Is this guy running for Senate or SNL?
Martha McSally must be quaking in her pumps.
In just nine months, Arizona’s junior senator will face Daniel McCarthy in the Republican primary. Daniel who? You ask?
Well on Sunday, this 34-year-old businessman had a prime opportunity to show Arizona voters who he is and he certainly did.
He’s Dan Aykroyd. I swear. McCathy did an interview with 12 News’ Brahm Resnik that appeared on Sunday Square Off. Or, as I now call it, Saturday Night Live The Morning After.
Think Aykroyd, in that Christmas classic, hawking his “Bag O’ Glass.”
It’s difficult to really capture just how badly this interview went for the 34-year-old business executive who up and decided that he’s ready to represent us all in the United States Senate.
He started out by explaining how Republican Gov. Doug Ducey is running a “banana republic.”
“Martha was appointed, frankly unconstitutionally,” he told Resnik. “The 17th Amendment calls for a temporary appointment. What we witnessed was somewhat of a banana republic in Arizona. It’s very discouraging to me, It’s very discouraging to many voters.”
He also took at shot at Republican President Donald Trump, who endorsed McSally before McCarthy got into the race and has continued to voice support for her ever since.
“He also supported John McCain,” McCarthy said of Trump. “He also supported Mitt Romney and we see what those things have done as well.”
McCarthy then verbally stomped his foot, complaining that McSally is ignoring his campaign by refusing to set up a debate schedule and saying it’s an insult to voters.
Cue McCarthy: “You know the growing support I have, you know that. So the challenge is ...
Resnik: “Your tagline is ‘Demand Daniel.’ Your fundraising, as of the end of September, was $561, so where exactly is this demand coming from?”
McCarthy: “OK, you know the reality behind that. I didn’t have my merchant or bank account set up in September.”
Resnik: “OK, what’s that number right now?”
McCarthy: “It’s irrelevant.” Resnik: “No, it is relevant.” McCarthy: “Hundreds of small donors, hundreds of small donors.”
Resnik: “What is that number right now?”
McCarthy: “It’s irrelevant. I’ll have the resources we need.”
Resnik: “Do you know how much was spent in the last year of the Senate election?”
McCarthy: “Money doesn’t own
politics. Voters own politics. Voters are not bought by money and voters will have to decide. I will be around in August for them to decide on. Maybe I’ll be around in November for them to decide on as well.”
Resnik: “You’re a successful businessman. Are you wealthy enough to self-finance your campaign? You’ve already put in $121,000. Are you wealthy enough to self-finance your campaign?”
McCarthy: “The Lord will provide the resources needed in order for me to win this campaign.”
Resnik: “The Lord will provide?” McCarthy: “Sure.”
On to the issues.
Resnik: “OK, let’s talk about some issues here.”
McCarthy: “You want to go into faith?”
Resnik didn’t, this being a Sunday political show and not a Sunday church service.
Eventually, after some sparring, McCarthy moved on to demonstrate his keen grasp of what is sure to be one of the major issues of the campaign, health care.
Resnik: “Your solution is to ‘open back up the free markets and put people back in control of their health care.’ What does that mean? Does that mean getting rid of Medicare? It’s unclear what your plan is.”
McCarthy: “In Washington, D.C., as everyone knows, the government has developed a Ponzi scheme in which they can control our health care. One-fifth of our economy is tied up with crony capitalism and frankly, corruption at the highest level. What we need is to relinquish control of the federal government as quickly as possible because they are infringing everywhere.”
Resnik: “Are you talking about ending Medicare, which the government controls and provides care for millions of Americans?”
McCarthy: “I’m calling for restraining the federal government to ensure that the states have control of their resources and the states have control of their finances the way our Constitution recommends.”
Resnik: “What does that mean in reality, because a lot of people depend on these programs?”
McCarthy: “A lot of people also are getting their wealth confiscated from them and sending it to Washington, D.C., for them to corruptly take care of it.”
Goodbye older voters — the ones who comprise the bulk of the GOP.
Next up was McCarthy’s cosmetics business, Makeup Eraser. In April 2018 — a few months before McCarthy announced his candidacy — the company announced it would move all of its manufacturing to the United States by January 2019. As of September, it was still making its products in China and importing them to the U.S.
Resnik: “Have you moved the business of out China back to the U.S.?”
McCarthy’s answer was to complain about his picture.
McCarthy: “Look at the picture you put up there. You put a bad picture of me and you put a good picture of her up. What is that? Put a good pic of me up there. OK, so here’s the thing, my role with the company is irrelevant . ... ”
Resnik: “This is a company that appears to be responsible for a vast amount of your wealth or a significant amount of your wealth. Your company said something last year: You’re going to move business contractors from China to the U.S.”
McCarthy: “Yep.”
Resnik: “Simple question, yes or no, has that been done?”
McCarthy: “No, Brahm. In the business community, believe it or not, in the business world in the private sector, as conditions on the ground change, you have to do what’s right for the business. It’s irrelevant. No one cares what I do in terms of the business. My business has nothing to do with me running for the Senate.”
He didn’t specify what voters don’t care about: Whether it’s that he made his fortune as he bypassed American workers or whether it’s the fact that he didn’t follow through on a promise made as he was getting ready to run for the Senate.
One thing, however, is clear. This guy is not ready for prime time.
McCarthy, by the way, warned his Facebook followers even before the show aired that Square Off is “a failing news program (that I should not have wasted my time with) and another attempt by the deep state, DC owned media to try and sink my candidacy.”
OK, now that’s funny.