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Opinion: The one word that defines Arizona politics | CNN

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Opinion: The one word that defines Arizona politics | CNN


Editor’s Observe: Jon Gabriel is editor-in-chief of Ricochet.com and an opinion contributor to the Arizona Republic. Comply with him on Twitter at @ExJon. The views expressed listed here are his personal. Learn extra opinion at CNN.



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As a lifelong Arizonan, I get quite a lot of questions on my state. How do you survive the 118°F summers? How “grand” is the Grand Canyon, actually? Inform me about that point you discovered a scorpion in your boot!

Being a political commentator, nevertheless, the commonest questions contain Arizona’s, nicely, peculiar politics. With former information anchor Republican Kari Lake main in lots of polls for the governor’s race and former tech investor Blake Masters gaining momentum in his contest with Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, 2022 isn’t any exception.

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Nationwide Democrats had been cheered to see Lake and Masters win their respective primaries, contemplating each to be too “MAGA” to win the final. This was the identical technique they tried with Donald Trump in 2016. Everyone knows how that turned out.

These two supposed simple victories have changed into nightmare situations for Arizona Democrats, this after a stunning revival of the state’s Democratic get together over the previous two cycles. My fellow long-time Arizonans weren’t shocked.

A number of years again, many thought of Arizona to be the reddest of crimson states. When Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema gained in 2018 and President Joe Biden and Kelly gained in 2020, nationwide commentators thought Arizona was turning blue — or at the least purple.

No single colour suits our distinctive, numerous state. Arizona is neither conservative nor progressive. It’s contrarian.

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The Grand Canyon State recurrently swings from left to proper and again once more. Up to now 45 years, Democrats held the governorship as typically as Republicans.

My late father, who raised me as a superb Arizona boy, offers a textbook instance of our contrarian streak.

His politics had been someplace between Archie Bunker and Ron Swanson, however he would typically vote to re-elect Democrats. His cause? “I by no means hear about them within the information, which suggests they aren’t bothering me or screwing something up.”

Our ballots embrace a raft of citizen initiatives, typically ones that contradict one another. Dad voted “no” on all of them as a result of “if I vote ‘sure’ which means change and alter is unhealthy.” He additionally voted in opposition to retaining each single choose, simply because.

Mother would ask to see his poll so she might vote the alternative means.

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This leave-me-the-hell-alone contrarianism was current from Arizona’s founding. President William Howard Taft delayed Arizona’s acceptance into the union till the territorial legislature eliminated a sure progressive provision, permitting for the recall of judges, from the state structure. After a lot bickering, the legislature eliminated it. Then, the yr Arizona gained statehood, voters rapidly voted the offending provision again in. Take that, Washington, DC.

Many years later, Congress needed to mandate nationwide daylight-saving time to save lots of vitality and eradicate confusion. The federal authorities needed to pressure one other work hour of sunshine on Phoenix – in the summertime? Ornery Arizonans stated, “hell no,” uniformity be damned. (Hawaii joined the desert dwellers.)

Transfer to 1990, when Arizona was the primary state to carry a preferred vote to create a Martin Luther King Jr. vacation. The week earlier than the vote, the measure was main within the polls 52% to 38%. That weekend, the NFL pompously introduced that if Arizona voted ‘no,’ they might deny us the Tremendous Bowl. And the measure went down 51% to 49%. (The vacation was in the end permitted two years later, 61% to 39%, after native enterprise leaders made the NFL promise to maintain its huge mouth shut. It stays the primary voter-endorsed MLK Day.)

For higher or worse, Arizona voters have a robust defiant streak. They love nothing greater than tweaking the noses of outsiders, even when it means slicing off their very own within the course of.

Journalists anointed Republican Sen. John McCain with the “maverick” label for his historical past of run-ins with get together bosses. He spent a long time combating for marketing campaign finance reform, typically opposing Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. McCain’s final main act was killing a “skinny repeal” of Obamacare, this time in opposition to Senate Majority Chief McConnell.

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Earlier than McCain, Sen. Barry Goldwater was our maverick. He infuriated the Rockefeller Republican management within the Nineteen Sixties along with his “extremism within the protection of liberty isn’t any vice,” then infuriated the ascendant Ethical Majority within the Eighties along with his vocal assist of homosexual rights.

Enter Sinema. Her feisty independence bewilders DC activists, however she’s merely exercising this uniquely Arizonan mentality.

So, when Arizonans see Lake condemning wishy-washy Republicans earlier than scolding information reporters, they seize the popcorn. When Masters cracks jokes about Kelly together with the GOP institution, they toss a second bag within the microwave.

