AZ-SEN 2022 Megathread: Mastering the Art of the Thiel

[Kahane's Grave Is A Gender-Neutral Bathroom]

After AL and GA, I'm really starting to wonder if the impact of Trump's endorsement on GOP primaries is grossly overrated at this point. I mean, Perdue lost by 50 points and lost every county in the state. And Brooks crashed and burned despite being armed with Trump's endorsement (though in all fairness, that was in part because of Brooks' horribly run campaign).

Seeing how Brooks & Purdue did no campaigning, they were essentially DOA especially Purdue with Kemp being an incumbent. However had Trump not rescinded his endorsement, Brooks probably would've ended up being the nominee, although a runoff would've been the most likely way.

a.) Perdue - All that is true, but despite both those things, a Trump-endorsed candidate still shouldn't be losing the GOP primary by 50 points.
b.) Brooks - I don't want to call you a hack, but this really feels like wishcasting. Trump pulled back his endorsement precisely because of how terribly Brooks was doing and how evident it was that Brooks was crashing and burning. Not the other way around. You're putting the cart before the horse, the effect before the cause. Brooks got the Trump endorsement, was initially doing well, then gradually began to fall till he was far from the front-runner. Trump took back his endorsement because he didn't want to associate with a losing candidate (should've done the same thing with Perdue, Donnie boy!), and Brooks has since cratered even more. Even with Trump's endorsement, Brooks was somehow able to lose front-runner status; Trump taking back his endorsement only further exacerbated that. He was hardly on the way to victory

It depends where, and if the primary is open or not.

[Saint Milei]

Another big stepper against the regime

[Bismarck]

This was expected and should put Masters on top. I think he is one of the more interesting candidates this cycle and has a bright future if he can pull off this win.

[xavier110]

Smart move and one which I obviously agree with. At the same time, I have some doubts that some of these more economically moderate candidates (Vance, Masters, etc.) is too good to be true and that they'll end up voting with McConnell 90% of the time. At the same time, if my doubts are incorrect which I hope they are, then the era of leaving the working class to starve is over.

These folks are handpicked by Thiel, who is probably more conservative economically (and culturally lol) than McConnell. I would temper your expectations.

Trump has been backing a lot of ritzy elitist types. It makes the already laughable notion of Republicans being anti-establishment even more of a joke. Trumpism isn't a long-term coalition. As dumb as his voters are, eventually they'll be forced to see through the lie.

It is funny to consider, especially as Bilderberg goes on now with the titans of industry and government. Vance attended a few years ago. sinema is there now! And tbt to Stacey Abrams. A real hodgepodge. But all in the club.

[Devout Centrist]

I actually think Masters would be a better GE candidate than Brnovich or Lamon, but please for the love of God, can Trump stop with the "stolen election" crap.

Masters is a deranged sicko that looks dead on like a school shooter. Kelly could (and very likely would!) crush him.

[AncestralDemocrat.]

I actually think Masters would be a better GE candidate than Brnovich or Lamon, but please for the love of God, can Trump stop with the "stolen election" crap.

Masters is a deranged sicko that looks dead on like a school shooter. Kelly could (and very likely would!) crush him.

Kelly isn't crushing anyone in this environment.. delusional to think he will.

[Unelectable Bystander]

Smart move and one which I obviously agree with. At the same time, I have some doubts that some of these more economically moderate candidates (Vance, Masters, etc.) is too good to be true and that they'll end up voting with McConnell 90% of the time. At the same time, if my doubts are incorrect which I hope they are, then the era of leaving the working class to starve is over.

These folks are handpicked by Thiel, who is probably more conservative economically (and culturally lol) than McConnell. I would temper your expectations.

Trump has been backing a lot of ritzy elitist types. It makes the already laughable notion of Republicans being anti-establishment even more of a joke. Trumpism isn't a long-term coalition. As dumb as his voters are, eventually they'll be forced to see through the lie.

It is funny to consider, especially as Bilderberg goes on now with the titans of industry and government. Vance attended a few years ago. sinema is there now! And tbt to Stacey Abrams. A real hodgepodge. But all in the club.

I’m curious to hear from the “Trump Democrats” on this. How much of your voting is based on the potential influence of people like Masters and Vance in the party? For example, if they do turn out to be McConnell puppets instead of economic moderates, would you respond by: voting D? Sitting out? Continuing to support particular candidates in the primaries?

[Buffalo Mayor Young Kim]

Guys, there is no such thing as an economic moderate in the GOP. Every single one will screw labor at every opportunity and every single one will sign up for the long term plan to privatize everything that isn’t nailed down.

That is the entire point of the Republican project.

[RussFeingoldWasRobbed]

Guys, there is no such thing as an economic moderate in the GOP. Every single one will screw labor at every opportunity and every single one will sign up for the long term plan to privatize everything that isn’t nailed down.

That is the entire point of the Republican project.

Unfortunately the voters continue to fall for it

[Senator Incitatus]

Guys, there is no such thing as an economic moderate in the GOP. Every single one will screw labor at every opportunity and every single one will sign up for the long term plan to privatize everything that isn’t nailed down.

