WHO WOULD WIN PRESIDENTIAL RACE IN AZ?

posted by Michael Chihak

News that Arizona will be the setting for a Republican candidates' presidential debate later this year has set off the political handicapping and back-and-forth.

Arizona Illustrated: Roundtable tonight features a bit of the discussion, with Republican former legislator Jonathan Paton and Democratic strategist Rodd McLeod clashing on the dynamics of the race.

Paton started by saying that Texas Gov. Rick Perry's stance on immigration -- specifically, giving in-state tuition to children in Texas illegally -- hurts him among Arizona Republicans.

McLeod says that when it comes to who will emerge on top of the GOP heap in the state, "Republicans are all over the map." He called Romney the favorite in Arizona , but added that he has had to fend off first Donald Trump, then Michele Bachmann and then Perry.

"There's a big void in the GOP," McLeod said. "Mitt's can't get above the mid 20s in the polls. There's tremendous dissatisfaction."

Paton quickly countered that, "the void is going to be filled when the primary is over," because Republicans in Arizona and nationally are united in opposition to Democratic President Obama.

More on Arizona Illustrated: Roundtable at 6:30 MST on PBS-HD-6.

ARIZONA GETS A REPUBLICAN DEBATE

posted by Andrea Kelly

Arizona gets a debate.

That's the official word from Republican party officials this week.

The debate was promised after Gov. Jan Brewer agreed not to move the state's primary up to January 2012. The state will vote in the presidential preference election in February, which is still earlier than party officials want, but not so early that we jump ahead of other states.

Until this week, the promise was just that. Now we know CNN and the state Republican Party will co-host the event, and that it will air on the cable network at 6 p.m. Dec. 1. It's not clear yet where the debate will be, but there's speculation it will be somewhere in the Phoenix metropolitan area.