According to recent polling, the biggest issues in the Arizona election will be education and the economy. It would be foolish to underestimate the power of immigrant bashing, but that could come in the guise of education and the economy as well.

The education debates can go in all kinds of directions, but Common Core is sure to be somewhere at the center of the battle. How that shapes up will be worth watching, since it could sway a significant number of votes in one direction or the other. Here are some of the variables in play, as I see them.

In the Ed Superintendent race, we've got a pretty dramatic split on Common Core. Diane Douglas is absolutely against it. Absolutely. At this point, that's her whole campaign. David Garcia has been painted as pro-Common Core by the media, but that's an oversimplification. He sees the actual standards as a good starting point, but he's against the overuse of high stakes testing as an assessment tool for students, teachers, administrators and schools, and Common Core has the potential of making testing even more dominant than it is now.

In the governor's race, Doug Ducey is against Common Core, but it looks like he's left himself some wiggle room so he can take different stances in front of different audiences ("I'm all for high standards, but ...."). Fred DuVal is basically for the Core, but he's been vague enough at this point that he can also play around with his message to suit the moment.

Thanks to the folks from NEON EON for sending over their video for the live version of "Laffin'" (which conveniently enough features some laughing and call-and-response action). 

If you're interested in seeing their southern rock influenced brand of party rock life, they're opening for Blueberry Smoke tonight at the Rialto. Doors are at 7 p.m. and tickets are $20 for the all ages show. More info at the Rialto's website.

A wise man once hosted a show called Kids Say The Darndest Things, but the Internet killed it with parents and their smart phones. This mother uploaded this video of her son getting upset at her for getting pregnant with her third child. Obviously, he didn't want another child around to steal the attention, but his baby sister didn't seem to mind. 

He's going to grow up to be a good lawyer someday.

[Editor's note: We didn't have room in the print edition for Media Watch this week, so here's John's column for your digital enjoyment.]

KWILOSZ WANTS TO IMPROVE LOTUS VISIBILITY

Tucson’s radio clusters are made up of three behemoth media conglomerates. Clear Channel and Cumulus probably get the most press, but comparisons between the rivals go further. They have more in common than just general proximity along the Oracle corridor. Both organizations (Clear Channel operates seven Tucson frequencies, Cumulus five) have managed to do an impressive job creating vacant hallways in buildings once occupied by dozens of employees.

Meanwhile, Scripps is the new player in the market. It recently announced a deal to purchase the Journal Broadcast Group’s electronic media holdings. Unlike Clear Channel and Cumulus, Scripps (still technically Journal until the deal gets finalized next year) has been in the midst of a hiring uptick and continues to add personnel for its television (KGUN TV 9, KWBA TV 58) and radio operations.

But there’s another privately operated outlet that has done pretty well in the market for some time. Three of its radio stations (KFMA 102.1 FM, KLPX 96.1 FM and KCMT 92.1 FM) consistently rank in the top 10 in market share, yet the company, Lotus Communications, has largely maintained a low profile.

That could change.

“I think we need to be in the community more. We need to tell our story more,” said Ken Kwilosz, the new GM of Lotus Tucson. “We’ve always been an under the radar company, kind of quiet. We’re on the west side of the freeway and we let all the guys on the east side of the freeway battle it out. I think we need to let people know we’re there, and get the word out that we have great products, great concerts, great reasons to tune in and listen to us.”

Generally speaking, that awareness was there, even if Lotus kept things in-house. Folks on the radio landscape are aware of KLPX, long the market’s leading (and as a result for many years the market’s only) classic rock station, so-called new rocker KFMA and KCMT, Tucson’s the top-rated Spanish language frequency.

It’s been a relatively stable operation. That was even apparent at the top, where Steve Groesbeck handled GM responsibilities for the better part of the last 13 years. But that changed a couple months ago, and when Groesbeck and Lotus parted ways, the company promoted Kwilosz, who for the last three years was the organization’s sales manager.

From that chair he became well aware of the dramatic advertising downturn in the Tucson market, and hopes he knows what needs to be done to turn a difficult tide amidst a slagging economy.

