The Hero vs. The Hack: Arizona’s Race that will Keep Us Up Late Unnecessarily Election Night

It’s hard to fathom in the post-9/11 world a Trump disciple, who actually made money by investing in China and has no history of service to his country, even daring to challenge a decorated combat pilot and distinguished NASA astronaut that flew more than one historic mission into space. Yet here we are.

It's really no contest, but supporters of Sen. Mark Kelly in Arizona are taking no chances as they work to make sure a true American patriot and hero is re-elected to the Senate. Volunteers, including concerned Republicans, are canvassing the state, making phone calls, and urging their neighbors to vote for the candidate they can trust, Sen. Kelly.

“I think we all know guys like this,” Sen. Kelly said at a recent debate. “Guys that think they know better than everyone about everything.”

He, of course, was talking about fortunate son and MAGA wannabe Blake Masters, a sketchy Silicon Valley product, who has more in common with the members of the Chinese Communist Party business partners than a small business owner in Phoenix, or a farmer in Apache County.

“You think you know better than women and doctors about abortion. You even think you know better than seniors about Social Security. You think you know better than veterans about how to win a war,” Sen Kelly added at the debate, where he frankly made Masters look weak and small by simply stating the facts. “Folks, we all know guys like this, and we can’t be letting them make decisions about us because it’s just dangerous.”

Like everything he has done in the course of his life, Sen. Kelly has quickly forged a bond with Arizona's working families and businesses. Trust, truth and the oath of allegiance to America he repeatedly took over the course of his life matters to Sen. Kelly. His tireless work in the Senate on behalf of Arizona has earned the deep respect of his colleagues, and his leadership qualities have him ascending swiftly in the Senate, bringing even more value and reach for the people of Arizona.

As for Masters, well, he takes his orders from Trump, not the people of Arizona.

After that embarrassing debate performance, Trump actually ordered Masters to tell The Big Lie about the 2020 election the way MAGA election-denier Kari Lake is doing in the race for governor of Arizona.  “Look at Kari. Kari’s winning with very little money. And if they say, ‘How is your family?’ She says the election was rigged and stolen. You’ll lose if you go soft,” Trump said in a phone call disclosed by Fox News.

Masters so far is doing the same as when he was a lacky for China investor and right-wing anti-democracy poster boy Peter Theil: hedging on The Big Lie, but staying close to the Trumpist wave of fascism in America. Like J.D. Vance in Ohio, Thiel is Master’s sugar daddy, pumping millions into his campaign, but he was also entrée into Master’s dark past with investing in China at a time when national security professionals were warning that the investments overseas were a threat to the American supply chain.

The world has now seen that greed over patriotism has put the supply chain at risk, creating an unnecessary vulnerability for the people, economy and security of the United States. Trump’s unilateral trade war (by then he had alienated allies suddenly running to distance themselves from his get-rich-quick schemes) accelerated the decline of the supply chain, and set the U.S. economy on a collision course with a pandemic.

It’s clear these aren’t the people you want running things when things get rough, and everyday Americans discover they are at risk. Arizona voters have embraced Sen. Kelly for his experience and his wisdom, and any Americans embrace him as leader because of his love for his wife, Gabby Giffords, who was a victim of violence against lawmakers long before the horrific attack on Paul Pelosi.

Sen. Kelly is many good things to many good people, but for Arizonans in the case of Kelly vs. Masterson, he’s simply the only choice.

“Sen. Kelly is working for Arizona on issues such as border security, water rights and inflation reduction while his opponent, Blake Masters, supports a ban on abortions, privatizing social security and expanding use of fossil fuels due to “soaring gas prices” (which have been coming down for 12 weeks),” John Flynn of Goodyear, Ariz. stated. “Masters campaigned as a “Trumpster” and now claims to be an Independent. False. He is too extreme for Arizona. Vote for Mark Kelly for senator.”