McCain Draws a Primary Challenger

Posted by Mark Noonan in Campaign 2010, Republicans on January 25th, 2010 at 05:59am with 3 responses.
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The news:

Allahpundit noted the likelihood of J.D. Hayworth’s primary challenge to John McCain last night, and today the AP makes it official … or officially non-official. While emphasizing that he didn’t want to officially declare his candidacy — which would create a set of legal obligations that he’s not quite ready to assume — Hayworth quit his radio show on air and later stated his intention to challenge McCain:

Former Arizona Congressman J.D. Hayworth says he is planning to run against John McCain for his U.S. Senate seat.

Hayworth, a Republican, told The Associated Press late Friday he stepped down as host of his radio program on KFYI-AM, a conservative radio talk show in Phoenix. Legally, he would not have been able to remain host of the program and be an active candidate. …

“We will formally announce at a later time, but we’re moving forward to challenge John McCain,” he said. “I think we all respect John. I think his place in history is secure. But after close to a quarter-century in Washington, it’s time for him to come home.”

It’s not the first time that a former member of a major-party presidential ticket found himself challenged within his party for his existing Senate seat the next cycle. The same thing happened, ironically, to one of McCain’s closest friends in the upper chamber, Joe Lieberman. Lieberman lost his primary to Ned Lamont, who mostly self-financed from his personal fortune. Lieberman won the seat in the general election by running as an independent, but still caucuses with Democrats, even though Lieberman campaigned for McCain in 2008.

This is why McCain is so keen to have Brown and Palin campaign for him – but Hayworth does make a strong point just in the fact that McCain has been there so long: perhaps it is time to allow someone else to take a hand at it? None of us are indispensable and the times have changed mightily since McCain first came to the Senate. Maybe its time that Arizona had someone more in tune with the current state of affairs?

I respect John McCain and I voted for him in 2008 – but simply because he is a Republican Senator doesn’t mean he should always be a Republican Senator. McCain should ponder the way things are and whether or not he’s really the best man to represent Arizona’s interests in what will be a revolutionary political period.

UPDATE: At Noonan for Nevada I expand on the concept of ending “career politicians”.

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Mark Noonan is co-author (with Matt Margolis) of Caucus of Corruption: The Truth About The New Democratic Majority. He also blogs at Nevada News and Views. Follow Mark on Twitter.

3 Responses to “McCain Draws a Primary Challenger”

  1. Amazona says:
    January 25, 2010 at 2:37 pm

    I think it goes beyond the mere number of years McCain has served, and goes to the increasing fuzziness of his commitment to basic core principles of conservatism.

    If you define basic conservatism as constitutionalism, as I do, McCain has gone far off the mark. His disasterous campaign reform bill was blatantly in defiance of the First Amendment, and his desire to appear to be a statesman has led him to confuse capitulation with compromise.

    I don’t dislike McCain but also don’t fine him a strong or compelling voice of the Republican Party—at least not the New Republican Party, as defined by the demands of the people.

  2. neocon1 says:
    January 25, 2010 at 3:13 pm

    McLame just needs to fade away….soon

  3. Mark Noonan says:
    January 25, 2010 at 6:44 pm

    Amazona,

    Agreed – and someone in the McCain camp needs to ask him: “Senator, is being re-elected really the best thing for you, Arizona and the United States of America?”. A politician must ask that of himself – of have it asked; and if the answer is honestly – and after much reflection and prayer – “yes”, then by all means – go for it. But I think an honest man would, in the by and by, come up with “no”…and if a person never does, then that is reason enough to remove him from office.