Washington (CNN) - "America's Toughest Sheriff" Joe Arpaio passed on running for governor earlier this year, but the Arizona lawman who has become a national figure for his tough stand on illegal immigration is not closing the door on a presidential run in 2012.
Arpaio, the controversial sheriff of Maricopa County, heads to the early presidential proving ground of New Hampshire Sunday to headline the Nashua Republican City Committee lunch.
"I am honored by this invitation to speak to the largest local Republican Party organization in the great state of New Hampshire," Arpaio said in a statement. "As a native New Englander, I'm looking forward to visiting this state that historically chooses who our next President will be."
Chad Willems, Arpaio's political adviser, said that the sheriff is "not going back to test the waters," but did acknowledge that "People just don't go to New Hampshire if they are not interested in these things."
Willems went on to highlight Arpaio's ability to raise money, the fact that he is often sought out by the national media and "is well known throughout the country."
"He enjoys being sheriff, but he has been asked by and urged by so many people, thousands of people call and write or email him each week saying, 'Run for president, run for president,' " Willems said.
Arpaio earned his nickname for his strict policies towards prisoners and recently has been engaged in a battle with the Obama administration over the issue of illegal immigration.
It will be a homecoming of sorts for Arpaio, who was born across the border in Springfield, Massachusetts. He also was a Drug Enforcement Administration official in New England in the 1970s.
Arpaio joins a long list of Republicans such as former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, among others, who are expected to seriously consider a bid for the GOP presidential nomination.
From CNN Politics
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Better him than some of the other idiots that will be taken seriously.
The Sheriff is a tough, no nonsense man who lives by principal and actually earns the money that the people pay him to do a tough job. He might not want to be president, but would be better than the current one.
please, God what are you doing to "America." What this racist-idiot is going to run on? Ilegal immigration. Tancredo !!!!!!. Please, God has mercy on us. We do not want more of this ....
Did you know that the Republics oppose spending 50 billion for infrastructure spending as too costly, yet they want 800 billion to extend tax cuts to the weathiest 120 thousand Americans or $ 3 million per rich person on average.
Who is for America? Not the g.o.p – grand oily plutocracy
Run Joe! We'd enjoy watching you in the National Debate and ongoing struggle against the left wing lunacy destroying our Country today!
Electing this guy is like putting Hitler on the ballot.
I guess making inmates wear pink qualifies him. Would he run on the tea party ticket. ???? Sounds like something they would back.
As a native to Maricopa County, I dare say that Sherrif Jow would make the absolute worst President our country has ever seen! He's terrible at everything he does!
He will certainly get my vote.
"Sheriff Joe for President" has a nice ring to it. He'll have to beat Sarah in the primaries, but what's another beating to this guy? Can't wait for the 2012 election season! Who knows who'll throw his or her hat in the ring between now & then?
Oh, yes please! As long as he doesn't campaign about having a monopoly on family values, he'd make an excellent candidate.
You guys have to be kidding with this story, right? Is it April Fool's Day already? Arpaio should be arrested and jailed, not allowed to further sully the very concept of democracy.
In what CENTURY???????????
Does AZ really believe that they are the 'melting pot' of the America and the rest country LOVES them????
Give me a DOG-GONE BREAK!!!
(There's that DOG word again!! Has anyone ever thought about how many ways the word "DOG" is used?? Actually, the RepubliCAN'Ts don't use it – Which is the reason why they had a hard time understanding what President Obama meant!!!)
What a poor president this guy would make, tough on prisoners and tough on immigrants who's only crime is seeking the American dream through sweat, tears and manual labor.
Joe might want to run for a third world country. He would be like Idi Imen with his civil rights violations in AZ. He does have that patented right wingnut ego going for him.
I like Joe... but he's to old for the job....
Time to retire Sir
LOL
and I say that incapital letters with the caveat that it's just too bad that we can't change the font size to 96pt
He needs to stay in Arizona and Jan.
President of his cell compound, where he will be wearing pink.
As a resident of AZ. I can say we'll save you all such consideration by hopefully having him in jail by then. The legal noose is tightening...
I actually like this man as a sheriff, but president, I don't think so, he is a little to extreme for that.
