Michael Gaynor
It's time for Trump movement voters to send John McCain and Kelly Ayotte a message
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By Michael Gaynor
October 9, 2016

McCain and Ayotte apparently think that distancing themselves from Trump will help them win reelection.

Wendy Long, the United States Senate candidate of the Republioan, Conservative and Reform Parties in New York, tweeted on October 8, 2016 (https://twitter.com/wendylongny):

"In past 24 hours we have learned that Hillary Clinton would sell out American borders, laws, and jobs. Corrupt media not interested" and "THE issue is Hillary selling out USA: 'My dream is a hemispheric common market, with open trade and open borders.'"

Long is right.

Nevertheless, some establishment Republicans, including Senator John McCain of Arizona and Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, each of whom is running for reelection in a state where Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump won the Republican presidential primary impressively, swiftly reacted to the broadcast last Friday of a vulgar private conversation Trump had more than a decade ago by withdrawing their support for Trump.

Ayotte announced that she would not vote for Trump and instead would write in the name of his running mate, Mike Pence.

The liberal media naturally loved it.

McCain and Ayotte apparently think that distancing themselves from Trump will help them win reelection and are taking Trump supporters for granted.

Long did not use the broadcast as an excuse to withdraw her support of Trump.

Instead, Long tweeted a message that McCain, Ayotte and their ilk chose to disregard: "Trump apologized for WORDS. Bill Clinton RAPED & sexually assaulted women. No apology; Hillary attacked & threatened his victims."

The presidential election is a binary choice between Trump and Democrat presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

The Arizona Senate election is a binary choice between McCain and Democrat Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick.

The New Hampshire Senate election is a binary choice between Ayotte and Democrat Governor Maggie Hassan.

McCain and Ayotte apparently think that they can pander to Clinton supporters and improve their chances of winning reelection.

Are they right?

Or will ardent Trump supporters in their states decide to send them a message by not voting in the Senate race, or voting for their opponent, or writing in another name.

Since Ayotte publicly announced she will write in Pence, members of the Trump movement may choose to write in the name of the person she narrowly beat for the Republican Senate nomination six years ago, Ovide Lamontagne.

Make no mistake: I am a Pence supporter.

On January 26, 2011, in "Mike Pence presidential suspense" (www.renewamerica.com/columns/gaynor/110126), I wrote:

"Pence does not yet have the money to support a presidential campaign available to Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin, but he doesn't have their problems, or the problems of other better known possibilities, and unless talk show host Laura Ingraham decides to run, former talk show host Pence would be the credible conservative in the race for the Republican presidential nomination and a worthy replacement for the community organizer in the White House."

Nevertheless, writing In pence's name instead of voting for Trump/Pence only helps Team Clinton.

© Michael Gaynor

 

The views expressed by RenewAmerica columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of RenewAmerica or its affiliates.
(See RenewAmerica's publishing standards.)

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Michael Gaynor

Michael J. Gaynor has been practicing law in New York since 1973. A former partner at Fulton, Duncombe & Rowe and Gaynor & Bass, he is a solo practitioner admitted to practice in New York state and federal courts and an Association of the Bar of the City of New York member... (more)

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