| NEWS | Parties from p 9 admission were sent to an off-site soccer pitch miles away and rode to the resort on buses. Women in Louboutin pumps and men in tuxedos stood in the grass waiting for the bus to arrive as children played a soccer game just a few yards away. It smacked of a high school affair. Especially given the food offering inside the soiree — piles of pepperoni pizza. Arizona Republicans were joined on stage by serial plagiarist and Turning Point USA staffer Benny Johnson. “By attending this event, you have increased your chance of an FBI raid by about 50 percent,” he said. The slate of Republican hopefuls prayed to God for victory, but soon after, event organizers quietly switched off the Fox News broadcast that had been playing on large screens inside the ballroom and outside in the courtyard. Early election results showed all four up-ticket Republicans losing in double-digits. Playground Insults Were Encouraged “Do you feel like surfing?” far-right U.S. Representative Paul Gosar, who ran unop- posed in his re-election bid to Arizona’s 9th congressional district, asked the crowd. “Because this is a red tide coming in.” But the tide never came. The event was slated to run until the wee hours of the morning, with promises to continue oper- ating the shuttle bus until 3 a.m. By 10:30 p.m., the once-packed crowd had dwindled down to a husk of its former size. Despite the best efforts to hide it, there was no secret that Democrats at this point on elec- tion night were outperforming low expec- tations in Arizona and in Senate races nationwide. The exodus began after Lake, trailing Democrat Katie Hobbs by nearly 16 points at the time, arrived on stage and announced, “We will take the victory when it comes.” It’s the same technique she employed after the primary election in August, when she declared victory during another nutty Election Night affair while down six points. She ended up squeaking out a victory. Lake told the crowd to boo the journal- ists who were there, continuing her Election Day attacks on the media. The crowd obliged. She lobbed insults and whined about the “cheaters and crooks” and the “incompetent people running the show in Arizona” who were to blame for all the “BS and garbage.” The crowd’s energy evaporated as the election results continued to favor Democrats. “This is bullshit,” a middle-aged woman said as she stood in line for the cash-only bar. “If we can’t know the results, can I at least get a fucking drink?” Another woman leaning against a cock- tail table spoke frustratedly about Christian Elias Weiss Republican voters at the Arizona GOP watch party on election night said they wanted to “party like it’s 1776.” Lamar, a far-right candidate for state House who’s currently in last place of three candi- dates. “I hate that asshole, but I voted for him. Better than that Democrat bitch.” It was an insult-flinging bonanza. Speakers made fun of incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Mark Kelly, a “little man” wearing a “stinky green jacket” whose “ears don’t match.” They said that Texas gubernatorial candidate “Beto O’Rourke is a furry” and that U.S. Attorney General “Merrick Garland needs some new pantyhose.” President Joe Biden, they said, has a “very dirty diaper.” They Sold the Skin Before They Caught the Bear It was an angry celebration, and Republicans doubled down after it was over. “I want to thank the people of Arizona for entrusting me with this great responsi- bility,” GOP nominee for attorney general Abe Hamadeh tweeted as he declared victory just after the party. “I will never forget who I’m fighting for.” Yet a few days after the election, with nearly 400,000 ballots still to be counted, Hamadeh was losing. The lengthy vote counting process had Lake supporters fretting. “I’m concerned about the delays, espe- cially when you factor in the blatant conflict of interest with Katie Hobbs being the secretary of state, making her the offi- cial overseeing an election that she’s a candidate in,” Phoenix voter Kyle Conklin told New Times. “Add in three or four RINOs and one Democrat with the Maricopa County supervisors who appear to hate non-estab- lishment candidates and anyone who ques- tions them, and it can lead to reasonable concerns regarding what’s really going on,” Conklin said. “Is it incompetence or malice? Neither is a good look. If every- thing is on the level, I expect Kari Lake to win. Each delay fuels uncertainty and distrust in the system.” — ELIAS WEISS 11 phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES NOV 17TH–NOV 23RD, 2022
