published 10/23/08
Rio Arriba County Republicans have had to endure ridicule as the County’s political black sheep. Their only candidate for local office this general election was kicked off the ballot and eventually dropped out of the race for the vacant Rio Arriba County Magistrate Court seat, after the Party incorrectly nominated her.
The Party has also been a target of public ridicule, according to Party Chairwoman Geraldine Sanchez. She said their signs have been vandalized and people have yelled abuse at Party supporters from their cars. Nevertheless, a small group of dedicated Republicans have no intention of giving up hope for electoral gains made in the 2004 presidential election when President George W. Bush had the best showing for a Republican candidate in years.
Sanchez said the County Party is mainly focused on distributing signs and literature and calling voters. She said volunteers are calling from the Republican headquarters across from the Española Plaza every afternoon from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., but the hours will get longer as the Nov. 4 election gets closer. She said the state Party and Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) campaign supply the Party with scripts and talking points. She said the public’s response to the calls varies.
“A lot of nasty people talk back at you,” she said. “We just put that aside.”
She said the list of calls she got from the McCain campaign isn’t up-to-date, but the volunteers make do.
“A lot of dead people,” she said. “And I hope they don’t vote.”
Sanchez said she’s seen a lot of support for Senatorial candidate Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM) from ranchers and Los Alamos National Laboratory workers, but McCain and Third Congressional District candidate Dan East have their share of supporters in the County, too.
Gloria Trujillo heads a women’s Republican group in the County. Besides helping to organize events for Pearce and East, Trujillo said she would be calling voters and printing and distributing literature heavily.
“I plan on spending the next two weeks at it,” she said.
East said he has been traveling extensively in Northern New Mexico, even planning a 16-counties-in-16-days tour around the Third Congressional District to interact with as many voters as possible. He said he doesn’t have any staff on the ground in Rio Arriba County, but dedicated supporters and County Party workers do a good job of helping organize events and get his name out. About eight people attended a meet-and-greet event held Oct. 4 in Alcalde, but the Party said dozens of attendees came to prior East events.
“We have a lot of support in (the County) right now, and that’s very encouraging,” he said. “Every time we go up there, we meet new people.”
Pearce said he also doesn’t plan to have any permanent staff or office in the County, but he has made several visits to Rio Arriba to meet voters.
“The face-to-face contact is key,” he said. “They appreciate hard work. They appreciate strong values.”
McCain spokeswoman Ivette Barajas said the campaign in New Mexico is operating mainly out of state and County party offices, and it relies on local people to put regional touches on the national issues, such as the economy, around which McCain centers his message. She said one-on-one contact seems to be the most effective way to communicate with voters, so they form groups centered on women, veterans, students or others to talk with voters with their same interests.
“We really concentrate on grassroots efforts,” Barajas said. “We really try to look at it on a local basis.”
Trujillo said she isn’t discouraged by McCain’s campaign which has been trailing in the polls. She said the media reports aren’t accurate, and Sanchez said she doesn’t bother following them. Trujillo said the polls can also discourage people from voting if they think the election is a foregone conclusion.
“I think the polls are rigged,” Trujillo said. “I don’t like being manipulated.”
Trujillo said she worries for the region if Udall or Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama (D-IL) are elected, because they don’t support the military.
“If Obama and Udall get elected, those Labs are gonna get cut down,” she said. “That place might not even exist in a few years.”
Meanwhile, Sanchez said she’s going through a lot of signs. Republican signs in the northern part of the County, as well as in Chimayó, Truchas and elsewhere keep getting stolen or vandalized. She said one was even taken from outside the Republican headquarters.
“The people come back for signs,” she said. “I can’t keep up with signs.”
She hasn’t given up on the idea of a personal visit from McCain or his running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. She said she thinks a good-sized crowd would gather, but the campaigns have said Northern New Mexico is too inaccessible.
“I don’t see it in the near future,” she said. “They won’t go too far from an airport.”