“It seems to me the market is starting to turn a little bit,” Kwilosz said. “Business seems to pick up in August, and this year there’s also political. What happens in radio is a lot of money is spent on television during the political window and other advertisers are sensitive of that, so instead of being bunched with political ads they might say let’s go with radio because it’s too expensive and there’s nothing left. The politicians have gobbled it all up. So I think that’s one of the reasons the third and fourth quarter will be better.”
Kwilosz has noticed better numbers in the auto industry as well.

“The biggest advertiser is the car business and the car business is through the roof,” Kwilosz said. “Their sales overall nationally and in Tucson is much better than last year, and last year was a huge improvement. That’s always the biggest category of business for broadcasting. If they’re healthy, that’s good for us because they’re spending more money.”

Still, Kwilosz has to achieve the bottom line, and there are a lot of issues that make that difficult in a market like Tucson. The aforementioned economic sluggishness naturally plays a significant role, as does the dwindling impact of terrestrial radio in light of other entertainment options. In that regard, Kwilosz hopes he can improve the perception of Lotus as a beneficial outlet with a small business local appeal that understands and appreciates the struggles of staying afloat when times are tough.

“There are a lot of family owned businesses still in Tucson, which is great because that’s what we are, and our dictate is when we help somebody it has to work, and if it doesn’t work we have to figure out how to make it work, not just have someone try it and say it didn’t work and go away,” Kwilosz said. “Our whole existence is to help a business grow and make more money. That’s why they advertise with us. They don’t advertise with us because they want to advertise on radio. They advertise with us because they want more business to come through the door. If we’re not doing that, we have to figure out how to make it happen.”

AZPM NABS MCNAMARA AS NEW HOST OF ARIZONA ILLUSTRATED

A new version of an established program returns with a familiar name at the helm. KVOA news anchor Tom McNamara has been pegged by Arizona Public Media to handle anchor responsibilities for the revamped Arizona Illustrated, which launches a new look and a variety of time slots September 7.

“I was honored to be asked to host Arizona Illustrated,” said McNamara via Facebook message, “and I'm grateful to KVOA for allowing me to jump on this opportunity. This program returns me to my roots in local television. I started out hosting and reporting in the magazine format with the P.M. Magazine show, which was wildly popular around the country back in the 1980s."

McNamara has spent nearly half of his 36-year broadcast career behind the desk at KVOA. One of the market’s most recognizable news personalities, McNamara started with Tucson’s NBC affiliate in 1997. He has contributed numerous hours over the years to assist with KUAT fundraising endeavors.

The new Arizona Illustrated debuts Sunday, Sept. 7 at 6:30 pm.

Here are Antigone Books' best-sellers for the week ending Aug. 22, 2014. More info at antigonebooks.com.





























1. Writing from the Senses: 59 Exercises to Ignite Creativity and Revitalize Your Writing
Laura Deutsch ($14.95)

2. A Tale for the Time Being
Ruth Ozecki ($16)

3. Spider Woman's Daughter: A Leaphorn & Chee Novel
Anne Hillerman ($9.99)

4. One Summer: America, 1927
Bill Bryson ($16.95)

5. The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Neil Gaiman ($14.99)

6. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Ransom Riggs ($10.99)

7. The Lowland
Jhumpa Lahiri ($15.95)

8. Gone Girl
Gillian Flynn ($15)

9. The House Girl
Tara Conklin ($14.99)

10. The Grace in Aging: Awaken as You Grow Older
Kathleen Dowling Singh ($17.95)

While I grew up with Christian movies that were never going to get near an actual movie theater instead relegated to VHS tapes shown at Friday youth group nights (still love you, Thief in the Night), the recent successes of God's Not Dead ($62 million at the box office on a $2 million budget), Fireproof ($33 million on a $500,000 budget) and others means that you're going to see Christian-themed films on the marquee right next to the big-budget blockbusters for awhile. There's part of the church-going side of me that would hope that someone might use the opportunity provided by the box-office possibilities to make an actual movie about the complexities of faith (a remake of Make Way for Tomorrow, maybe?), but hey, instead, we get something from noted theologian Kirk Cameron about the nonsense "War on Christmas." Woo hoo.

