Making sure you saw this piece that just published in the Arizona Mirror. Katie Hobbs continues to be haunted by the $2.75 million racial discrimination verdict linked to the candidate for governor, with Arizona Democrats saying “Katie Hobbs is a liability” and “it’s highly unlikely she can win in the general.”
Bottom Line: We couldn’t agree more. Katie Hobbs is a liability for Arizona Democrats and she is going to lose next November.
Katie Hobbs is a liability. Democrats need a plan B in the governor’s race, now.
Arizona Mirror
Julie Erfle
December 1, 2021
Arizona Democrats are worried. And for good reason.
Katie Hobbs — their frontrunner in the race for governor — has a credibility issue, and it seems to be getting worse with each passing day.
The onus for this problem lies squarely with Hobbs.
She had an opportunity to show real leadership after Talonya Adams won her second, historic jury decision for sex and race discrimination and retaliation by taking responsibility for her role in Adams’ firing, showing genuine remorse, and offering a plan to ensure discrimination and retaliation would never again happen on her watch.
Instead, she did the opposite, shifting the blame for discriminatory pay onto Republicans and doubling-down on her reasons to fire Adams, citing so-called performance issues that — for some unexplained reason — she failed to mention while under oath at two separate federal jury trials and refused to detail to reporters.
Hobbs’ campaign team, which should win an award for worst crisis PR ever, has made one miscalculation after another.
They had no prepared statement or comment ready when the verdict was announced, made several questionable statements (such as saying Hobbs “voluntarily” testified when she was actually subpoenaed or that she never received the subpoena when there is evidence to the contrary), and kept Hobbs away from reporters, making it appear as if she had something to hide.
Recently, Hobbs appeared on national TV (she’s still shunning local TV), claiming she “learned from this” and has been a champion for pay equity in the secretary of state’s office. But what, exactly, did Hobbs learn if she continues to smear Adams’ reputation and question the decisions of two juries?
Was it that she shouldn’t have assumed this would all blow over, even though she’s running for the highest office in the state?
My guess is that Hobbs was caught off-guard by Adams, who was relatively quiet after the first jury verdict but is fighting to be heard this time around, and by prominent members of the Black community, who also determined they won’t be bullied into supporting Hobbs simply because she’s less awful than the Republican alternatives.
They’re demanding Democrats walk their talk. If Democrats are smart, they’ll listen.
Hobbs is a liability for Democrats. She might be able to garner enough votes to win the Democratic primary, but it’s highly unlikely she can win in the general.
