Arizona Gov. Greg Ducey (R), who is tasked with replacing the late Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), wants the senator’s wife Cindy to approve the person he chooses to fill the seat, according to a Tuesday Politico report.
Though Cindy McCain herself has been speculated to be a possible replacement, she has reportedly not expressed any desire to serve out her husband’s term.
But, as Ducey tries to walk the line between appeasing the Trump fanatics in his base as well as the moderates who gave McCain six straight terms in office, he reportedly wants the family’s approval to make the replacement as respectful and unifying as possible. Ducey is also headed for a tough reelection battle in the fall, and is seeking a smooth replacement process.
Cindy McCain reportedly does not see herself as a political person, and uses her time to run family businesses.
And as Reed Galen, McCain’s deputy campaign manager in 2008, told Politico, as someone who has been by her husband’s side for years and witnessed up close the nastiness of politics under President Donald Trump, Cindy McCain may be feeling little desire to join the fray.
“Given the political world as it is today, why go do this?” Galen said. “Not because it wouldn’t be a good tribute to her husband, but is that, A) the right reason to do it? and B) given the ugliness that we’ve seen around McCain’s passing, why would anyone in their right mind subject themselves to that?”
Is there going to be an anointing ceremony with holy water and oil?
I like to think that Ducey is giving himself some cover to make a not-awful choice.
Didn’t you mean bilge water?
I honestly think this is the best he can do. This is as big a “damned if you do” moment if there ever was one. Yes, this could be interpreted as “cover” for whatever choice he makes, but this also serves to make sure that whoever is appointed is essentially Cindy’s choice (or John’s), as much as it is his choice. Cindy is much more likely to approve of someone who is not a trumpet, and who gives her a strong sense of camaraderie with her late husband. She knows how her husband felt about the Dotard, and will respect those sentiments in full when she gives her approval. IOW, i feel better about giving this choice to her than leaving it all up to Ducey. I also very sincerely hope that she doesn’t prove me wrong.
I rather hope that she decides to pull a Dick Cheney move… as when he headed up the search for a possible VP candidate to run with W and… voila - after looking - I am the best candidate…
But she appears to really not want it. In that light, I agree with you assessment.