Well, you've got to love any movie with a character named "Christian White," who actually makes some valid points about the celebration of Christmas before Kirk Cameron tells him to enjoy himself and just buy some stuff at the mall or something. I personally grimaced at hearing a list of things we're supposed to enjoy about Christmas that puts "feasting" ahead of "selfless giving of yourself to others" or "remembering and caring for those who might be less fortunate than us" (neither made the countdown, but hey, at least "dancing" got a mention, but hey, as long as we can bully another retail worker, abused by absurdly long shifts and the worst of humanity driven by an endless thirst for stuff we don't really need, into saying "Merry Christmas" instead of an equally pleasant and wildly more considerate to our polycultural society remark like "Happy Holidays," then Kirk Cameron's work will all be worth it.

Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas is set to be released in a theater near you on November 14.

A local group of African-American students, artists and community representatives kicked off a GoFundMe campaign on Friday, Aug. 22 to raise funds to send five people to Ferguson, Missouri as part of a national effort called the Black Lives Matter Ride done in conjunction with the National Weekend of Action.

So far $1,940 has been raised for the group's $2,500 goal. While five people from Tucson are part of the ride, the group hopes additional riders from Phoenix will join them. Upon return, the group plan to organize a Black Action Forum, and additional funds from the campaign will help cover facility, childcare and material costs for the event.

Tonight at 6 p.m., the group will hold a send-off and press conference at Cafe Desta, 758 S. Stone Ave., but over the weekend I had a chance to meet with some members of the group, including Matice Moore, UA's African American Student Affairs program director, who said the local campaign allows representative from Tucson to participate in a series of non-violence training workshops in Ferguson—important training they can bring back to teach Tucson and share as part of a Tucson Black Action Initiative they want to develop to create a network and address the needs of Tucson's black community.

With the UA Gender Studies Department, a Black Lives Matter conference takes place on January 15-17, with scholars, writers, artists and leaders from throughout the country and locally taking place to talk about "s WHY Black life matters and WHAT can be done about sustained racialized state violence." For more on the conference, go their page here.

All good reasons to keep giving to the group, even once they reach their goal. Go here to their GoFundMe page.

Moore said the goal, while the national call is short notice, is to encourage people with many different skill sets to come to Ferguson and help the affected community, as well as improve organizing skills to take back to their own cities and towns. Youth organizing, and bringing people to work with youth, is one area, as well as those familiar with theater of the oppressed and medial and photography. Those with medical experience are also needed, she added.

Joining Moore for the trip is Thomas Martin a marketing senior at the UA Eller College, said that anytime a community gets a call like this is is "an obligation to respond to the call and work to stop these things from happening in the future."

Poet Jada Boyd, who works at Bicas, had planned to join the group, but decided to stay in town to read at Words on the Avenue, on Sunday, Aug. 31, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Cafe Passe, 415 N. 4th Ave. The focus that evening is on Ferguson, Michael Brown and his family, and donations collected at the reading will go to the Brown family. Suggested donation is $5 per person.

Boyd said if she was going on the ride, she'd participate in local voter registration efforts. "Right now this community wants to change it's representation. That's something we should all get behind."

Sitting next to Boyd is Beverly Makhubele, a South African emigre, who works in community planning and development, who said she hopes to learn in Ferguson. Not sure what particular skill she brings, but what's important, too, is "learning as much as possible on how to use what we learn in Tucson when we come back."

Javetta Clemmons, also leaving for the ride, said she agrees. The community in Ferguson has done a good job facilitating a conversation locally, but those going to Ferguson for this ride from across the country, like Clemmons, want to learn how to have that conversation in Tucson when they return.

One of the goals of the ride is to support the Ferguson community demands that their Missouri legislative representatives introduce anti-police violence laws that work to address excessive force and the militarization of police. The idea, Martin said, is to shrink the police force by half and put that money toward under-funded school and in the community."

"When we come back we want to establish a training," Martin said. "Part of the problem is that we might be treating this as an isolated incident. We need to be prepared for any response as a community and as a nation."

