SENATE LOSES A REAL “CAPITAL F” FLAKE; OTHER LOWER CASE FLAKES COULD FOLLOW? MAYBE SUSAN COLLINS? MURKOWSKI?
With the Corker also going maybe some real conservatives could save the Senate…and the nation
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Senator Jeff Flake, one of President Trump’s most vocal Republican critics in the Senate, has announced that he is not running for reelection.
The Arizona Republic broke the news, and Flake very directly makes it clear that he’s concerned about the state of the GOP:
He told The Arizona Republic ahead of his announcement that he has become convinced “there may not be a place for a Republican like me in the current Republican climate or the current Republican Party.”
Flake said he has not “soured on the Senate” and loves the institution, but that as a traditional, libertarian-leaning conservative Republican he is out of step with today’s Trump-dominated GOP.
“This spell will pass, but not by next year,” Flake said.
He added, “The path that I would have to travel to get the Republican nomination is a path I’m not willing to take, and that I can’t in good conscience take.”
This news comes just weeks after Bob Corker –– another strong Republican critic of the President’s –– announced he’s not running for reelection either. And after Corker went public with some of his tough talk about Trump earlier this month, Flake said a lot of Republicans
We really do not see this as impacting the Senate as both states were Trump states, if anything the developments can be seen to enhance prospects as dissatisfied Trump supporters might have stayed home. It is worth any risk and helps solidify dependability of the Republican party
“We really do not see this as impacting the Senate as both states were Trump states…”
I fear that I must slightly disagree with V’pac’s founder and Executive editor, Roger.
In my view the real damage to be done by these two ‘circus acts’ choosing to drop out of reelection campaigns is that no longer will they have to be ‘covert anti-conservative subversives’. When they were still considering seeking return to the senate, until it became obvious that GOP voters had seen through them and wanted nothing more to do with them, they had to pretend. Occasionally they might say something not totally critical of President Trump or the agenda the electorate voted for. They could even appear to support things like the “skinny bill” to limit Obamacare…knowing that McCain would happily cover for them.
Now they will feel free to openly, aggressively undermine the president and the agenda. We’ll see them regularly (well, actually not ‘see them’…who besides gullible liberals watches) on MSNBC, CBS, CNN, etc, etc. They will joyfully oppose any attempt to halt illegal migration, they’ll torpedo real tax reform, poison the political air with stuff like their “fears” of Trump possessing the nuclear codes, oppose Trump conservative nominees for courts and executive branch positions. and on and on. Remember, they’ll still be voting in the Senate on legislation for the next year!
While it is certainly ‘good riddance’ to these two, their would be successors will face tough campaigns as the Jonah Goldbergs, George Wills, Bret Stephenses, Shep Smiths, and Michael Medveds, and the other anti-Trump, anti-conservative establishment water-carriers will attack them more viciously than they ever would Democrat…ala Sarah Palin, et al candidates!