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So, when I was able to track down the council endorsements, I also found the Arizona Republic's endorsement for the Mesa Mayor's race. Congratulations to Claudia Walters on earning their support. They did tout her experience as I predicted, but they also talked a lot about her passion. She has always been a passionate speaker, and she has her "change the conversation" rap down pat.
Here are two observations I have about this endorsement:
1. They tout her 8 years on the council as a good thing. I don't necessarily think that the average voter thinks the same as they do. I have heard plenty of people comment on her 100 day plan and ask why she hasn't done any of this stuff in the over 2000 days she has already had on the council. (ETA: In fact, I posted this comment on AZCentral only to find that some guy had said almost exactly this statement.)
2. The Republic contradicts itself right up front. They say "this city needs to do things differently than it has in years past" and they they support the candidate with the greatest tenure in doing the same stuff as they did in the past. When she starts talking about "getting votes" and procedure, those aren't the types of things that inspire confidence - those are the types of things that make people think she is entrenched in the system.
Did the Republic check out the results of their own online poll they did last week before they did their recommendations? If I recall correctly, Walters was running a distant third to Griswold and Smith. When I talk to folks around town, thats pretty much what I am hearing. People think its going to be Griswold and Smith in a run-off. For some reason, people are tagging Walters with the negatives of being on the council, while everyone (short of Griswold Watch, of course) seems to be giving Griswold a free pass.
So, will this endorsement boost her up in the ratings? Only time will tell. But she deserves kudos on this hard fought endorsement.
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2 comments:
After throwing up in my mouth, I noticed they finally posted the endorsements on the elections page. It's not surprising though they went that way. I was able to go to a few of the forums and talk to people who went to the other ones. The Republic guys usually left halfway through and that tells me a little about where they really sit. You could not have been more right on with your assessment of their endorsement.
I have known Claudia Walters for 15 years. She is a calssy person. I think she will be a great asset. I hope she wins the election.
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