Jeff Flakes Lesson for Republicans: Cross Trump at Your Own Risk

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Before Bob Corker, there was Jeff Flake.

Mr. Flake, the even-tempered Republican senator from Arizona, has for months offered stinging critiques of President Trump’s character, demeanor and truthfulness — the same message forcefully echoed a week ago by Mr. Corker, a Republican colleague from Tennessee, who warned that Mr. Trump’s reckless behavior could lead to “World War III.”

But there is one crucial difference between the two: Mr. Flake, unlike Mr. Corker, is running for re-election. And now he finds himself in grave political peril.

Mr. Flake is perhaps the most endangered Senate Republican, with an approval rating in one recent poll of just 18 percent among Arizonans. Mr. Trump has savaged Mr. Flake as “toxic” and a “flake,” and has encouraged a primary challenge against him that has left the senator squeezed not only from the left but also the right.

His fate is an object lesson for other Republicans who might consider voicing dire thoughts about the president’s fitness: Cross Mr. Trump, and your political career could well be over.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/jeff-flake%e2%80%99s-lesson-for-republicans-cross-trump-at-your-own-risk/ar-AAtvzLq?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=edgsp

I guess Republicans are invertebrates.

[defacto7]

1. Catch 22

Support Mr. Trump, and your political career could well be over.

[sharedvalues]

2. Bullshit story. Look at Roy Moore.

Won despite Trump. This is a stupid story.

Trump doesn't control the racist, hateful base. The GOP built that hate, Trump rode it to election by saying out loud what most GOP only dogwhistled, and the hateful base still bows only to hate, not to Trump.

Candidates that hate blacks and gays and liberals and Hispanics and immigrants will get votes from the base no matter what Trump does. Flake dared vote for helping people with healthcare though the GOP media opposed it. Flake's issue that the GOP is insane. It's not Trump that is Flake's problem.

[maxrandb]

4. Arizona isn't Alabama

Hell, the Retrumplican candidate in Alabama could run in full KKK regalia and win by 10 points.

[dsc]

5. Trump didn't trash Moore

and Moore had many Trump supporters on his side since he didn't go after Trump either. Moore also has had a long career in Alabama and that career was geared toward an Alabama GOP electorate.

[sharedvalues]

8. Trump threw his support to Strange. And Strange lost

Then Trump deleted his tweets supporting Strange.

And many outlets reported Trump was outraged and weakened by backing Strange:

https://www.cnn.com/2017/09/27/politics/donald-trump-alabama-race-roy-moore/index.html

What ensued was a barrage of angry venting at his political team and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who had consolidated establishment GOP support behind Strange.
He went to bed "embarrassed and pissed" following the election loss, according to a person familiar with his mindset. Trump, multiple sources said, was furious with McConnell -- with whom he has openly feuded -- and feels outdone by his former aide Bannon.

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/10/donald-trump-is-unraveling-white-house-advisers

“I HATE EVERYONE IN THE WHITE HOUSE!”: TRUMP SEETHES AS ADVISERS FEAR THE PRESIDENT IS “UNRAVELING”
In recent days, I spoke with a half dozen prominent Republicans and Trump advisers, and they all describe a White House in crisis as advisers struggle to contain a president who seems to be increasingly unfocused and consumed by dark moods. Trump’s ire is being fueled by his stalled legislative agenda and, to a surprising degree, by his decision last month to back the losing candidate Luther Strange in the Alabama Republican primary. “Alabama was a huge blow to his psyche,” a person close to Trump said. “He saw the cult of personality was broken.”

[sharedvalues]

3. Oh and now Bannon's trying to steal the GOP hateful base

Bannon is trying to steal the hateful base the GOP created with lies over four decades, and turn the base against the GOP. Get your popcorn.

[Bradshaw3]

6. Don't count Flake out yet

Ward is generally seen as a nut; if there is another trumpista challenger they could split the vote. I think Sinema has a better chance against a trumpista than Flake so I hope he loses. As another said, Arizona is not Alabama. Either way she does stand a chance. I will certainly be working overtime for her.

[Downtown Hound]

7. Maybe the same ones should stop being Republicans.

There's a whole lotta Democratic voted they could get

[shanny]

9. They don't make tents that big.