He would be a perfect fit for the GOP. The epitome of the Republican Police State. Who needs schools or educated people anyway, when all the Republicans want to do is build more and more jails or put people in prison without cause.
This has to be a blooming joke right??? haha
What has america become. A pile of lunatic wing nut that cant tell there butt from a hole in the wall. where do we get these people from. Hey sheriff youve got to be about all the peple not just for your right wing nut friends, and i dont think youve got that personality.
He is not the toughest sheriff, he is the most hateful!
He won't even last in the primary.
Please, go ahead and waste your time and money and the time and money of any dolts who may support you. You may as well take your money and toss it into the gutter. Completely laughable.
PLEASE.........PLEASE RUN FOR PRESIDENT! What a wonderful gift to the Democrats! : )
Arpaio is tarnishing his image by throwing in with the current republicans, who let illegal immigration run wild during the 8 years of their rein with George W. Bush.
I'm not a Republican but am a big fan of "Sheriff Joe". He knows how to get things done efficiently and how to stand his ground while administering a good kick in the pants. I admire his work in the penal system and do not understand why more prisons don't follow his lead. Think of all the taxpayer savings that could be realized by making jail a really-not-so-nice place to be.
Perhaps that's what Washington needs – a good kick in the pants. Wake UP and smell the coffee already.
All I can say is: Run, Joe, run! He might be able to pull the wool of the eyes of Maricopa County but under national scrutiny the ol' guy will fall apart.
LOL please! this moron? who will run with him, Sara Palin?
Perfect. I'm outta here.
What a republican line-up ... McCain, Palin, Rand Paul, Sharon (the real obtuse) Angle, the wrestling CEO, the CEO who almost ruined HP, Rubio (under IRS investigation) and now Sheriff Joe ... only one missing from this silly season in Joe the Plumber and the lady who wants to pay doctors in poultry!
... and the GOP expects us to take them seriously?
You know, I support Sheriff Joe, but I don't think he is presidential timber. He may be a step above Obama, Biden, Polosi and Reid but I think we deserve better. At some point, there has got to be someone who steps up that understands our constitution and can actually lead from a balanced point of view. I just hope we survive long enough for this person to emerge.
And how about Palin for his veep.
The bulldog and the time bomb. What a dynamic duo!!!!!
Look out, Ahmadinejad. Here they come!!!!!!
Hey... if the moron Palin can consider it than so can AARPaio.
Hell so could...
This guy is a self-deluded sociopath. He is also national disgrace.
Is this truly the state of affairs in 2012 in America.
Id just about vote for him !!! obama is ging to have china bail us out fomr all his spending soon !! second language anyone????
This is getting laughable. Let's start a new game show entitled "So You Think You Want To Be President". Another loser. Too old, too fat and too unpopular (where would the minority vote come from)?Seriously – why do ALL republicans look the same? I think you know what I mean.
Never say never. They finally found someone even scarier than Palin.
If this guy gets elected then be prepared to throw out the constitution.
Go JOE!!!!
You have my vote and support.
That's so funny even to talk about it. I am looking forward to witness the American public opinion about this guy.
you got my families vote
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Boss Hogg run for President?? I don't think so. He'll be lucky to stay out of jail after the DOJ gets through with him. Sherrif Joe is the most corrupt,vindictive, vengeful foul politician in AZ.
"Bull Connor" Arpaio for President. His campaign slogan, "I am Dreaming of a White America."
What a danged joke.
Good Grief, this is what our Country has come to since that dumb as a sack of rocks woman ran for Vice President in 2008.
Good lord! What's he going to do if he's elected President mandate Pink boxers for all members of congress?
I'd probably vote for him but I think it would take a bit more than that to get him elected.
Now there's a big waster of time! First, Arpaio is nearly 80 years old. Will be by the time the elections roll around. Second, by that time the Justice Department will have eaten him for lunch. Anyone who believes his open defiance of DOJ is on principle is several fries short of a full order. He has actively and openly been profiling for years. He's hiding something or there would be no reason for "America's Toughest Sheriff" to deny cooperation with the Feds. He'll be damaged goods long before the New Hampshire primary. This is his very large ego talking and nothing else.
Think he would do much better job than what we have now would look out for real americans.
