Mixed Messages

It seems whenever there's an election people try to draw sweeping inferences from one race in particular. A case in point from Ankle Biting Pundits...

Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.), a long sought-after target of Democrats, was finally ousted Tuesday, as state Sen. Harry Mitchell (D) took out the six-term incumbent.

Hayworth, an outspoken conservative, has often raised the ire of Democrats, and recently had focused much of his public comments on stopping illegal immigration, a key issue among the Arizona electorate.

But it’s possible his enforcement-first position didn’t play well in Arizona, where many voters seemed to prefer the comprehensive approach to the issue favored by President Bush. Hayworth campaign aides had insisted that Mitchell was too liberal for the Phoenix area 5th district.

Obviously, that wasn’t the case today. Mitchell, a former mayor of Tempe, was so popular in his hometown that the city fathers erected a statue in his honor in front of City Hall.

Hayworth, of course, was the anti-immigration lobby’s star. And he was among those who claimed that sealing the border was a big, winning issue for the Republicans.

Not so much.

Okay, I haven't followed Hayworth's race in any way shape or form, I have no idea if he ran a good campaign or stunk it up. But then there's this from NRO...

Arizona passed Prop. 103, English as the state's official language, 74%-26%.

What's it all mean Alfie? I have no idea, but I think it's idiotic to presume one race tells the tale on this issue. This sounds more like someone who'd like the issue to go away.

Just to state the obvious here. We live in Luis Gutierrez district in deep blue Chicago. A position of strong enforcement would not be popular here, in fact it will get you death threats, as we know from personal experience. Arizona is a state with strong agricultural ties, I'm sure that has an effect, I also know from living there that it has some liberal strongholds, but I don't know if any of that mattered in this election.

All that to say, It's dumb to make such a sweeping pronouncement from just one race, there could be many other factors.

***UPDATE***

Digger has more on just how much Arizonians be digging illegal immigration.

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