Nowhere has the clash between the Tea Party movement and the “GOP establishment” been more apparent than Arizona, where former Rep. J.D. Hayworth has been a constant thorn in McCain’s side (his suddenly shrunken left side, to be precise). For a while, it looked like McCain might get tripped up enough in his clumsy race to the right to put the self-styled Tea Party candidate in contention.
But I don’t see how Hayworth can recover from this:
Former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ), who is currently challenging Sen. John McCain in the Republican primary on a right-wing platform, had an interesting job for a time in 2007: Appearing as an infomercial pitchman — for a company telling people that they can get free grant money from the federal government.
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“Well I don’t want to shock anybody’s sensibilities, but I have to use a four-letter word: Real. This is real,” Hayworth said in the infomercial. “The money is out there, the opportunities are out there. And by the way, it’s not something where it’s the government’s money — it’s really your money. You surrendered it in the form of taxation. Now’s the time to take advantage of a situation where the government can invest in you. And in turn, you’ll have a chance to build a business, or make a better life for yourself — and in so doing, you’ll help improve the country.”
Allahpundit over at Hot Air still thinks he has a shot, if only a long one. But one of the easier sacrifices you make as a fiscally conservative politican is that you can’t star in an infomercial run by a company with an F from the Better Business Bureau and promise desperate people “free money from the federal government.”
You are either a serious political contender, or you are Matt Lesko (see picture at right). Hayworth might as well start learning how to tie a bowtie.