That is the entire point of the Republican project.

For much but not all of its history. There's no iron law of nature that says business gets a whole party to itself.

[Boobs]

https://twitter.com/SollenbergerRC/status/1533622495315738625

thankfully this doesn’t change the fact that he’s an ”economic moderate”

[Roll Roons]

Masters is a psychopath. He also praised the Unabomber.

Frankly, I just hate techbro types in general, so that probably clouds my opinion. But I really think this guy is bad news.

[THG]

Blake Masters is what happens when you run someone who hasn’t ran for public office before and give them terrible advisers.

He’s not ready, and should not be running in a swing state like Arizona statewide. I wouldn’t mind if he ran against O’Hallerhan but statewide? Nah.

[Skunk]

Blake Masters is what happens when you run someone who hasn’t ran for public office before and give them terrible advisers.

He’s not ready, and should not be running in a swing state like Arizona statewide. I wouldn’t mind if he ran against O’Hallerhan but statewide? Nah.

Good to know you think people who blame mass shootings on black people should be in Congress.

[SnowLabrador]

In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't that long ago that comments like this would end a campaign. Look how far we've fallen as a country.

[Ferguson97]

Another big stepper against the regime

Yeah, nothing says 'anti-establishment populist hero' like being funded by Peter Thiel.

[THG]

Blake Masters is what happens when you run someone who hasn’t ran for public office before and give them terrible advisers.

He’s not ready, and should not be running in a swing state like Arizona statewide. I wouldn’t mind if he ran against O’Hallerhan but statewide? Nah.

Good to know you think people who blame mass shootings on black people should be in Congress.

I don’t think he’d be a good fit for being in Congress.

However, his comments here are taken out of context, and I’m not a huge Masters guy.

[Politician]

Unfortunately for some, most swing voters won't remember (or care about) these comments by Election Day, even if Kelly runs ads attacking him on this nonstop.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Blake Masters is what happens when you run someone who hasn’t ran for public office before and give them terrible advisers.

He’s not ready, and should not be running in a swing state like Arizona statewide. I wouldn’t mind if he ran against O’Hallerhan but statewide? Nah.

Good to know you think people who blame mass shootings on black people should be in Congress.

He didn't say anything about mass shootings. This was from April and the context was Biden's proposals on ghost guns. He said America's gun violence problem is people in gangs who are very often black killing each other and Democrats don't want to do anything to stop it.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1353-title-42-with-matt-salmon-inflation-with-blake/id1560001448?i=1000557184473   at 57 min.

[coloradocowboi]

He didn't say anything about mass shootings. This was from April and the context was Biden's proposals on ghost guns. He said America's gun violence problem is people in gangs who are very often black killing each other and Democrats don't want to do anything to stop it.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1353-title-42-with-matt-salmon-inflation-with-blake/id1560001448?i=1000557184473   at 57 min.

It's still racist!

Yeah, nothing says 'anti-establishment populist hero' like being funded by Peter Thiel.

Blake is a lot cuter than JD tho. Makes me wonder if he's one of the twinks who let Peter feast on their blood. https://www.inc.com/jeff-bercovici/peter-thiel-young-blood.html

[wbrocks67]

Unfortunately for some, most swing voters won't remember (or care about) these comments by Election Day, even if Kelly runs ads attacking him on this nonstop.

sis you really do the MOST in trying to defend Republicans at all costs.

there's no defending this - Masters is a terrible candidate and Trump picked another awful one.

[SnowLabrador]

Unfortunately for some, most swing voters won't remember (or care about) these comments by Election Day, even if Kelly runs ads attacking him on this nonstop.

I agree on this. All they care about is gas prices.

[MATTROSE94]

Blake Masters is what happens when you run someone who hasn’t ran for public office before and give them terrible advisers.

He’s not ready, and should not be running in a swing state like Arizona statewide. I wouldn’t mind if he ran against O’Hallerhan but statewide? Nah.

Good to know you think people who blame mass shootings on black people should be in Congress.

I don’t think he’d be a good fit for being in Congress.

However, his comments here are taken out of context, and I’m not a huge Masters guy.

I agree 100%. Blake Masters I don’t think will be an effective Senator and will only serve for 1 or 2 terms if he wins (which seems more likely than not).

[MATTROSE94]

Unfortunately for some, most swing voters won't remember (or care about) these comments by Election Day, even if Kelly runs ads attacking him on this nonstop.

I agree on this. All they care about is gas prices.

We are at the point where the Republicans can literally nominate one of my cats or the tree in front of my house and still win in a landslide in pretty much every race. The inflation and gas price stuff won’t do the Democrats any favors in the midterm election. 2026 I feel will be the best midterm for the Democrats since either 1930, 1958, or 1974 however considering that Donald Trump will be President doing off the wall stuff.

[Dr Oz Lost Party!]

https://twitter.com/lxeagle17/status/1534424578608332801?s=20&t=GuS0OO93Bk3H...