For 10 weeks leading up to the November 6, 2012 General Election, the Loft Cinema is having a “The Struggle for the Presidency” film series with several movies about the U.S. President over the years. Each film costs only $5 on a Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. The Loft Cinema is at 3233 E. Speedway.

August 22: “Wag the Dog” (1997, Dustin Hoffman, Robert DeNiro)
August 29: “Welcome to Mooseport” (2004, Gene Hackman, Ray Romano)
September 5: “The Best Man” (1964, Henry Fonda, Cliff Robertson)
September 12: “The Candidate” (1972, Robert Redford)
September 19: “All the President’s Men” (1976, Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman)
September 26: “Bob Roberts” (1992, Tim Robbins)
October 3: “Primary Colors” (1998, John Tavolta, Emma Thompson)
October 10: “W” (2008, Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Banks)
October 17: “The Ides of March” (2011, George Clooney, Ryan Gosling)
October 24: “The American President” (1995, Michael Douglas, Annette Bening)

To read more about each film, go to the Loft’s website (click here) & to see the trailers.

Dr. Kate Kenski, Associate Professor at the University of AZ Dept. of Communication will lead a post film discussion after each film. She co-authored a book about President Barack Obama entitled “The Obama Victory: How Media, Money, and Message Shaped the 2008 Election” (click here for my previous post about Dr. Kenski).

I think I’ve seen most of these films, maybe with the exception of “The Best Man”. Many are worth a 2nd or 3rd viewing for their comedic and realistic aspects, and revelations about the quest for power to get to Washington D.C.

Enjoy these 10 films as you the American voter decide which man to vote for in November– either Democratic President Barack Obama (elected in 2008) or challenger Republican Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts.

former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum

Former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (served 1995 to 2007) will speak in Tucson at a free Tucson Tea Party event at the Sabbar Shriner’s Temple on Wednesday February 22. Doors open at 10 a.m. at 450 S. Tucson Blvd., south of Broadway. The event is expected to run till 1:30 p.m.

Santorum is on the ballot for the Arizona Republican Presidential Preference Primary set for Feb. 28. Early voting on that primary began on February 2 and reports are that 20% of registered Republicans have already voted. 23 Republicans are listed on the AZ Secretary of State’s ballot, including former 2008 U.S Presidential candidate/former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who is currently running again in this year’s Republican Presidential nomination run-off. Also running: Congressman Ron Paul from Texas (CD 14 since 1997), who also ran in the Presidential race of 2008, and former Georgia Congressman Newt Gingrich (CD 6 from 1979 to 1999). Governor Rick Perry of Texas has withdrawn from the race, but his name will be on the ballot.

Trent Humphries, Co-founder of the Tucson Tea Party was on KUAT Channel 6 AZ Illustrated’s political roundtable on Feb. 17 discussing this upcoming visit (click here.) Humphries ran unsuccessfully for LD 26 House in the Republican primary of 2008.

For more on the Republican Preference primary view AZ Week for February 17 (click here), discussing the GOP Presidential debate (to be nationally televised) on Wednesday Feb. 22 in Mesa.

John McCain is a household name here in his home state of Arizona. After all he has been the Senior U.S. Senator from Arizona since 1987, and served 4 years as an Arizona U.S. Congressman prior to that. He prevailed over Fred Thompson, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, and Mitt Romney to become the Republican nominee for U.S. President just two years ago. And Senator McCain had run for President before in 2000.

U.S. Senator John McCain

Today at his Tucson headquarters (2945 E. Grant Road) Senator McCain said to his supporters, including CD 8 candidate Jonathan Paton and Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll, that he hopes for a “great celebration” tomorrow night when he wins the Arizona primary. He thanked his supporters and volunteers, saying that many had “been with him since the beginning”, and he promised for “a time in action in the U.S. Senate” in 2011, as he had “great faith” in our country. Prior to his speech, McCain praised the work done in the Arizona state legislature and in Iraq of former State Senator Jonathan Paton, who incidentally said he met McCain for the first time in Fallujah.

The Senator appeared confident that he would win the Republican primary tomorrow against his challengers, former CD 5 Congressman J.D. Hayworth and Phoenix businessman Jim Deakin. Some say this is his toughest primary challenge in his career.

U.S. Senators have a lot of stature, since there are only 100 of them in America. Being as I used to work on Capitol Hill for fellow U.S. Senator Dan Inouye as a legislative aide on his personal staff, I know what it feels like to be close to their power & influence. And incumbent Senator McCain at age 73, does indeed wield that power & influence on the national and international scene. Incidentally he will be celebrating his 74th birthday in a week, on August 29.

Stay tuned for election results tomorrow on this race, and to find out which Democrat (John Dougherty, Dr. Cathy Eden, Dr. Rodney Glassman, or Randy Parraz) will be the newest challenger in John McCain’s long political career. And read my earlier blog on the Green and Libertarian challengers in this race (click here).