When I was in Arizona last, I had this sense that the 60s generation had a hold on the culture there. I saw 60s style VW micro buses complete with psychedelic artwork, a hippy co-op grocery store, shops that reminded me of the liberal Oregon coast and tie-dye shirts for sale. This culture is affecting the youth vote.
Another trend is that Hispanics are registering as democrat voters at a high pace. Hispanics now account for 49% of Phoenix residents and are growing by 2% per year. It is no wonder that McCain has catered his immigration reform ideas toward that voter demographics.
I don’t know how Hayworth became the 2nd coming of Reagan for this group. Sure, he’s right on immigration, but he was wrong about some spending programs, and he had ethical “issues” although nothing serious, and he couldn’t win his own house race.
We should be looking for fresh faces not sullied by long stints in washington, not retreads. I know McCain is like a fixture in DC — but Hayworth is a flawed candidate as well.