Best ticket Sarah Pailn / Joe Arpaio
Run Arpaio, Run!!!! In the last 4 elections there has been no one to vote for. All you could do was vote for the lesser of two evils. Finally, someone that has some common sense. You have my vote Mr. Arpaio!!
OMG! First off let me say that I live in Sheriff Joe's county. If he would have just stuck with tent city, pink underwear and being tough with criminals it would have been OK. But that didn't get him enough attention, so he started these illegal immigrant sweeps (racial profiling) instead of taking care of business (over 40,000 outstanding warrants), he continually refuses to comply with records requests, from the press, state and federal government (they're all picking on him, Waa!), when they try to hide public records it's because of the dirt their trying to sweep under the rug. I sure hope people are smart enough to see through this guy.
You're joking!! Sheriff Arpaio has changed–his new altered state is up over the curb–or maybe he's been out in the Arizona sun too long!! There was a time when he was the epitome of fairness in Maricopa County. Not now.
There's a simple solution to our immigration situation. We'd definitely need the assistance of the Mexican Government, but the guest worker program could be dealt with by a system similar to that employed by US–Canadian efforts. Then all the poor deportees wouldn't wind up working in the Mexican drug cartel–which is what WILL happen if the mean-spiritness of Sheriff Arpaio and Jan Brewer continues. Arizona and its citizens are really decent people overall, but radical behavior is not!
you have my families vote
While I support his stance on illegal immigration, Joe is an epitome of ineptness at the best. Spends a million dollar on the sweep but only manages to net 10-12 illegals per million spent. Most of the time runs over budget with lot of money lost on fake lawsuit his department brings out. I would be a supporter if he was not a dog and pony show. Also loves to have his photos taken with ultra racist groups like most other republicans.
I'm a politically moderate late twentysomething and I would vote for this man in a heartbeat. I have nothing against Obama, but not enough is being done about these illegal immigrants. I tried to pull myself out of blue collar jobs because of the intense competition with these underground workers. I have over 50K in student loans for a college degree that I can't turn into a career because I can't take an entry level position and still make my loan payments. I'd default and and it would fall on my parents who cosigned to make the payments. I'm stuck in the blue collar role I began in. Corporate America and the upper class will exploit cheap labor as long as they can. The liberal elites have nothing but sympathy for this growing segment of their base but it's working-class America that pays for this problem.
OMG-lookout USA. You have no idea what Joe is about. Dont be fooled. He is dangerous. There are a few good things about him but overall, he is pure evil and should be stopped. And some said Obama is the antichrist.
Why not?
With all the other wackadoodle GnOP'ers crowding the field, why can't my insane sheriff join them?
Palin / Arpaio 2012.
A democrats dream team...............
We in ARizona know Sheriff Joe as blustering meglomaniac who feels his office gives him the right to trample on anyone's civil rights. He disguises his blatant bigotry towards hispanics and blacks under the guise of "America First" philosophy. The only thing first in Joe Arpaio's mind is his own blinding ambition. Ask the state how much it has already cost us in lawyers fees to defend his blatant abuse of civil decencies. He's popular with those who share his dislike and condescension for anything or anyone of a different color or ethnic group. We've slipped down a long slippery slope if we can't come up with better candidates that Joe Arpaio.
He'll do as well as that other Yahoo, McCain, from down there in those there parts of Arizona, also, too, right Ms. Failin', Bailin', Quittin' Palin Ice-Chip-on-My-Shoulder-Grizzly-Gal?
This pigheaded moron for the presidence of the country? Laughable.
This would be the final nail in America's coffin!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH THis clown for president? As bad as Palin. Wasted money.. CRime is still at the same rate through all his years. He intimidates people from threats. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Arpio your kidding right? This guy does nothing like the rest of them. Not a DAMN thing. HE is a clown. He doesnt know how to be fiscally responsible. He sure doesnt care about people and as a typical politician a media HOUND> DOWN w idiocy,,,,,DOWN w Arpio!
Apaio can get on his knees and do you know what
This is a thought too horrible to comtemplate, a disaster of epic proportion. He is deferring attention from the DOJ investigation presently examining his past activities violating federal law. This is a smoke screen as big as his ego. "Let the games begin".
Sure, what's another fascist loon in the mix.
