Well, after millions of dollars have poured into the coffers of local television stations, signs have been (allegedly) stolen and countless accusations have flown around, after Tuesday, it'll be all over but the counting, although based on how things have gone in recent years, the counting itself might take a week or so. But, hey, we have maybe six months until the presidential election starts kicking in full force (sigh) and until January, we can pretend the legislative session won't be a total disaster, so we can try to enjoy our somewhat politics-free lives for a bit. I'm, personally, looking forward to it.
However, in the spirit of Halloween this Friday, have you really thought about what this state might be like if the Republicans make a real run on the state offices? If McSally beats Barber, that would be a disaster in itself, but she would be a very small fish in the House of Representatives pond, but Ducey, who seems to be far tighter with Center for Arizona Policy's Cathi Herrod than Jan Brewer, could be the rubber-stamp that the nutty Legislature need for a series of very bad decisions, even to the extent of bankrupting the state. Mark Brnovich will likely start his term with as many crazed lawsuits against the feds as possible. I'm not entirely sure what Michelle Reagan would do with her time, but with her history of votes in the legislature (none of which she cares to defend these days), I'm sure she'll find something to screw up. And Diane Douglas? If we're lucky, she'll hold the office the way she campaigned for it ... largely absent from view. We're probably not going to be that lucky.
This isn't to say that the electing of Democrats to these gigs would be the first step to opening the gates of paradise. While, thankfully, all the Dem candidates are at least competent, they'll still be saddled with a lawmaking body where Andy Biggs, one-time sweepstakes winner, is treated like someone with important things to say. The Speaker of the House might be David Gowen, a uniquely dull human being. Plus, at some point, a court might force the state to cough up the money they promised the schools, making a challenging budget situation immediately into a complete disaster.
But for now, there's at least some hope. Maybe the voters of this state will make some good decisions and see through the Republican candidates flimsy facades. I'm not optimistic, but for a few days, at least I have the opportunity to be.
