Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., announced Tuesday that he would not seek another term, explaining that he is unwilling to embrace the sort of Trumpian politics that he claims would be necessary to win re-election.
A day late and a dollar short, we say.
“Here’s the bottom line: 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,” the senator told the Arizona Republic. “It would require me to believe in positions I don’t hold on such issues as trade and immigration and it would require me to condone behavior that I cannot condone.”
Flake continued, saying he’s convinced there, “may not be a place for a Republican like me in the current Republican climate or the current Republican Party.”
“This spell will pass, but not by next year,” he added.
But there’s another option.
It’s not just a choice between leaving office and embracing Trumpism. Flake, who served in the House for seven terms before moving up to the Senate in 2012, could run on his principles, offering voters what he clearly thinks is a superior alternative to Trump-style politics.
The senator could stick to his beliefs and present his counterargument to the voters, leaving it up to them to decide which way they want their state to go. It doesn’t have to be a choice between retiring and converting. Flake always has the option of presenting his ideals and his values.
But he’s not doing that. Instead, he’s packing up and going home.
Flake reiterated his position that the current GOP base is resistant to good governance during a speech on the floor of the Senate Tuesday. He also took some additional shots at the president.
“Reckless, outrageous and undignified behavior has been excused as telling it like it is when it is actually reckless, outrageous and undignified,” the senator said. “When such behavior emanates from the top of our government, it is something else. It is dangerous to a democracy.”
“Such behavior does not project strength because our strength comes from our values. It, instead, projects a corruption of the spirit and weakness. It is often said children are watching. Well, they are. And what are we going to do about that? When the next generation asks us, why didn’t you do something? Why didn’t you speak up? What are we going to say?” he added.
Those are some juicy soundbites, but where was this passion back in 2015 and 2016 when Trump was marching to the party’s nomination? Talk about a delayed reaction. Also, it says a lot about the senator that he’s speaking up only now that he is no longer seeking re-election.
Flake has been hurting in the polls for a while now. He has been in the U.S. Senate for only one term, and his return has been anything but a sure thing.
It’s worth noting that up until now, Flake has enjoyed electoral success at pretty much every turn. His many House bids were successful, and his bids for other public offices were also victorious. Were he to stick it out this year and lose re-election to his challenger, Kelli Ward, the defeat would be the first of its kind for Flake.
Perhaps he has decided it’s better to bow out now and blame Trump and the current state of the GOP than suffer defeat at the hands of a populist upstart. At least this way Flake gets to cast himself as some sort of tragic hero and reap the benefits of glowing praise from a press eager for any criticism of the president and his base.
It’s entirely possible that the senator, who has been a frequent and vocal critic of President Trump, has decided it’s better to fade away than burn out. If that’s the case, it would certainly explain why he is retiring rather than running on his principles and values.
Brave indeed.
