With the GOP Convention finally behind us, its time to take a look at the day’s winners and losers.  Before the comments sections asks why Lisa James isn’t listed on either list, we would suggest that it is far too early to judge that.  Like almost every campaign, things got a bit rough and Pullen fans might rate her poorly for that.  Then again, she handled the outcome with class and James fans (as well as nice Pullen fans) would rate her highly for that.  Put those two diverse groups together and you really haven’t settled anything.  We suggest that it is the next 12 months that will determine how she is to be rated.  If she disappears from the Arizona Republican Party in general, she would be doing poorly.  If she followed up on her campaign pledges to get involved, raise money and help the Party win in 2010, she would be doing very well.  She didn’t have to win her race to keep most of her promises, and we’re hoping that she does just that.  Now, on to the fun stuff.

LOSERS:

Kyl, Shadegg, Flake – If showing up is half the battle, then it was over before it began.  On top of that, their candidate lost and staff members for one Congressman in particular were very active in the divisive nature of the race and the attacks on Pullen.  How they imagine that will benefit their boss if and when he decides to run for higher office is a mystery.  This is two conventions in a row that they have all ended up as a minority in their own party.  When do you think the message will sink in?

Dean Martin – In some dramatic plays, the hero of the play is engaged in a fight with an enemy when the cowardly villain sneaks up behind him and stabs him with a long knife.  Of course, the hero dies a lot in dramatic plays, so maybe that’s why Dean Martin thought it would work in real life.  His speech shocked numerous conservatives who used to think well of him.  We say used to, because this bridge was burned down by Martin’s flame-throwing attacks on Pullen.  For whatever reason or reward, Martin agreed to take on the roll of attack dog, but came across as childish and petty.  In terms Dean should understand, his investment was high-risk, low yield, and has cost him a very pretty penny.

Wake Up! Arizona – Okay, in fairness, it wasn’t just this weekend.  These guys have blown millions and gotten their collective butts kicked since last year.  The lobbyists, headliners, blogs, cheerleaders, and consultants associated with this effort find themselves wearing a Scarlet Letter within the Republican Party that may not go away for a long time, if ever.

Barry Goldwater Jr. – Want to hurt your reputation and damage your credibility?  Spend a couple of days calling the Ron Paul State Committeemen to urge them to vote for Rudy Giuliani’s State Chairman.  Sure, we’re quite sure they’ll fall for that, right Barry?  From what the RPers were saying, it didn’t get James any votes, but it cost Goldwater more than a few.

Arizona Democrat Party – Janet’s gone, their state party is in disarray, and they’ve just elected a Pima County liberal whose first proclamation is that our taxes are too low.

Kevin DeMenna – The lobbyist bet big, at least with his mouth, against Pullen.  After explaining the GOP wins in 2008 as a “blind squirrel tripping over an acorn now and again”, he has to deal with a Party Chairman who appears to be stocking up on acorns.  Bad news Kevin, the squirrel can see, he’s hungry, and he’s looking for nuts.  Got any?

WINNERS:

Randy Pullen – Okay, that was an easy one.  He won his race, and with a U.S. Senate seat and a Governor’s race in 2010, the Congressional delegation cannot afford to pout or withhold support from the State Party anymore.  Pullen’s margin was larger than many expected, and he already has the support of most of the County and LD leaders, as well as members of the Legislature.  He is in a much stronger position than he was in 2008.  And rumor has it that he is the front-runner for the post of RNC Treasurer, which will be a real boon to the Arizona GOP as well.

Trent Franks – He did not take sides in the contest, making him the only House member in the delegation to properly gauge the pulse of the conservative grassroots of the party.  His speech was also given very high marks by those in attendance.  Plus, these meetings are rare and feature State Committeemen from all over Arizona, and Trent was the only member of the entire delegation who cared enough to show up.

Jan Brewer – Great speech, and she is finally holding Napolitano responsible for the mess that was made over the last six years.  The people of Arizona deserve the truth about that and the Arizona GOP will be stronger when people learn that it was our members who were fighting against Janet’s insane budgets.

Brett Mecum – He’s only thirty years old and he’s already the Executive Director of a red-state Republican Party.  No, its not the first time its ever happened, but folks in both the Pullen and James camp seemed to have good things to say about this guy and if you can manage to pull that off, during a heated campaign?  Well then, you must have some pretty good political skills.

Rob Haney – Up from the ashes, he lost in LD11 only to win higher office as County Chairman of the fourth largest county in the country.  Then, his backed candidate won re-election as State Chairman.  And the amnesty folks thought Haney was a problem to them before?

Rural GOP Counties – Pullen swept a number of rural counties, from Mohave in the North to Pinal and Cochise in the South.  It is likely a result of their seeing Pullen quite a bit more over the last two years than their own Congressional delegation, so its fair to say that Pullen earned it.  Still, they were the margin of victory for Pullen and he would be well served to remember that.

J.D. Hayworth – The worse Jeff Flake and his staff did, the better it was for whoever ends up in the primary for Arizona’s next U.S. Senate seat.  We’re sure Flake & Company had their reasons for antagonizing the party’s conservative base, but we can’t figure out what it is.  The end result is the same though.  A louder call for a reliable, conservative alternative, who will listen to the Party.  You hear us J.D.?  We know you do.

The Arizona Republican Party – Of course, we couldn’t finish without stating the obvious.  The theme over the weekend was “unity”, even if not all of the various players were acting that way.  Still, the sense among the Committeemen was that unity would prevail when the contest was over and, judging from the numbers of people wearing James stickers that stayed around to wish Randy well, their sense might just be right.  Add to that a new Republican governor and an Arizona Democrat Party in disarray, and things are very good indeed for the AZGOP.