Kelli Ward at Yuma Primary Rally for Senate: National Reciprocity and Hearing Protection Act

Gun Watch ^ | 29 August, 2018 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

Dr. Kelli Ward had a campaign appearance in Yuma on Saturday night, the 25th of August, for the Republican primary for the Senate. Yuma was the last stop at the end of a whirlwind bus tour around the state.

I was able to attend and ask Dr. Ward a question about gun issues beyond the usual "I support the Second Amendment" boilerplate.

I arrived before 6 p.m. I ran into many of the local political activists. It was clear Dr. Ward was getting much more attention than she had in 2016. I had attended a similar rally in 2016, and the attendance was only about a quarter of what was at this rally.

There was significant media presence. I had a talk with a reporter from Japan who works out of New York City.  We traded cards.

Ward has developed strongly as a candidate in two years. Her manner was polished. She did not make any obvious mistakes. She had a strong command of the  issues.  She was able to bring the crowd to its feet in standing ovations.

The stop reminded me of what I have seen of Donald Trump rallies, in miniature. The enthusiasm of the crowd was high, and contagious.

The difference from 2016 was the enormous amount of media ads in opposition to Dr. Ward. It is the worst case of taking words out of context and creating a false image that I have seen in Arizona. All legal under the First Amendment, which I explained to the Japanese reporter.

The contrast of upbeat, enthusiastic campaign, to the negative radio ads that bombarded me from the car radio was startling. Will Dr. Ward be able to survive the combination of attacks by the McCain machine, the McConnell establishment, and dominant media bias?  If she does, it will show how much the media has lost its ability to shape the narrative.

Near the end of the stop, I asked Dr. Ward if she supported national carry reciprocity, and if she supported the Hearing Protection Act (HPA).

She knew what I was talking about, a plus for a Senate candidate.

She said that she supported both bills.

She said that a person should be able to exercise their Second Amendment rights anywhere in the country, which is why she supported national reciprocity.

She reminded me she had authored a bill to decriminalize suppressors in the Arizona Senate before the HPA was introduced into the U.S. Senate.

The bill was introduced in 2015. It would have removed Arizona bans on suppressors, short barreled rifles and shotguns, and nun-chucks. It was a common sense reform of the Arizona weapon laws.

Dr. Ward is the most Second Amendment friendly person in the race for the Senate. She would represent Second Amendment supporters far better than former Senator McCain or Senator Flake.

Given that, Yuma is a conservative, military and agriculture town. 

The Republicans that are supporting other candidates claim Dr. Ward is less likely to beat the Democrat candidate in the November election. That remains to be seen. If she had raised a few million dollars to fight this campaign, she would likely be the Senate candidate. Keeping your political independence from the Washington king makers has a price.

If Dr. Ward is able to gain the Republican candidate spot, she will show a level of grass roots support that makes it plausible for her to beat the Democrat in November.

©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

[crz]

McSally has a history to explain-DACA, etc. Ward does also-through slip ups but was always conservative.

But, JD Hayworth has the experience to know how the system works. Matter of fact, one time when he was on one of the patriot channel shows on Sat radio, he explained how it works in the swamp.

The only one I know who has ever done so.

[Mariner]

Great on the issues, but she ha created a public persona that is unelectable.

[ifinnegan]

“Great on the issues, but she ha created a public persona that is unelectable.”

That’s what Rove, McCain, McConnell etc...always say.

Then they go out and work against the candidate to “prove” they were correct.

Trump could overcome it - having to fight his own party brass as well as the opposition.

It’s difficult for others to climb such a hill.

[marktwain]

Great on the issues, but she ha created a public persona that is unelectable.

I would put it differently.

The Media has used a few honest statements, that many normal people of intelligence could easily make, to create an persona for her that is hard to elect in the media environment that exists.

This is how the Mediacracy works. It is becoming more and more powerful. Now, a race car driver loses his contract, for an innocent mistake his immigrant father made 30 years ago, in saying one forbidden word.

Our best hope, right now, is for President Trump to prosper,and make "fake news" such a powerful idea, that we overcome this sort of idiocy.

[originalbuckeye]

Could you revisit her comments? I have listened to her comments and cake away thinking she wasn’t ready for Prime Time. And NO, I am not a Lefty.

[marktwain]

Could you revisit her comments? I have listened to her comments and cake away thinking she wasn’t ready for Prime Time. And NO, I am not a Lefty.

Comments from when?

Two years ago, three, four?

