's forum and his activity in various local events like the Tea Parties will give him ample opportunity to make himself known to those who haven't yet paid attention. The following finding should be even more unnerving to McCain.
Earlier polling showed that most Arizona voters said it was more important to pass immigration reform than health care reform. Most also believe Sheriff Joe Arpaio, an aggressive opponent of illegal immigration, has been good for the state’s image...Fifty-one percent (51%) of Arizona voters say it is more important for Congress to pass immigration reform than health care reform. A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state shows that 45% hold the opposite view and think health care reform is more important.
By a 65% to 20% margin, Arizona voters believe enforcing the borders is more important than legalizing the status of those already living here.
Arizonans rightly believe that immigration reform is our biggest issue, and Hayworth's view trounces McCain's view with voters. If anything, these numbers suggest that those who don't yet know who J.D. Hayworth is will like what they hear from him. The person who titled this video seems to disagree, but obviously Arizona voters and the facts do not.
More J.D. Skip the two-minute intro and note his wit and charisma and message, and I think you'll agree with me that this race bears watching. I firmly believe that Hayworth can and will defeat McCain in 2010, if he runs.
Tags: Conservatives, Immigration, John McCain, 2010 elections, J.D. Hayworth,
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I agree. McCain will not be defeated by Hayworth or anyone else - too much history and too much money. Hayworth might make a fine senator, but he'll need the other seat to get there.
So the poll is a lie, Happy? Hayworth has the number one rated talk show in the state for what reason? The state overwhelmingly disagrees with McCain on its biggest issue, but they love him? I don't think so. I live here too, and I would bet money that JD wins if he runs.
Hayworth must challenge McCain. This clown can be beat. If Hayworth threw his hat in the ring, the conservative citizens throughout America would donate. Run Hayworth run!
I am with KansasGirl. He should run and the Tea Partiers will throw him lots of love and money. McCain is the King of all RINOs and, Clyde, as the guy around here who goes cross-eyed at the mere mention of Castle and Kirk, one would think you would be in the damn-the-torpedoes, full-speed-ahead crowd on Hayworth.
I don't have a dog in that race, I am just telling you what I believe will happen on election day. too early to rely on polls as dispostive for nov 2010, but we've already talked about this on the podcast last week when the poll (or another with similar findings) came out. The poll in this post is two weeks old.
You ducked me RINO-hater.
OK, Dupray. Do I think McCain should be unseated? Yes. I said that - it was two weeks ago when we discussed this on the podcast, not last week - that he has reached his expiration date. Time to clean out the non-conservatives. I reject the label RINO because Republicans are not conservatives. So he should go, yes. But is Hayworth the guy? I don't know. 12 years in Congress and a radio show ... and this other situation that cost him a ton of money in defense costs ... I just don't know. I do, however, utterly reject saying that he was clean and got unfairly hammered. I think he was involved in some degree and that may have been magnified unfairly. So is he ultimately toxic? No idea.
By "conservative leader", you mean an angry old racist, who speaks for Billy Bob. The same Billy Bob who used to blame blacks for his failures, but since it is no longer ok to hate on blacks, the immigrants are a new convenient target. Both Hayworth and Arpaio should be deported back in time, to Nazi Germany...
You paint with too broad a brush, Ivan. If the overwhelming majority of your illegal immigrants are Hispanic, it is not racist to focus on Hispanics. It's stupid not to. It's a waste of LEO money to focus on pasty whites (like me).
True racists are few and far between, and the black and Hispanic communities probably have a higher percentage than the Caucasian community.
Here's another good fact: One of the issues Hayworth has to consider is money: McCain already has a nearly $27.8 million campaign fund, according to the most recent finance reports. By contrast, Hayworth is still paying off legal fees in connection with a probe by the U.S. Department of Justice of his connection to lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Yes, that is probably the biggest thing affecting whether or not he runs. He has lost almost everything he has in that battle. And it, along with a ton of Democrat machine money ended up losing him his House seat.
I reject saying that any politician is clean. I'm not sure that it's a possibility. He did, I believe, get unfairly hammered in a very large way. Is he toxic? I don't believe so. Whoever the Republican candidate is will win the election when you combine our constituency and Democrat malaise in an off year. Throw in the general feeling of "throw all the bums out" and If ever there is a chance for someone to the right to take McCain's seat from him, this is it.
McCain has another advantage that just burns up the conservatives that support Hayworth: McCain would have the vote of independents, moderate democrats, and libertarians (including me), not to mention Hispanics. Especially if McCain continues to fight Obama and the liberal agenda every step of the way, while conservatives just worry about getting power back in 2010. Hayworth has no positive ideas or plans. The best Hayworth can do is whine and complain and talk trash about McCain. I've lost all respect for Hayworth. I'm gonna love it if Sarah campaigns for and/or endorses McCain in a contest between the two. Of course Conservatives will dismiss it as Sarah merely returning a favor, but will they ever be mad!
Why on Earth would a libertarian support McCain over Hayworth? McCain is a big government Republican. Hayworth is limited government, states rights, all the way.
If you really believe McCain is a better pick for a libertarian, you need to study up on what it is you believe in.
I think the people of AZ are sick of McCain. The only time he acts like a conservative is when its close to election time. I think people are ready to dump him. And after the campaign he ran against Obama, incredible. I was starting to think he was on Obama's team.
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I'm from AZ and by far..far..far...people want to re-elect John McCain. Hayworth got defeated for a reason and since he's had his radio show has become a bitter,nasty whinner. He's petty and tends to represent only the FAR right "fringe" of the republican party. McCain can't please all the people...all the time...but he does a fine job of representing AZ.