Katie Hobbs got salty (if only on Twitter) and sent Kari Lake into a tizzy

Katie Hobbs, the Democratic candidate for Arizona’s governor, is running as the grown-up in the room, one of the reasons she decided not to share a debate stage with Republican Kari Lake.

But the political arena, which has never been a field of honor, is even less so in the year 2022, particularly when you factor in the mud wrestling pit that is social media.

Hobbs tends to avoid the muck her opponent wallows in.

But every now and then she slips on the galoshes and kicks up a little sludge ... and my, my, my how the opposition squeals.

It’s bizarre, actually.

You’d think they’d be accustomed to the mire.

Hobbs tweets about the My Pillow guy's phone

Earlier this week Hobbs’ Twitter account got a little salty after news broke that the My Pillow guy, Mike Lindell, a full-time election conspiracy kook, had his phone confiscated by the FBI, which apparently is investigating a possible election security breach in Colorado having to do with individuals (like those here in Arizona) who tried to overturn valid election results.

Kari Lake, a promoter of the Big Lie, has been in the company of Lindell.

When a news article was published about Lindell, and the FBI, and the phone, Hobbs retweeted it with a photo of Lindell taking a selfie with Lake under the comment, “You mean this phone?”

It’s more funny than biting, even playful, but it seemed to leave a mark.

Lake, by way of her Kari Lake War Room responded with a tweet reading, “@katiehobbs celebrates the Biden administration’s continued political persecution of America First Patriots. Katie is on record saying that ALL #MAGA Republicans are Neo-Nazis. Is this what she has in store for us if she ever gains power?”

America First Patriots?

You mean those who spread lies about election fraud, which eventually led to an assault on the U.S. Capitol, which caused both death and destruction, and which has been followed by the arrests of more than 900 individuals with charges ranging from trespass all the way up to seditious conspiracy by members of the Oath Keepers?

Lake's pal, the Oath Keeper, weighs in

Two “proud” members the Oath Keepers, by the way, are state Sen. Wendy Rogers and secretary of state candidate Mark Finchem, who also are prominent Lake supporters.

Finchem also apparently was stung by Hobbs’ tweet. He responded in kind, tweeting, “Completely uncalled for by a lawless politician.”

That comment is actually funny, coming as it does from someone who was in Washington on the day of the insurrection, and in the mob, though he says he never breached the Capitol.

This also comes from a guy who is now saying that former Vice President Mike Pence staged a coup against Donald Trump. (The Jan. 6 mob was chanting, “Hang Mike Pence.”)

More from Montini: Lake compares herself to Jesus, then goes anti-Christ

So, did Finchem agree with them?

This also comes from a guy who sends out cloaked antisemitic tropes on Twitter, as he did recently, saying, “Democrat politicians on the ballot in Arizona are liars and deceivers. They want total control over you and our state. Their loyalty is to George Soros and Mike Bloomberg. They want Arizona to be like California. Do not be deceived.”

What is not particularly deceptive is Finchem’s grotesque, ham-handed assertion that Democratic politicians he calls “liars and deceivers” are under the command of rich Jews.

They can dish it out, but they can't take it

The same sick tropes – the same sick beliefs – are shared by Lake’s other political ally, Wendy Rogers, who called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “globalist puppet” of Soros and who also shared a picture on social media of herself next to a dead rhino branded with a Star of David.

These are Kari Lake’s friends. This IS Kari Lake. And Rogers. And Finchem.

Each of whom constantly talks tough. All of whom got their knickers in a twist when Hobbs on Twitter posted a photo of Lake and Lindell and the simple observation, “You mean this phone?”

Well, you know what they say.

They can dish it out but – even if it’s only a tweet – they can’t take it.

Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.

For more opinions content, please subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Katie Hobbs' salty tweet sends Kari Lake, Mark Finchem into a tizzy