The Arizona Primary and The Politics of Immigration

With the Arizona primary happening today, a clear narrative has been established in the news coverage: the politics of immigration has had a significant impact on how candidates have run their campaigns.

Below are some of the stories on the Arizona primary:

AZKPHO News Channel 5 - Low Turnout Expected For Ariz. Primary Election Heated Issues Not Enough To Attract More Voters, Experts Say

Voters will head to the polls Tuesday for Arizona's primary election, but there may not be as big a turnout as some might expect, according to state officials.

The Secretary of State's Office is expecting a turnout of about 20 to 25 percent of registered voters. According to political consultant Jaime Molera, the state's hot political issues, such as immigration, education, and health care, will not be enough to drive more people to the polls.

Time - Adam Klawonn - Arizona's Accidental Governor: The Reinvention of Jan Brewer

People in Arizona remember a different Jan Brewer from the tough-talking Republican governor at the center of the bitter immigration debate swirling out of her state. If politicians have multiple lives, her previous ones showed a much more personable presence — one pundit called her "delightful." Not eloquent but engaging, not book-smart but pragmatic, Brewer would often crack jokes in boring committee meetings when she was a state legislator, trading punch lines with another lawmaker who acted as the comedic foil. The exchanges reminded some of scenes with Lucy and Ethel in I Love Lucy more than legislative debate.

The Atlantic - Nicole Allan - Immigration Politics A boon For Jan Brewer and John McCain

For Brewer, signing Arizona's tough new immigration law in April set her star on the rise. Instantly, she was all over the TV networks and conservative blogs. Her heroism within conservative circles was cemented once the Obama administration took on the law. Whining over her proposed tax hike was soon subsumed by publicity about her immigration policies. Her two most serious Republican challengers dropped out of the race and she is expected to glide to victory tomorrow.

NPR - Ted Robbins - Immigration Plays Major Role in Arizona Primary

But since April 23 — and Senate Bill 1070 — none of that has mattered.

Brewer's decision to sign Arizona's tough anti-immigration law has proved popular among Arizona voters, especially Republicans, though much of the law is on hold awaiting a court hearing.

She has since become one of the party's highest-profile members in the country, and one by one, her opponents have dropped out.

"I can assure you that if she had not signed 1070, she would have had no chance to get the Republican nomination," says pollster Bruce Merrill, a former Arizona State University professor.

New York Times - Marc Lacey - On Primary Day, McCain Seeks Political Comeback

One key to Mr. McCain’s rebound was how he neutralized Mr. Hayworth’s, and Arizona’s, big issue — immigration. The senator endorsed Arizona’s immigration crackdown, known as SB1070. He changed his mind on the necessity of the border fence, insisting that it was effective and declaring gruffly in one ad: “Complete the danged fence.” He also backpedaled fiercely on whether there ought to be a path to citizenship for those who entered the country against the rules, which in the past he has endorsed.

Bloomberg - Hans Nichols - Keep Immigrants Out Is McCain's Refrain That May Mean Re-Election

McCain’s campaign for re-election in Arizona “concluded that if they didn’t take an extreme position on immigration, he was at risk of losing,” said Espinoza, president of Raza Development Fund in Phoenix. “Well, he’s not going to lose, but it’s been heart-wrenching for me. It’s such a radical departure from where he was just a couple of years ago.”