Each candidates are merely demonstrating Arizona’s contrarian character, shared by our flesh pressers and voters alike. The opposite 49 states can complain in regards to the sheer cussedness of our leaders, however that simply makes us love them extra.

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Arizona

Former Wisconsin quarterback Braedyn Locke to transfer to Arizona

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Former Wisconsin quarterback Braedyn Locke to transfer to Arizona


Arizona football is adding depth to its quarterback room with the addition of a power conference signal caller.

Wisconsin transfer Braedyn Locke committed to Arizona on Friday, giving the Wildcats an experienced backup at quarterback. Locke threw for 1,936 yards, 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a sophomore with the Badgers.

The 6-foot, Rockwell, Texas native began the season as Wisconsin’s backup but took over starting duties when Tyler Van Dyke suffered a season-ending knee injury against Alabama.

Locke, who began his career at Mississippi State, has two years of remaining eligibility.

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Locke threw for a season-high 359 yards in Wisconsin’s 52-6 win over Purdue in October. He struggled over Wisconsin’s last five games (all losses), throwing for six touchdowns and five interceptions and hovering around 50 percent completion rate.

Locke is not much of a runner, as he recorded just 4 total rushing yards on the season.

Locke joins Arizona knowing he’ll be in a backup role in 2025 behind returning quarterback Noah Fifita. He comes the 17th player to transfer to Arizona this offseason including the 10th on offense.



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Miami Lands Arizona Cornerback From the Transfer Portal

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Miami Lands Arizona Cornerback From the Transfer Portal


Miami continued to address a major roster need on Thursday as former Arizona cornerback Emmanuel Karnely announced his commitment to the Hurricanes over Ole Miss and Michigan. He visited Miami during the first weekend of the transfer portal after spending time in Oxford, and most recently visiting Ann Arbor. 

The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder is considered the No. 6 cornerback and No. 68 overall player in the 247Sports Transfer Portal Rankings.

Karnley, a member of the 2023 recruiting class, has spent the last two seasons at Arizona. This past season, the redshirt freshman became a six-game starter for the Wildcats, only allowing 22 catches on 43 targets for 288 yards with four touchdowns allowed and five pass breakups.

The Canes are also targeting the other side of the room in Tacario Davis which would be great for the growing room. The freshman All-American OJ Frederique Jr. will also still be suiting up for the Canes next season. The depth and talent in the room will continue to grow and perform as Mario Cristobal continues to hit in the portal.

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Karnely has three more years of eligibility. Karnley has become the fifth blue-chip transfer addition so far this portal season.

READ MORE FROM MIAMI HURRICANES ON SI:

2025 Miami Hurricanes Football Offseason Tracker: Coming and Going

Everything Miami Head Coach Mario Cristobal Said After Pop-Tart Bowl Announcement

Welcome to the ACC Bill Belichick, Mario Cristobal Time is Ticking: Just a Minute

Follow all social media platforms to stay up to date with everything Miami Hurricanes- TwitterFacebookInstagramYoutube, and BlueSky.





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Post-holiday rush has Arizona shoppers returning gifts, spending holiday cash

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Post-holiday rush has Arizona shoppers returning gifts, spending holiday cash


PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Christmas is over, but the stores and malls are busy one day later—shoppers either returning gifts that weren’t quite right or spending some of that holiday cash.

“A lot of the stores we went to, you had to wait in lines just to get from one store to the other,” said Jeannie Mac. “It was pretty busy.”

When you think of holiday shopping, you often think of items flying off the shelves.

“There are a lot of discounts at target, 50% off all decorations. You’d be surprised. The shelves are a little empty,” said shopper Joseph Caruana.

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But the day after Christmas, many of those items end up back in-store. This year, returns are expected to add up to 17% of all merchandise sales, according to a recent report by the National Retail Federation. It’s about $890 billion in returned unneeded or unwanted gifts.

However, not everyone was there for returns or exchanges.

“Everyone enjoyed the presents, so didn’t have to return anything, thankfully,” said Max Miely.

Many people Arizona’s Family spoke with were mainly there looking to spend their holiday money, including Jenn Neild, who was visiting from Canada.

“We’re just looking around for some post Christmas deals, Boxing Day deals,” she said.

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Boxing Day is traditionally a holiday similar to Black Friday, celebrated in the U.K. and Canada.

It was a good opportunity for shoppers who came out ready to use their holiday gift cards or, in other cases, to claim their Christmas gifts.

“We just went to go get my cousins ear pierced for her Christmas present and we’re going to be shopping for pajamas and different things,” said Morgan Uperesa, another shopper.

Because Dec. 26 and Dec. 27 are historically the busiest days for returns, the Better Business Bureau advises you to bring any receipts to the store.

If you don’t have one, they say you should know the rules on returns without it.

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