She has gotten better, but obviously did not live her every waking hour thinking about how some answer to a question might be taken a decade later.

Most of the potential candidates we have, that are people of honor, are not going to be living like that, carefully making sure every single word cannot be twisted against them years later. The media have effectively removed 98% of the our potential candidates.

That is the power of the Mediacracy. We need to break it. It is why they hate President Trump so much. He shows it can be broken.

[Oatka]

Why hasn’t she dropped out? Trump endorsed her opponent. Tired of seeing people split the vote.

Then go after Arapaio, not her.

[TonyM]

Trump needs to make several visits to support Dr. Ward.

[Oatka]

I think she will make a good Senator and voted for her today.

So did Wifey and myself.

[Oatka]

Hey, did she give an update on contrails?

Atta boy. Keep parroting the propaganda: Kelli Ward: I don't believe in 'chemtrails'

Have a cracker.

[TheNext]

Why does a conservative candidate wait until the minute before an election to campaign for office like the bus tour??

They should be a household name long before.

[Reno89519]

Why don’t uyou instead quote her announcements and initial statements, not the lame excuses and lies later when it became an embarrassment?

[TheBullWat]

This is exactly right. She was also afraid to debate Ward. Not debating is disgraceful. She is NOT for the Wall. Ward is the only one with proof that she supported Trump before he got elected and ever since.

But Ward will be a force in R AZ politics for years to come. All she has to do is run and the establishment has to spend $7 million (10 times more than Ward) to finance lies to stop her.

She also now has an even bigger network than in 2016, more money, more contacts. No wonder the lying AZ RINO Establishment hates her.

[TheNext]

TO: ALL REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES

future and current candidates, running for office,

Hear ye, hear ye! Follow the four 4 steps below, be your own publicist.

BEFORE you Publish, Post, Speak, or press Send button.

1) TRUTH - Is the statement truthful.
2) KIND - Is it kind to others.
3) NEED - Does it fill a need.
4) CLEAR - Is the statement clear.

Now ... press the Send button.

- wisdom from a good Doctor.

[TheBullWat]

She didn’t. She’s been all over AZ constantly since right after the 2016 election. First running against Flake, then when he dropped out against whoever the RINOs put up. She was also endorsed by Hannity, Levin, Dobbs, Laura Ingraham, Seb Gorka, Eric and on Fox a lot. But GOPe controls local AZ media via McLame.

Trump didn’t endorse her or McSally because it’s too close and volatile and he didn’t want to be seen as endorsing a loser, either way.

This is ALL about immigration though. I choose the candidate strongest on that. AZ GOPe is open borders weakling Chamber types. Buttered breads.

[Mr Rogers]

“Doc Contrail” is a slander.

That said, Ward’s comments about McCain have NOT helped her any. I voted for her, but I was very disappointed in her comments. It is not the sort of things one says if you wish to WIN in Arizona.

You need to be a good “politician” to win at this level of competition. To include sugar-coating things regardless of how you feel inside. The AZ media and the Cheap Labor Express won’t cut you ANY slack. You don’t need to hand them ammo...and show them your foot!

[Mr Rogers]

“I will vote for the Republican that wins tonight. Will Dr Ward’s supporters???”

Yes, I will - but I come from a district with a history of having conservatives who WIN the primary getting stabbed in the back (and chest, and head) by the state GOP & the Cheap Labor Express. I’ll bet you a pretty penny many of those who voted for McSally today will sit out or vote for Sinema if Ward pulls off a victory. I’ve watched it far too many times in my home district!

If there is bitterness, it has been earned by the many times we’ve been betrayed by the state GOP!

[Mr Rogers]

Trump endorsed NO ONE in this campaign!

[TheBullWat]

That’s all narrative shaping, just like with Trump. She didn’t say half that garbage and what she said about McCain way back when — that he should resign and turn his seat over to someone who can do the job — was 100% correct. The fraud they’ve run on the people of AZ for the last many months was disgraceful. No picture of McCain exists after mid March 2018 and no audio or video since December.

McCain is hated in AZ by most Rs and all conservatives.

[Mr Rogers]

“We don’t have a good track record against the GOP-e because the state is full of geezer veterans.”

No, we don’t have a good track record because many GOP types in AZ are in favor of illegal immigration to keep labor costs down, and because many are socially liberal. Many in the GOP here WANT the transsexual agenda, the homosexual agenda, ANY agenda as long as they can pay low taxes and low wages!