Is Ann Kirkpatrick a Threat to John McCain?

It should come as no surprise that MSNBC is promoting a liberal opponent to go against John McCain in 2016, but is there any juice to their claims? In looking at the whole picture, we believe there really is something there. Ann Kirkpatrick may indeed be a threat to take McCain’s senate seat.

The real problem that McCain faces in right-leaning Arizona isn’t his popularity, though that has been waning in his fifth Senate term. The biggest risk to McCain is that he may not be able to capture the vote from the right where he is considered a moderate and someone who bends too easily to liberal perspectives. While it’s unlikely that he’ll lose, the fact that there’s a doubt at all both from the Democrats contending as well as potential Republican primary challengers says something about his decision to be so liberal.

According to MSNBC:

Some Republicans view McCain as too liberal, and if a serious challenger emerges on the right, McCain could potentially be forced to swing right during the primaries – something that could bite him later on.

Still, when it comes to the general election, Kirkpatrick should be considered as a serious challenger, according to Mike O’Neil, an Arizona political analyst and non-partisan pollster. “I’d rate her as first-rate opposition against McCain,” he said. After all, despite a 2014 GOP wave, Kirkpatrick managed to hold on to her seat against former Republican Arizona House Speaker Andy Tobin. That race was the most expensive congressional race in the state and she was helped by strong support from Native American votes in her rural district.

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