Harsh words for Ann Kirkpatrick from both sides in final days of campaign
The race in Arizona’s First Congressional District is coming to a close, and Ann Kirkpatrick finds her campaign in shambles:
Democrat Party Chairman:"Paton’s closed the gap”
On Friday’s Political Roundtable on"Arizona Illustrated” in Tucson, Pima County Democratic Party Chairman Jeff Rogers admitted the race has tightened:"I will have to say that Paton’s closed the gap. She was well ahead in the polling we had seen and the gap has closed and it’s going to be a close one.”
Kirkpatrick has"imploded”
Non-partisan political commentator Chris Herstam predicted on Channel 12’s Sunday Square Off that Paton would win that race by a good 4 or 5 points:"She has just imploded, frankly. When she has appeared before editorial boards, when she has been in debate settings, she has lost her cool. Paton has maintained his cool, and he’s run an effective race… This was Ann Kirkpatrick’s race to lose.”
At war with her own party:
Kirkpatrick is ending the campaign still trading barbs with her primary opponent, Wenona Benally Baldenegro – exposing cracks in her base.
Last week, Paton was endorsed by the Navajo Nation Council. He was the only Republican campaign to be endorsed – the other two candidates are Democrats from New Mexico. The Council’s Naa’bik’iyati’ Committee, which voted on the endorsements Monday, is comprised of all members of the Council and voted 10-2 to endorse Paton. It rejected a similar endorsement for Kirkpatrick.
Ann Kirkpatrick immediately went on the attack, claiming this didn’t happen. But over the weekend, Baldenegro – who was also endorsed by the council during their race – put out a statement saying Kirkpatrick is wrong: "Paton’s endorsement is valid and therefore, it stands.”
"The Ann Kirkpatrick Trainwreck Tour continues”:
Baldenegro’s husband, Sal, was even sharper in his criticism of Kirkpatrick:"The Ann Kirkpatrick Trainwreck Tour continues. Kirkpatrick is claiming that the Navajo Nation endorsement of Jonathan Paton in CD is not a ‘real’ endorsement. First off all, that is in insult to the sovereignty of the Navajo Nation Council, and second, if Paton’s endorsement"doesn’t count,” then neither does the endorsements of Ben Ray Lujan, Martin Heinrich, and Wenona Benally.”
Kirkpatrick’s support for ObamaCare is dragging her down
Also on Sunday Square Off, Christina Martinez of Adelante Public Affairs and Communications, pointed to ObamaCare as a weight around Kirkpatrick’s neck:"They’re attacking her on the Affordable Care Act… People are just still so confused and so upset about ObamaCare, and that’s what they’re getting her on, because they have her as one of the biggest champions here.”
Still haunted by Holbrook town hall
Voters still remember when Kirkpatrick walked out of her own town hall in 2009:
"This should have been a Democrat seat, this should have been Ann’s seat… When she walked out of the Holbrook gathering two years ago, somehow in rural Arizona they don’t forget that kind of thing. And it has held onto her and she cannot shake that and it’s not a forgivable sin.” – Stan Barnes, Cooper State Consulting,"Sunday Square Off,” Nov. 4, 2012
"Let’s think back. I think it was two years ago… when Ann Kirkpatrick was running for reelection and there was the incident at a grocery store and it was all over YouTube where she got mad at some people who were asking questions and she walked away. If there’s a pattern of this sort of not wanting to talk to constituents or feeling above the fray … and Jonathan Paton has gotten high marks for crossing party lines in the Legislature, this could be very, very close.” – Steve Goldstein, KJZZ,"Arizona Horizon,” Nov. 2, 2012
Democrat attacks not working
"The Payday stuff is not sticking on Paton.” – Christina Martinez of Adelante Public Affairs and Communications,"Sunday Square Off,” Nov. 4, 2012
"The least imaginative campaign this election season was that conducted by outside groups against Republican Jonathan Paton in Congressional District 1. How many times does the guy have to be called "Payday Paton" before political consultants think they've made their point… The first time you heard "Payday Paton," it was kind of clever. By the 100th time, it was mildly irritating. By the 1,000th time, you wanted to blow up your television.” – Bob Robb, Arizona Republic, Nov. 4, 2012
Race a"Toss Up”
On Friday, the Rothenberg Political Report moved the race to a"Pure Toss Up,” saying"Democrats continue to feel less and less comfortable with this race.”
"Democrats continue to feel less and less comfortable with this race, and now both parties privately agree that if a district in Arizona flips, it will probably be this one. Republicans still worry about the cash discrepancy between the two candidates, but GOP groups have invested heavily in the last few weeks. Polling has been scarce and only Republican IVR polls have shown GOP nominee Jonathan Paton pulling ahead of former Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D). Still, both sides believe this race has tightened, and turnout among the district’s sizable LDS population for Romney could boost Paton, too.” – Rothenberg Political Report, Nov. 2, 2012
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