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I spent some time in Arizona last week, and while flipping through television channels, I stumbled upon what’s arguably the most racist political ad released this campaign season.
First, let me set the stage a bit.
This is an ad targeting Jim Lamon, a GOP Senate candidate competing in a primary race that includes Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich and Blake Masters, the venture capitalist backed by former President Donald Trump.
If you know Lamon at all, it’s likely because of this deranged ad he released that shows him shooting a gun at characters meant to portray three Democrats: President Joe Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona. You should also know he was one of the people who signed a fake elector sheet in 2021 falsely claiming he was authorized to cast Arizona’s electoral college votes for Trump instead of Biden.
Arizona Republicans truly are a pitiful bunch.
The pro-Masters Saving Arizona PAC, a group backed by right-wing billionaire Peter Thiel, is behind the latest anti-Lamon ad. Essentially, the ad argues that China is bad and because Lamon has had business dealings in China, Lamon is bad too. The ad uses gongs and pan flutes to drive the racist implication home.
I want to be clear here: Lamon is a bigot in his own right. His campaign has repeatedly demonized immigrants and targeted school lesson plans addressing social inequality. But this may well be the most vile ad released thus far, and it gives you a sense of the tone and tenor of the GOP's intraparty debate in Arizona.
Check out the ad below, and feel free to flag other offensive ads for me on Twitter. I’m going to keep a running list this campaign season.