It doesn't matter much who is president. It is the bureaucracy behind the president that makes a mess of it. The first thing that will happen to Sheriff Arpaio is that he gets entangled in smear campaigns and more. As for the present problems? Congress is the problem. Obama just makes it worse.
Just what we need, another President who's not afraid to break the law in order to advance his agenda.
The carnival freak show of right wing presidential hopefuls just keeps getting weirder and weirder.
GOP: the sanity-optional party
Go for it Mr. Sheriff Arpaio and you can only win wearing a pink underwear!!
If you run,you have my vote and three hundred people in connecticut.it about time we have a person that presents we the people and not illegals and other countries like Obama.
He'll likely adopt the Sharon Angle approach...no questions please
And his qualifications are....???? Wow...small time sheriff to POTUS; only in America. This country has gone mad.
He not even running yet and he already got my vote....Go for it Joe!
You've got to be kidding! Even the Republican Tea Party couldn't make this boat float.
Is this supposed to be some kind of joke? This guy is a lunatic, anyone in the right mind would not vote for him.
Please Sherriff Joe,
Run for President, but first resign your office as Sherriff of Maricopa County. That way we may be able to get someone competent in Maricopa County. What this article has failed to mention is that the "Great" sherriff is currently under two different federal investigations, the first relating to abuse of power in attempting to use his office to arrest and embarress political enemies and the second for Civil Rights violations. He has cost Maricopa County millions of dollars in lawsuits. P.S. Check his record on immigration. His big "success" has been the arrests of janitors, landscapers, and maids. There are very few arrests in there of the actual human smugglers. Additionally, he has consistently failed to outstanding felony warrents. The only crimes he inforces are the ones that get him publicity
He would be perfect on a ticket with Sarah Palin... as neither of them can seem to do their actual job.
Yeah, Joe Arpaio and Joe The Plummer should make a good team.
Boss Hogg for President??!! Has America lost what few marbles it has left?? With him at the helm, his first act would be to suspend the Bill of Rights, which would be quickly followed by the imposition of martial law. Within three months, we'd be at war with virtually every other nation on the planet.
Please meglamaniac joe run and get out of my state. Maybe the country will see you for the fool you are and you can then retire back under the rock you came from.
What a sad comment this makes to the ideas of America and the people who hold the Constitution in such respect. Sorry, but if this guys idea of a joke works we need to rip up the Constitution and start all over again. 234 years would have been wasted!
Obama has been such a pathetic leader. Anyone could do a better job than him.
You go Joe, I would vote for you in a split second!
Awesome
Let's give the guy a chance to speak before everyone throws bricks in his boat.
If I were American, I cast the first vote....Keep it up Joe!
and Sharon Angle for VP! What a joke!
Yes he can run for president in Bizarro world ! He would fit right in !
I suspect that, long before that time comes, he'll be disqualified as a convicted felon.
How about a Sheriff Joe and Palin ticket in 2012...? I'm sure that pastor of the Koran burning church in Florida would vote for them...!
Oh please. This huckster is as qualified for President as Sarah Palin – which is to say not at all qualified.
Wow, all the lunatics come out of the woodwork during the primaries.
The state that historically picks the next president picked McCain and Clinton in last election.
"Joe the Sheriff". I love it. Will Sister Sarah be your running mate? These teabagger types just get more and more full of themselves, don't they?
he will run for president becasue he can raise money and add items on his resmue but he wont stand any chance against any one, he wont even win in arizona.
What a joke!
I hope he and Sarah Run together!
Then we can have two more idiots in office..
What a joke that would be! Sarah as his running mate??
He might end up running his presidential campaign from a federal prison cell. Of course neo cons would love him even more. That would tie into their whole anti-gov't rhetoric thing.
Joe Arpaio is the real deal Yankee. Love him or hate him you know what he stands for every day. If Arizona is lucky then Joe would make a great candidate for Govenor or Senator. As for the Presidency, if Joe wants to really shake things up then forget the Republican backed Potemkin village party (AKA rhymes with ME) and run as an independent with a former anchor from CNN who also tells it like it is and backs the fast disappearing American Middle Class. Independents would flock to the cause and give Joe and Lou a real shot at the Presidency. Go for it.
