But Arizona is not California. Yet.
Arpaiao is about as out-there as they get in Arizona. Part of his act is, well, an act. But he’s at least taken seriously within that act - translation: when he pulls the gun, no one thinks he isn’t planning to shoot.
Seagal is engaging in another publicity stunt. In California, that would be shrugged off - everyone’s running a con game here. In Arizona, it’s more normal: they’d simply laugh at him.
McCain gets elected by pretending to be the adult in the room, and points to his medals and POW status to back that up. There’s a lot of elderly folks in Mesa and Sun City who still buy that crap. He at least comes off as “real” to them, and to the rest of Arizona, if a bit wacked.
Seagal will get no points for being real. Or even being an Arizonan - just another carpetbagger. McCain had to overcome that - “the longest I lived anywhere was Hanoi” is how he did it.
Phoenix is not Los Angeles. In fact, it’s the cultural opposite. People move there from LA to get away from the mess that the screaming, shrieking crazed Left Liberals created there. And by “people”, I mean White working class.
And a lot of midwestern transplants who REALLY don’t buy the idea of a Hollyweird actor being governor - except if he were a straighter than straight guy like Reagan.
If Seagal wants to run for Mayor of Scottsdale or Cave Creek he might get somewhere. For Governor, Arizona will break for some straight arrow type - possibly a woman since they have done that 3 times now in the last 30 years.
But there’s only one I can think of...she lives part of the year in Scottsdale...and I think she plans on being a Senator...from a state that starts with an “A”. One of them...
OMG... dream come true. There's someone I would march for.
Imagine an "Arizona Territory" including a coastline.