You really have to hand it to the bookers for their valiant efforts to bring some top notch musical performers as of late. You can't miss the Ty Segall show at 8 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 3 at Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St. The opening acts are Wand and local favorite Prom Body.

Segall debut his seventh solo album Manipulator  this week. The L.A. based garage-rocker has been getting a ton of favorable reviews, and was recently a guest on Marc Maron's WTF Podcast. 

In a way, Ty Segall has the life Marc always wanted. Still in his mid-20s, Ty already has eight solo albums, as well as others with various bands, and rubs shoulders with rock legends while making music with his long-time friends. That probably explains why Marc is so excited to get a modern rock lesson from Ty, covering pyschedelia, noise rock, no wave and modern punk. Ty also explains his DIY approach to creating albums, which is not unfamiliar to a podcaster like Marc.

Click here to listen to the interview and here to buy your tickets.

While they are still counting some votes around the state, Arizona Treasurer and former Cold Stone Creamery CEO Doug Ducey won big in yesterday's GOP gubernatorial primary, capturing 36 percent of the vote in a six-way contest. He was well ahead of second-place finisher Scott Smith, who nabbed 22 percent of the vote, and third-place finisher Christine Jones, who ended up with 16 percent of the vote. (The rest of the field: Secretary of State Ken Bennett won 12 percent, disbarred attorney Andrew Thomas got roughly 8 percent and former California Congressman Frank Riggs got about 4 percent.)

The win pits Ducey against Democrat Fred DuVal, Libertarian Barry Hess and Americans Elect candidate John Mealer.

As Republicans went to the polls to choose a nominee, the left-leaning Progress Now released a poll showing that Ducey and DuVal were entering a tight race. The Public Policy Polling survey showed that both Ducey had the support of 34 percent of self-identified likely voters, while DuVal had the support of 32 percent. When the pollsters asked undecided voters which way they were leaning, DuVal picked up 3 percent, while Ducey picked up 1 percent, putting the candidate into a dead heat at 35 percent each.

"Democrats have an opportunity in Arizona because voters are unhappy with Governor Brewer and the current direction of the state," wrote Public Policy Polling Tom Jensen in a polling memo. "An unpopular incumbent and a damaged Republican nominee are combining to make the Arizona governor’s office a great opportunity for a Democratic pick up this fall."

A relatively high 10 percent of the voters surveyed said they were supporting Hess, who has run for governor on the Libertarian ticket three times (2002, 2006, 2101), as well as taking stabs at the U.S. Senate (2000) and president of the United States (2008).

"The high level of support for Hess reflects the unusual amounts of support we’re finding for third party candidates across the country right now as voters are unhappy with both parties," Jensen noted.

Political junkies will find interesting points in the poll, but one key number: 41 percent of the voters have an unfavorable impression of Ducey, while just 26 percent have a favorable impression. That underwater ranking likely stems from the negative attacks against Ducey in the GOP primary.

Huppenthal went down in his primary, big time, to an unknown challenger, Diane Douglas. He might have lost anyway — Douglas has the right wing of the party sewn up, and they're dependable primary voters — but there's no question the size of his defeat can be attributed to Falcon 9 and Thucydides, Huppenthal's online aliases — or, as he liked to call them, his "sway-do-nyms."

Give the blogs, specifically Blog for Arizona, the credit. My old stomping ground did the research, wrote the stories and gave it to the mainstream media, which gobbled it up with more gusto than any of us who were involved in the story expected. Whenever Huppenthal's name was mentioned after his aliases were unmasked, Falcon 9, Thucydides and the Greatest Hits from their Comments List were never far behind. Give the major chunk of the credit to Bob Lord, whose perseverance led to uncovering Huppenthal as the phantom commenter, pulling all the pieces together and putting it out in the public eye. If he hadn't led the effort, it likely wouldn't have happened, and today we might have a strong candidate Huppenthal moving into the generals.

It doesn't happen very often that a blog, especially one unaffiliated with a larger media outlet, creates news. But it goes to show that a good story is a good story no matter where it originates, and other outlets will pick it up, expand on it and make it their own if they can. Usually when that happens, they like to leave the name of the blog that created the story in the shadows, but in this case, that was impossible, since the blogs themselves were at the center of the story.