Arpaio has little grasp of the US Constitution. I doubt he can preserve, protect and defend it effectively.
run Joe run you'll get my vote sick of the establishment and being P.C. all the time...
Is there a national office of dogcatcher? He would lose to Sharron Angle.
Sheriff Joe would really shake things up in Washington because he could always be counted on to do the right thing vs the party thing or the lobbyist thing, or the easy thing, or the simple thing! Without even trying, he'd be a 100% better than what we are suffering under now!
Did anybody checked his numbers to start calling him that?
I don't know who he or she is, but "America's Toughest Sheriff" is definitely NOT Joe Arpaio.
Check how small or big is the percentage of crimes solved and of perpetrators that face a judge.
Check if he had really saved money for the county or had to cut expense after he managed to raise all the premiums, that the insurance company to which the county (or at least his department) has a contract with fines the county for, due to the results of his policies.
Then check how many people he killed that made the mistake of being honest, law-abiding and getting arrested under his policies...
Do some research about him (especially the official numbers that he is bound by law to provide to everybody to see)!!!
That's just what we need. A NUT in the white house.
Reminds me of Hitler's early days
We need more sheriffs like this man in our country.Illegal immigration has got to stop.Union bosses have abandoned their member's interest.
Heaven help us if this man runs for President. I've lived in AZ for over 30 yrs and can tell you that a President Arpaio would be akin to an Adolf Hitler. The only difference would be that instead of Jews being exterminated Arpaio would exterminate all Mexicans.
He has "passed" on running for Gov multiple times. He'll travel any distance to get in front of a camera. Pres? HaHaHaHaHaHaHa
Has Sheriff Joe read the Constitution lately?
Joe is my ex- boss and a good one I might add. He always did what he promised without being asked and I admire him for that but I don't know if running for President is what he really wants.
The Sheriff lacks the intelligence to be anything higher than Sheriff.
I do agree with his tough stand on law enforcement from providing essential food, shelter & clothing to inmates in his care. As well as his enforcement of U.S. immigration law pertaining to allegal alliens where the federal gov't has failed.
However I don't beleive he would have enough support to succeed in a run for president. If anything his possible candidacy would generate interest away from possible opposing candidates.
You got my vote Joe.
What a waste of time for all concerned.
What would we do if suddenly we had a true American with cajones, Joe Arpaio as the President of the United States? It boggles the mind to think that someone would actually enforce the laws in the United States. It seems like too mmuch of a stretch that we would have a president who would make hard decisions and fix this country. Please, please Joe Arpaio, run for president!.
way to go Mr. Joe.... You have my vote....
He should run. The more fanatic conservatives will vote for him and further break the Republican party into extreme factions for the primaries, and lead to resentment between them come the presidential election.
Palin should run, too.
Americans do love their reality TV.
As a black hispanic and a republican.i would proudly cast my vote for that great man.
Yeh, next elect a clown. When things get touch, just ride it out instead of finding people to blame.
Then the country goes down on the drain.
Anyone seriously entertaining this mans bid for any public office needs to seriously look at the Maricopa County sheriffs dept. treatment of prisoners. A well known fact to AR Media and public is its mistreatment of prisoners and "accidental" deaths of some of those who later were found to be incarcirated under mistaken identity. Americans didnt stand for mistreatment of foreigners in Guitanimo Bay yet we stand for it in our own prison system. The NAACA should look into it and at the very least make this mans treatment of prisoners known nationwide before he ends up Americas Hitler.
Is there no limit to this man's ego? He can't even pass muster on a local level, let alone a national or world stage.
Oh great! This is all America needs
If people who vote in Republican primaries want to make Joe Arpaio their candidate that's their business. Personally, I think they have a number of better candidates to choose from.
I grew up and lived in Phoenix all my life until I moved to CO last November and can tell you that Arpaio would get torn to shreds by the national media, notably for repeatedly abusing the power of his office and that of the Attorney General (Andrew Thomas) to file frivolous lawsuits against his political enemies.
Just what we need - a rootin' tootin' hillbilly running shop.
That would be a real feat once he is convicted of obstruction of justice. This guy abuses power at will and considers himself above the law. Come on America, this is not what we need as any kind of leader.