The local Tucson paper, the Citizen, rightfully took the first shots at the newest entry to the AZ-8 Congressional race. Patty Weiss, a long time local talking head declared her candidacy in this now crowded field. She brings with her name recognition and that's about it. I've made my choice and have been pretty vocal here on the Kos, to who I will support,
, and I have to agree with C.T. Revere, Patty Weiss is one of the least qualified.
TV journalism, political savvy link iffy
C.T. REVERE
Tucson Citizen
Good afternoon. Thank you all for coming. I'm here today to formally announce my intention not to run for the United States House of Representatives in Congressional District 8.
No. Wait. Please hold your applause.
After many minutes of weighing the pros and cons of running for the seat being vacated by incumbent Republican Jim Kolbe, I have come to the not very difficult decision to stay out of the race. The reason is quite simple. I'm not qualified to represent the 641,000 people who live, go to school or work in District 8.
Now I know what you're thinking. "Well, you've been writing news stories about people living, studying, working, playing and dying in southern Arizona for years. Of course you're qualified!" But ladies and gentlemen, I am here to tell you - with a degree of honesty hard to come by in a time of political campaigns - that I am not.
So I stand before you now, steadfast in my commitment to leave the contest for this unbelievably important job to those who actually might be ready to hold a seat in Congress.
I can't help but wonder if former newscaster Patty Weiss shouldn't have done the same. This isn't meant as a knock on Patty, though. It's about those of you who plan to vote in the 2006 elections.
This is a rare opportunity for men and women who have dedicated their lives to public service to have a legitimate shot at a seat in Congress. It's not often that a congressional race comes along without the considerable obstacle of an incumbent on the ballot. For nearly a quarter of a century, this particular seat belonged to a man who proved unbeatable every even-numbered year. In 21 years in Congress, Jim Kolbe has made himself an authority on issues vital to his district and the rest of the nation. Those issues include things such as border policy, Social Security reform, free trade and the workings of foreign aid programs.
Setting aside all partisanship, Kolbe's departure will leave a massive void in southern Arizona's representation in Washington no matter who is his successor. The scramble sparked by his announcement not to seek a 12th term has produced a wide range of candidates and potential candidates. Some come with résumés that include serving in state and local offices; others with an understanding of the political game that comes from years of laboring inside their respective parties. Still others have served their country in the armed services, a background that is clearly applicable at a time of war.
Is this the time for newspaper reporters or television news anchors to cash in on name recognition and potentially muddy the process? I know. It would be absurd to suggest I have anything resembling name recognition compared with a popular television personality who delivered the news in southern Arizona for three decades.
That's precisely the point.
The mere fact that untold thousands of voters routinely tuned their television sets to KVOA Channel 4 each and every night to watch and listen as Patty Weiss read the news gives her potential for winning this seat.
A recent poll showed Weiss to be the Democrat most likely to win the November general election should her Republican opponent be Randy Graf, who also has a primary race ahead.
Elections are popularity contests - there's no denying that. But this is not the right criterion.
Weiss acknowledges her name ID is a plus, but said her long tenure in local television news is what drives her new ambition.
"I'm running because the most wonderful part of my 30 years as a newscaster was researching stories and being in the community meeting people and doing community service. And this is a way for me to continue the community service," she said. Being a familiar face isn't enough to carry a candidate into office, but it is a boost coming out of the gates, said Margaret Kenski, a Tucson-based political pollster. "If you don't have name recognition, you have to buy it," Kenski said. "If you have it, you can spend that money on other things. But what all candidates have to do is take positions and distinguish themselves from each other. Patty is known very well as a TV personality, but very little is known about where she stands on things like the Patriot Act or the war in Iraq."
Weiss said she looks forward to letting voters know her position on issues.
"As a journalist, I always had to remain objective. Now I have a voice. Now I can go out and say 'Here's what I think,' " she said. "It's wonderful because I've always had ideas for solving problems."
Here's hoping all you people in TV land will listen to what she has to say and consider her as you would any other candidate.
Paul Eckerstrom, chairman of the Pima County Democratic Party, said there might be added value in being a political outsider this year. "There's great value in a person who's held public office in that they understand the political process and the legislative process," he said. "By the same token, in this election year - with what's happened in the (lobbyist Jack) Abramoff scandal and the whole K Street mess, a person who has not been involved in politics may be what people are looking for because they are not labeled as 'a professional politician.'"
If that outsider reaches Congress, what do we get?
"You may get 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,' and maybe that's not a bad thing," Eckerstrom said.
Maybe.
But we're talking about a congressional district that is the epicenter for some of the most crucial problems America faces today, most notably the immigration and national security issues related to the U.S.-Mexico border.
This is a serious job for someone who knows how politics work.
I first must clarify that Col. Latas entered this race before Kolbe's retirement announcement. He was not one to be in the "scramble" once this became an open seat. I give anyone credit in running in an important race like this, but sometimes I think there should more credit given to those who are more armed to go to Washington and make the required change. I believe that this person is Col. Jeff Latas. This is the real Mr. Smith and most everyone that has heard him would agree with me. I hope others that have heard this man comes forward with the same boldness to proclaim the media must start to report the real news and not the high school like prom queens. Our Country was misled to an invasion partly due to shoddy reporting. The media is having a ball with a celebrity popularity contest and is doing a great disservice to the people of Southern Arizona by not reporting the real news about this race. I am discussed with our papers reporting and I find this article a breath of fresh air and real truth. Thank you CT.