Blake Masters Must Win in Arizona
If you looked in the dictionary for a picture of a quintessential MAGA candidate running for national office, you might see Blake Masters. For decades, Arizona Republican voters have loudly expressed their dissatisfaction with the endless parade of RINO senatorial candidates like John McCain, Jeff Flake and Martha McSally. Articulate, personable, intelligent, principled and passionate, Masters is the exact kind of senate candidate the modern Republican party envisions will help us take back the Senate.
In the October 6th debate, Masters verbally dissected his opponent like a skilled surgeon, identifying Mark Kelly’s support for a long list of failed woke socialist policies and offering his own reasonable, effective solutions. Masters has proven himself to be the superior candidate in every way, so why does the latest RCP composite poll show Kelly leading Masters by 4.5 percent?
Sadly, the blame falls squarely on the shoulders of the Republican Party apparatus… and on us.
The Party Abandons Masters Financially
In August, The Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with Mitch McConnell, pulled $8 million in scheduled funding for ad buys in Arizona. This was followed by another $10 million in canceled ad buys in September. It was around this time that McConnell complained about “senate candidate quality,” which many people assumed was a direct attack against MAGA candidates. Recently, Peter Thiel stepped in and pledged $5 million for the Masters campaign if the Senate Leadership Fund matched his contribution. Sadly, they declined.
Interestingly, McConnell found the money to fund the campaign of pro-impeachment Senator Lisa Murkowski to the tune of $9 million. Murkowski has a history of voting with Democrats on crucial issues, and McConnell’s support is especially maddening since Murkowski is locked in a close race with Trump-backed Kelly Tshibaka, who accurately represents the interests of the Republican base.
Looking at Masters’ Woeful Finances.
The Kelly-Masters campaign resembles a contest between a golfer with a full set of Ping clubs and an opponent carrying a driver, five-iron and putter he bought out of the discount bin at Walmart. A breakdown of the last finance report from 9/30/2022 highlights a truly embarrassing discrepancy in fundraising and spending.
While Kelly holds a relatively small $2 million advantage in spending by outside groups, it’s important to remember that candidates may not coordinate with these entities. To spread the message in the candidate’s own words, they can only use money raised by the campaign. In the Masters-Kelly campaign, the disparity in the amount of money raised and spent by the respective candidates is shocking. In total, Kelly has raised 63 million more than Masters and spent $55 million more.
Kelly has amassed 86 percent of all the money raised by both candidates. Let that sink in for a moment.
A Lack of Commitment from the Base
Ordinary people understand there isn’t much they can do to influence big money decisions from super PACs and wealthy donors. So, when they read about McConnell’s support for the segment of the party they would like to extinguish, it only adds to their frustration, which is understandable. However, when we examine the difference in Masters’ and Kelly’s small donation totals, it’s time to look in the mirror.
Kelly has raised $31 million in small donations under $200, while Masters has raised a pitiful $1.6 million.
I have attended many MAGA meetings and talked to hundreds of angry Arizonans who are outraged with the direction of the country and the policies of the woke Biden administration. Yet, when it comes time to open their wallets, make phone calls, knock on doors, host meet and greets, they are nowhere to be found.
According to RCP, Kari Lake, the MAGA Republican running for governor, leads Katie Hobbs by .8 percent in the composite totals. Lake is far more vocal than Masters on so-called “extreme” issues of election integrity, media bias and abortion, yet Lake holds a 3.7 percent advantage over Masters in the polling numbers.
How is that even possible? Why would any voter support Lake but not Masters? It makes no sense, so either the polls are wrong (definitely possible) or the massive difference in spending is magnifying Masters’ supposed negatives. Arizona is literally carpet bombed daily with endless Kelly ads on everything from TV to YouTube. In many parts of the state, no one has seen a Masters ad since the primary.
It’s not too Late to Make a Difference
While Masters’ situation may be dire, it’s far from hopeless. A difference of 4.5 percentage points is almost within the margin of error, and a small swing could provide the momentum the campaign needs to win the race. With three weeks left before election night, there is still time for all of us to make a difference. The Masters campaign would welcome your contribution, regardless of size. Whether it’s a few dollars or a few hours of your valuable time, it’s important to keep in mind that the future of the country is on the line.
Woke socialists are relentless in their pursuit of authoritarian rule. There is no line they won’t cross and no cost they won’t pay to achieve their objectives. We won’t stop them by sitting on the sidelines and complaining when they win and we lose. It’s time to recognize the effort to achieve the goals outlined in the Revivalist Manifesto will prove to be a heavy lift, and it’s going to take money, commitment and sweat equity.
Blake Masters is a good man who will work to transform the country into the vision we all share. We can’t let him down.
