Jon Hulburd on Ben Quayle's "theater of the absurd"
The Hulburd campaign held a conference call with local bloggers this a.m.
Hulburd came across as very knowledgable. He spoke calmly and with authority, and with a fairly high level of granularity about almost every issue.
On a couple of subjects—extending the Bush tax cuts for the rich, and ending the estate tax—his positions are indistinguishable from the Republican economic policies that nearly destroyed the country. (And that have beggared Arizona.)
When pressed on these points by the largely liberal contingent on the phone, he stood his ground.
But one most other issues he came across as fairly sane: He was pro choice; in favor of ending don’t ask don’t tell; he supported the cap and trade initiative; he advocated green and alternative energy policies, particularly for how they could help improve Arizona’s economy.
On trade he was more moderate, saying he was for “fair trade,” not “free trade.”
The highlights, however, were when he went after his opponent, Ben Quayle.
On Quayle’s “Obama is the worst president in history” ad:
“Part of my response has been muted out there. … I don’t want to be in a position of making this a big issue, because it plays into stupid Ben Quayle and his stupid ad.
“There are twelve different reasons it’s not just factually wrong but that it’s the wrong messenger, even if you’re on the right.
“Everything about it, visually and scripted, is repugnant and silly. It’s a theater of the absurd.”
But he noted that the ad might have motivated voters in the primary and that his campaign was on the lookout for the next similar gambit.
Asked about Quayle’s weaknesses, Hulburd offered a long assessment.
Specifically setting aside Quayle’s involvement with the skanky Dirty Scottsdale web site, Hulburd said Quayle was vulnerable in three areas: Professional, political and social.
“The social stuff. He’s barely been here. As a father of five I’d like to see him spend a couple of years juggling school schedules and changing diapers and doing what regular people have to do.
“He has no life experiences both in the Valley or elsewhere that I can tell you about that make me think the guy gets it.
“From the professional standpoint, I don’t think one year at Snell & Wilmer [a law firm at which Quayle was an associate] qualifies him for anything…. And what has he done for the community? His bio is thin as a reed …
“He’s done very very little if anything as far as community works.
“And then this political piece is fascinating. [The Vernon Parker campaign] was trying to push him as an empty suit. I think that’s what he is. … and it galls me that he could simply come in here and so cavalierly pick up this very very important seat.
“If I scrabble and work hard and get it, we all know if I get it I’ll be under attack instantly. If he gets it he’s there until he’s our next senator.”
Hulburd was asked about Quayle’s carpetbagger status.
“He’s making a big deal about it the wrong way. He should do what I do, which is say that like a lot of you I come from somewhere else and move on. [Hulburd has actually been in the valley for nearly three decades.]
“And what he does is say he’s fourth generation and that he has all these amazing ties in the valley, which is a load of shit.
“He bought a house in the district last December.
“And a month later his new congressman, John Shadegg, announces he’s getting out, and a month after that he gets in, and a month after that he gets married.
“And in that three- or four-month period, if I were 33 years old my head would explode. It would change your world.
“He has no ties to District three, it’s silly.”
Previously in PHXated:
The complete Dirty Scottsdale tale.
So … what exactly does Ben Quayle’s wife do?.
How the Arizona Republic took a dive on the tawdry Ben Quayle/Dirty Scottsdale story.