Dems fear Kari Lake could be Arizona's governor—and a major MAGA star

Axios ^ | Oct 15 2022 | Jonathan Swan Alexi McCammond

[NeverCheney]

Democratic Party strategists are watching Arizona's Kari Lake with growing alarm.

Why it matters: As some see it, Lake — a 2020 election denier — could easily win the state's gubernatorial race and threaten its 2024 election processes. And with the talent she's already displayed even as a political novice, they see her potential to soar to a vice presidential spot or a post-Trump presidential candidacy.

Zoom in: Of this year's midterm elections slate of "ultra MAGA" candidates, Lake has perhaps the best chance of winning.

The polls are neck-and-neck. Some Democrats are venting frustration that Katie Hobbs is not presenting a stronger challenge to Lake. Hobbs has refused to debate Lake, which some say signals fear and amounts to "political malpractice." What they're saying: David Plouffe, the architect of Barack Obama's 2008 victory, told Axios that Lake looks like a "plausible presidential candidate."

David Axelrod, another key former Obama adviser, offered this assessment of Lake's 20+ years in Arizona local TV before her entrance last year into politics: "If you get a candidate who has the performance skills of a major market local TV anchor and the philosophy and thinking of Steve Bannon, that's a potent and dangerous combination ... Look at Italy."

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Hobbs is a typical illiterate liberal with radical positions and no ability to think on her feet.

I’m amazed at the depth of the Republican bench everywhere you look and the ZERO bench the Dems have. The Dem bench is nothing but lying, no-account Marxists.

[Jeff Vader]

article is wrong, polls are not neck and neck, Kari leads by 50:45 according to trafalger

[ought-six]

They should be afraid, because she could very well siphon off enough fence-sitters to relegate the Democrat Party irrelevant.

[Steely Tom]

They’ll use the same techniques on her that they perfected against PDJT.

Only problem is, once she’s in office there are two of them; the Dems will have to use the PDJT technique against DeSantis and Lake at the same time.

[Steely Tom]

article is wrong, polls are not neck and neck, Kari leads by 50:45 according to trafalger

A five point lead is "neck-and-neck" when the Republican is ahead.

When the Democrat is ahead by five points, it's "a commanding lead," and the Republican is "a controversial, fringe candidate" and "an extremist."

[adorno]

Dems fear Kari Lake could be Arizona's governor—and a major MAGA star

Because, MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, is such a scary thought.

America would not need a makeover after every democrat administration, if they would try to keep America prosperous. A prosperous America is a scary thought to democrats, because, if Americans are prosperous, they would not become dependent on government, and big government is what the democrats want.

[House Atreides]

Kari’s ALREADY a major MAGA star.

[max americana]

if anyone heard the Tim Pool podcast, even WI GOP are watching ONE state which is AZ. They know the shenanigans of their party members there who are complicit in assisting Braindead Brandon.

[Chad C. Mulligan]

I'm stocking up on beer, cheese dip and Doritos foy the big schadenfreude party next month.

[Williams]

Let them fear her.

They are kooks who think the phrase “election denier” means something.

The democrats deny every election they lose.

[Metrobank]

I wish she was here in California as I would love to see her take on “hair gel” Newsome (the Pelosi, Getty perferred candidate).

[wiseprince]

The Repukes fear her just as much and are trying to make sure she doesn’t win.

[enumerated]

“I’m amazed at the depth of the Republican bench everywhere you look and the ZERO bench the Dems have. The Dem bench is nothing but lying, no-account Marxists.”

What worries me is - that’s exactly what we all thought in 2020 about Trump vs Biden - that it was a total mismatch. Biden had no appeal whatsoever, Trump was an extremely popular incumbent.

Biden attracted only a handful of people on the rare occasions that he came out of his basement. Trump attracted massive crowds at rallies that were more like rock concerts than political events.

If they could cheat enough to drag Biden to “victory”, why wouldn’t they be able to do the same for Hobbs?

Please tell me I’m wrong.

[SmokingJoe]

[glennaro]

The fears of the Democrat/Communists appear to be well-founded and based, unusually so, on reality.

[Steve_Seattle]

"a 2020 election denier"

I hate that phrase with a passion. It is typical leftist sloganeering. It is the kind of dismissive labeling that allows journalists to avoid analysis and debate.

[Dr. Sivana]

I could see things in 2028:

Dem #1: DeSantis is literally Hitler!

Dem #2: He can’t be, Kari Lake is literally Hitler in a dress!

Dem #3: Trump is still literally Hitler.

[Tadhg]

Lake is the real deal - absolutely destroys the democrat media. If she doesn’t win against her hide-in-the-basement opponent - it was fraud.
The tougher race is WA senate - Smiley is a great candidate, but WA is dark blue and Murray is a 30 year entrenched radical.

[gr8eman]

Yeah...but their accomplished election thieves. Every one of them!