Kelli Ward has announced that she’s challenging incumbent Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., in the Republican primary for next year’s Arizona Senate election.
Ward has at least one significant supporter.
That tweet was the second criticism from President Trump of a Republican senator on Thursday. Earlier in the morning the president attacked Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
To be fair to Ward, her stated principles on the importance of education and national security are far more impressive than those of most Tea Party candidates. And as a doctor, Ward clearly has a good number of brain cells.
Unfortunately, that’s about all the nice things I have to say about Kelli Ward.
She doesn’t seem to be actually wed to any principles beyond subservience to Trump. Almost to a rule, her campaign platform is defined by attestations of support for Trump and his policies.
Conversely, Flake (in spite of his last name) has proven conservative credentials and a character that yields towards the national interest rather than Trump’s interest. For example, in his new book, Consicence of a Conservative, Flake outlines the need for entitlement reform. Doing so, he bucks Trump Republicans who play to the easy lie that the budget can be balanced by cutting foreign aid spending (yes, I’m passionate about this issue). Flake’s stand makes him more conservative and more necessary than ever.
Conversely, when she’s not attacking a great patriot, Sen. John McCain, for his brain cancer, Ward is engaged in weirdo scaremongering. For example, in a July Facebook live discussion, Ward remarked, “We are going to fight the Muslim Brotherhood, we are going to expose them that they are a part of a wide-ranging terrorist organization.”
Let’s be clear, the Muslim Brotherhood is not a pleasant organization, but nor is it a mortal, imminent threat to the people of Arizona or the United States. Again, the contrast between Flake and Ward here is significant. Where Ward searches for demons in the shadows, Flake takes a stand for common dignity and respect. Whether in Michigan or Arizona, the current Republican Party has too much of the former and far too little of the latter.
Ultimately, all this means that there’s only one conservative candidate in the race.
It ain’t Kelli Ward.
