Kelli Ward at Yuma Primary Rally for Senate: National Reciprocity and Hearing Protection Act

Dr. Kelli Ward had a campaign appearance in Yuma on Saturday night, the 25th of August, for the Republican primary for the Senate. Yuma was the last stop at the end of a whirlwind bus tour around the state.

I was able to attend and ask Dr. Ward a question about gun issues beyond the usual "I support the Second Amendment" boilerplate.

I arrived before 6 p.m. I ran into many of the local political activists. It was clear Dr. Ward was getting much more attention than she had in 2016. I had attended a similar rally in 2016, and the attendance was only about a quarter of what was at this rally.

There was significant media presence. I had a talk with a reporter from Japan who works out of New York City.  We traded cards.

Ward has developed strongly as a candidate in two years. Her manner was polished. She did not make any obvious mistakes. She had a strong command of the  issues.  She was able to bring the crowd to its feet in standing ovations.

The stop reminded me of what I have seen of Donald Trump rallies, in miniature. The enthusiasm of the crowd was high, and contagious.

The difference from 2016 was the enormous amount of media ads in opposition to Dr. Ward. It is the worst case of taking words out of context and creating a false image that I have seen in Arizona. All legal under the First Amendment, which I explained to the Japanese reporter.

The contrast of upbeat, enthusiastic campaign, to the negative radio ads that bombarded me from the car radio was startling. Will Dr. Ward be able to survive the combination of attacks by the McCain machine, the McConnell establishment, and dominant media bias?  If she does, it will show how much the media has lost its ability to shape the narrative.

Near the end of the stop, I asked Dr. Ward if she supported national carry reciprocity, and if she supported the Hearing Protection Act (HPA).

She knew what I was talking about, a plus for a Senate candidate.

She said that she supported both bills.

She said that a person should be able to exercise their Second Amendment rights anywhere in the country, which is why she supported national reciprocity.

She reminded me she had authored a bill to decriminalize suppressors in the Arizona Senate before the HPA was introduced into the U.S. Senate.

The bill was introduced in 2015. It would have removed Arizona bans on suppressors, short barreled rifles and shotguns, and nun-chucks. It was a common sense reform of the Arizona weapon laws.

Dr. Ward is the most Second Amendment friendly person in the race for the Senate. She would represent Second Amendment supporters far better than former Senator McCain or Senator Flake.

Given that, Yuma is a conservative, military and agriculture town. 

The Republicans that are supporting other candidates claim Dr. Ward is less likely to beat the Democrat candidate in the November election. That remains to be seen. If she had raised a few million dollars to fight this campaign, she would likely be the Senate candidate. Keeping your political independence from the Washington king makers has a price.

If Dr. Ward is able to gain the Republican candidate spot, she will show a level of grass roots support that makes it plausible for her to beat the Democrat in November.

©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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