John McCain
Everyone loves a winner, or at least wants to be seen with one. The crowd of around 200 people who turned out Tuesday night in north Phoenix at John McCain’s party to watch the results from New Hampshire was at least double in size of what the campaign had expected. So the free food was gone even before the voting polls had closed.
But no one was complaining, as it was already clear that McCain would fulfill expectations and claim the nation’s first primary of 2008 by a decent margin. Unlike the strict rules that govern general elections, New Hampshire precincts opened and closed at different times. So a smattering of results were reported throughout the afternoon. The true McCainics cheered loudly, more out of relief than anything else, when the networks quickly declared McCain the Republican winner shortly after the final polls closed at 6 p.m. Arizona time.
The viewing party at Aunt Chilada’s Mexican restaurant (get the joke?) was set up for active McCain donors and longtime supporters, but turned into an informal see-and-be seen political crowd. Some of the better known faces included state schools superintendent Tom Horne and House Speaker Jim Weiers, R-Phoenix. Lawmakers on hand who directly represent East Valley voters included Sens. Carolyn Allen, R-Scottsdale and Jim Waring, R-Phoenix, and Reps. John McComish of Ahwatukee Foothills and Bob Robson, R-Chandler.
John Munger, a Tucson attorney and one of the McCain spokesmen for the evening, said he expects the better-than-anticipated crowd in Phoenix will reflect a willingness among Republicans across the United States to give the senator a second look after rising from the pile of has-been presidential candidates.
“For John McCain, winning this primary election by nine points is absolutely huge,” Munger said. “It brings John McCain back and he’s now one of the frontrunners of the campaign.”
Many players were surprised by the arrival later of political consultant/lobbyist Barry Dill, a Democrat friend of Gov. Janet Napolitano and a support of Barack Obama, whose campaign had a viewing party elsewhere in Phoenix. But Dill shares an office with Wes Gullett, one of McCain’s long-time political allies in Arizona, and Dill is generally liked by Republican insiders despite his loyalties.
What really shook some people up was the appearance of Randy Pullen, chairman of the Arizona Republican Party. There’s a lot of bad blood between Pullen and McCain because of Pullen’s years of criticism of the senator’s stance on immigration reform. Things turned really ugly in the spring of 2007 when Pullen used his party position to publicly attack the “grand compromise” immigration bill supported by McCain and fellow Sen. Jon Kyl before it ultimately was defeated in the Senate.
Several McCain supporters rolled their eyes and turned their backs as Pullen moved into the restaurant Tuesday. “I can’t stand the guy,” was a phrase I heard more than once.
Pullen did a quick circuit of the room and shook a few hands before he quietly left.
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Like they say, you can disagree without being disagreeable. Pullen gets credit for showing up and making the effort. Maybe some McCainiacs can’t stand him, but if McCain wins the nomination they’ll be needing Randy to deliver Arizona for McCain. Looks like Randy is ready to do his job so those few whiners ought to grow up and let him!