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On the Ground at the Arizona Primary
My ballot. (Unlike in other states where the First Amendment is viewed with suspicion, it’s legal for Arizona voters to photograph their own ballot.)
Voting in the Arizona primary is usually a simple affair. Pop in at the neighborhood polling place, mark the ballot, feed it into the reader, and you’re off in a minute or two. But in the protracted battle of 2016, my state’s vote actually matters.
After dropping off the kids at school, I encountered a traffic jam outside of the church where the vote was being held. Once I made it into the parking lot, there were no spaces left so I parked nearby and hoofed it.
I estimate there were about 100 people in the line in front of me, everyone commenting that they had never seen a wait this long for a primary vote. Others complained that they would be late for work (the guy behind me risked missing a flight) but no one left.
One loud older woman politicked for Trump after casting her vote, but several people in line shouted her down. The only campaigning I saw other than that was my would-be city councilman shaking hands and two smiling teenage girls promoting Sen. McCain’s primary opponent, Kelli Ward. One half-bent Bernie sign was seen just outside the 75-foot legal limit.
It took me about 45 minutes to get into the polling area itself where I dutifully voted for Ted Cruz in his winner-takes-all battle with Donald Trump. As I walked back to my car, the line had only grown longer.
“Look at all that Donald Trump has accomplished!” shouted that elderly Trump fan as she worked the line on her way out. We’ll see in a few hours whether The Donald inspired the record number of voters to support him or oppose him.
Published in General
Heading to the polls shortly but I just learned that it doesn’t matter because the Rothschilds run the world.
Marking a paper ballot and feeding it to a reader is how every state should do it. Touchscreen computer voting is absurd and just asking for trouble.
ssshhh! We can’t have this sort of information just getting out on the street.
Save this for the Member Feed.
Interesting note regarding Arizona:
Also Arizona does not have same day registration so any independents or Democrats considering a last minute switch in order to effect the outcome will be out of luck.
Considering the stats we’ve seen from some other states this could have an impact. Your thoughts?
What could Ted do for you, and others, do to change “duitifuly” to “enthusiastically?”
We have a choice of taking a paper ballot or touch-screen ballot. I always opt for the paper ballot because I like sliding it into the ballot box myself and watching to see what number I am. Most of the time I see the same poor soul still trying to get the touchscreen to work while I’m almost out the door.
Huh and I always thought the new head of Apple was a Democrat.
The first clue that the touchscreen is something to avoid is the nameplate on the machine that states: “Property of The Desert Diamond Casino.”
I actually was pretty enthusiastic. After all, the one time I met him he complimented an article I wrote about him, so he obviously has superb taste. :)
How can that be? The secret Vanderbilt army still stands strong, ready to fight for the Iron Throne!
Anchors Down!
I voted enthusiastically for Ted Cruz today in Pima County, Arizona. My polling place also happens to be a church. There was no line when I was there at around 7:15 am.
I love the Biltmore Estate!
No line in Prescott at about 1645!
Constitutional amendment!
Exit polls: Cruz and Sanders in Prescott and Prescott Valley (Yavapai County).
Anyone know what’s happening in Coconino and Navajo Counties?
Yes, but when are you doing another podcast? You’re overdue!
Was it the one about the “Bad boy of the US Senate?”
Our polling place was relatively busy -we were about 10th in line. But we live in a retirement community and lots of folks vote early. I kind of like the ritual of going to vote in person.
Cast my ballot for Cruz.
That was the one!
My primary’s past. But for what it’s worth — this is a pet peeve: I really want him to stop pretending he can repeal Common Core. Just say you’ll keep the feds out of the way of state repeal efforts. That’s all.
A bigger issue: You’ll find Cruz turned off many people (like me) who ended up backing Rubio by his earlier praise for Trump this cycle. I don’t think Cruz fully knew what he was about, to be fair. But he left me and others queasy, and really did give Trump credibility, and it will be a problem in the general election when Clinton will seize every opportunity to hang Trump around his neck. (It helps, of course, that Cruz didn’t attend Trump’s wedding.)
I think he needs to make it clear that he not only is the alternative to Trump but that he will fully repudiate Trumpism, even if it means losing some of Trump’s voters in November (who — thanks to the reality of a contested convention — are probably lost anyway). In part, he needs to borrow from Rubio’s final case against Trump, but that’s only a start. I really do think he could far more effectively galvanize the rest of the party and marginalize Kasich, but he can’t do it simply by running as the more reasonable flamethrowing insurgent.
Phew, ok, it feels like all I do on Ricochet is defend Ted Cruz from those who think he lies about everything and try to explain to others why Trump hates the Constitution. I’m glad he liked your article. I voted for him in Ohio because Ted is the most conservative person we could possibly ever nominate and John Kasich thinks God wanted him to expand Medicaid.
Who is Tim Cook on the ballot?
I agree with this. He must have thought in error that Trump was Bachman or Cain, or Carson. He saw no value in pulling the full Perry on Trump. If Glen Beck and others are to be believed, and his current case against Trump is to be believed, Cruz will not back Trump even if Trump gets nominated.
If he does the unthinkable and supports Trump in any way, he like Jeff Sessions, will be opposed by me with every waking, free moment of my energy and effort, and any resources I can muster. I will fight in a primary battle or a general election battle against anyone that supports Trump and everything Trump stands for. Those people – people that support Trump- don’t deserve to call themselves conservatives, and shouldn’t call themselves Republicans.
Trump is being overestimated here, I agree with consensus that he is the odds on favorite to win but the impact of Rubio withdrawing is yet rippling out. Cruz has a real chance to surprise to the upside, his big weakness is the heavy amount of early voting that has occurred.
This seems plausible to me now.
I also think Cruz needs to make a real pitch as a party uniter now. He can’t be just the insurgent anymore. He needs to make the case to moderate voters not impressed by anti-establishment flamethrowing that whatever the history he is now ready to assume leadership of the party. That he can work with Paul Ryan and — yes — Mitch McConnell. Right now Trump is the one making that case, implausibly. Cruz needs to realize that at some point portraying himself as the one guy Washington hates has a downside. It means he bleeds moderate votes of one kind to Trump, of another kind to Kasich.
That is a concern in Wisconsin. Cruz can do it, but he needs to broaden his appeal and tone down some of the rhetoric. Not the policies — Wisconsin Republicans will vote for some very conservative people — but the rhetoric.
That has been his pitch since the beginning of March “conservatives are uniting behind my campaign” and he ticks off the endorsements and explains why.
A Republican from North Carolina, who is/was on the ballot in New Hampshire, Arizona and Louisiana (but not his home state).
Not the CEO of Apple.
Ugh.
Just left AZ today, was down visiting my Mom and her husband. Two of the most conservative people I know and they pounded me mercilessly that Trump is the man. He is going to “take care of” the middle east, build a border wall and repeal Obamacare. They couldn’t tell me how, just that he’d do it.
Reminded me of the nonsense I heard from my Obama supporting co-workers in ’08. Just bizarre.
I hope this is true, but there are a ton of retirees in AZ.
Raise your hand if you think that Trump wins FL if he supports SS and/or Medicare reform.