Jim Nintzel has a little fun with the various Republican primaries in this week's cover story, from disgraced former prosecutor Andrew Thomas' insane "let's just put a wall somewhere" Patton Line to Christine Jones' song-and-dance routine celebrating Joe Arpaio. It's an entertaining, if only-a-little-depressing-regarding-our-political-process, read.
Since the governor's race started, I had made the joke on the John C. Scott Show and elsewhere that the Weekly would endorse Cap'n Al Melvin, but sadly, he couldn't keep up the blistering pace of the race, dropping out a while back, leaving us without a candidate to give our imprimatur.
However, and I only speak for myself here as a Republican primary voter, I really hope Scott Smith wins. Not as a hysterical joke intended to guarantee a win for Fred Duval (like the thwarted pick of the Cap'n), but in a possibly misguided bit of hope that the general election might be an actual discussion of the issues facing our state and not a batshit crazy, dark money fueled trip into the depths of partisan nonsense. Doug Ducey, the man who will say anything to get the job? Christine Jones, a person who seems to live in an alternate universe based on her positions? I'm not super hopeful that either would provide a meaningful dialogue ahead of November. I don't love Scott Smith's policies on a number of issues, but he's at least a rational human being willing to acknowledge that blaming Obama won't solve any of our problems.
Listen, I get it, very few Republican voters will take the editor of the Weekly's voting advice, but here's hoping, right?
