America is Arizona now

Welcome to our world, to Arizona, where “President- elect Donald Trump” was not a surprise. In July of 2015, I wrote a column that began:

“People who don’t know any better are saying Donald Trump can’t win the presidential election. In Arizona, we know that he can get elected, because Arizonans already have elected Donald Trump — many times.”

Trump isn’t an original. He’s an incarnation of several Arizona politicians, most recently and most obviously Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. But it didn’t start with him. Ten years ago, then- state Rep. Russell Pearce boasted to me about his suggestion that the U. S. government embark on a mass- deportation program of undocumented immigrants similar to one called “Operation Wetback” from the 1950s.

Pearce said, “The far left always tells you, ‘ Russell, you can’t deport 12 million people.’ I say, ‘ Yes, you can, if you have the will.’ ”

Now, Trump confidant Newt Gingrich wants to bring back another 1950s disaster, the witchhunting House Un- American Activities Committee.

Go back even further in Arizona, and you find Gov. Evan Mecham, who was all venom and conspiracy theories and — eventually — was impeached. Like Pearce, like Arpaio, like Trump, Mecham ranted. He railed. He demonized. He plied fears. And it worked. Just as it would for many other Arizona politicians.

Not many years ago we got Arizona’s notorious anti- immigrant, anti- fairness, anti- everything SB 1070, which got former governor Jan Brewer ( another big Trump supporter) elected.

That law actually was written by Kris Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state … and now a member of Trump’s transition team. Are you catching on, America? SB 1070 set loose Sheriff Arpaio. He made a career ( first winning election in 1992) by way of outrageous claims and outrageous stunts, most of which had nothing to do with law enforcement. Or reality. To voters it didn’t matter. When you speak to people’s biases, it works. When you reinforce their resentments, prejudices and anger, they vote for you.

Arpaio is not like Donald Trump. Arpaio is Donald trump.

Arizona is not like America. Arizona is America.

Arpaio was among Trump’s first nationally known supporters. Trump’s first huge public rally was in Arizona. He shared the stage with Arpaio. And Trump borrowed heavily from Arpaio’s playbook, making ridiculous claims about Latinos and promising to build a wall and have Mexico pay. And he won.

So, what’s next? Well, in Arizona we also have learned that delusional demigods eventually go too far. They make mistakes. They get into trouble. It happened with Arpaio, who is facing criminal contempt charges. ( Will his friend Trump pardon him?)

Voters catch on. Although there is good news and bad news in that.

The good news is that Arizonans saw through Arpaio’s dangerous facade and voted him out of office last week. The bad news is it took us 24 years.