BREAKING: Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) announces he will not run again...

[ABikerSailor]

You know, one of the main things that the GOP has been running on was that they were going to get rid of Obamacare, and they have promised that for several years now, and nothing has been done about it yet.

That is gonna piss off the base if they don't get it done by the next elections, and yeah, disgruntled GOP voters are either going to stay home, or vote for someone else.

Combine that with how Trump has managed to divide the GOP, and yeah, I kinda think that it's about time for the pendulum to swing to the other side.

When Obama was in office, you had an enemy to point to. Now that he's gone? You conservatives have started to eat your own.

 

[Lastamender]

The Senate just became one step easier for the Democrats.

Nothing is easy for them.

 

[eddiew37]

Flake went on to warn his colleagues, and the country, that failing to stand up to Trump could spell disaster for the nation.

Here are the highlights:

• "It is time for our complicity and our accommodation of the unacceptable to end."
• "We must never regard as 'normal' the regular and casual undermining of our democratic norms and ideals. We must never meekly accept the daily sundering of our country — the personal attacks, the threats against principles, freedoms, and institutions, the flagrant disregard for truth or decency, the reckless provocations, most often for the pettiest and most personal reasons."
• "With respect and humility, I must say that we have fooled ourselves for long enough that a pivot to governing is right around the corner, a return to civility and stability right behind it. We know better than that. By now, we all know better than that."
• "The notion that one should stay silent as the norms and values that keep America strong are undermined and as the alliances and agreements that ensure the stability of the entire world are routinely threatened by the level of thought that goes into 140 characters — the notion that one should say and do nothing in the face of such mercurial behavior is ahistoric and, I believe, profoundly misguided."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Flake's fellow Arizona senator, John McCain, both praised the senator's service to the country and his "high-minded ideals" following his speech.

"I have seen Jeff Flake stand up for what he believes in knowing full well that there would be a political price to pay," McCain said.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Flake and Corker and others are and will let the far right have the nominations, then sit back and watch the Alt Right GOP in the Senate crash and burn next year.

Bannon is a boozer and a loser, and his strategy next year will result in a Dem Senate.

Sounds like a repeat of 2016

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Adios, Floyd!

 

[tinydancer]

You know, one of the main things that the GOP has been running on was that they were going to get rid of Obamacare, and they have promised that for several years now, and nothing has been done about it yet.

That is gonna piss off the base if they don't get it done by the next elections, and yeah, disgruntled GOP voters are either going to stay home, or vote for someone else.

Combine that with how Trump has managed to divide the GOP, and yeah, I kinda think that it's about time for the pendulum to swing to the other side.

When Obama was in office, you had an enemy to point to. Now that he's gone? You conservatives have started to eat your own.

Ah but with all due respect I disagree. Conservatives aren't eating conservatives. They've declared political jihad on RINO's. It's really quite that simple.

 

[basquebromance]

"I'd rather have 40 Roy Moores than 60 Jeff Flakes in the Senate!" - Crazy Steve Bannon

 

[Zander]

Here is the takeaway for all Republican poiticians - If you run as a conservative, you better act like a conservative when it comes time to vote. If you don't, you'll be joining Corker and Flake in the private sector.

Good riddance!

 

[theDoctorisIn]

You know, one of the main things that the GOP has been running on was that they were going to get rid of Obamacare, and they have promised that for several years now, and nothing has been done about it yet.

That is gonna piss off the base if they don't get it done by the next elections, and yeah, disgruntled GOP voters are either going to stay home, or vote for someone else.

Combine that with how Trump has managed to divide the GOP, and yeah, I kinda think that it's about time for the pendulum to swing to the other side.

When Obama was in office, you had an enemy to point to. Now that he's gone? You conservatives have started to eat your own.

Ah but with all due respect I disagree. Conservatives aren't eating conservatives. They've declared political jihad on RINO's. It's really quite that simple.

The post you responded to does not contain the word "conservative".

Republicans are eating republicans. They are making the "big tent" smaller, and excluding more and more people.

Is shrinking your base a winning election strategy?

 

[Missourian]

I have no doubt that Flake and Corker have decided not to run for reelection because they're worried about being primaried. That's not the real issue here.

Ward will almost certainly lose the general. Flake, if he ran again, would almost certainly win.

It is the only issue here. Opposition to Trumps agenda is now the kiss of political death for incumbent Republicans...that is far mord important than whether Dems get a pick up or not in Arizona. You need to think more strategically and less tactically.
You're going to lose some skirmishes on the way to laying claim to the battlefield. I'm not conceding Arizona...in all honesty I don't follow state level politics in any state other than my own. Trump is solidifying his power over the political fortunes of these political insiders...and that is more important than individual races.

You've got that flipped around. You're thinking tactically, not strategically. Ideological purity within the Republican Party is meaningless if they lose control.

There is a large portion of the Republican voting base that feels the same was as Flake and Corker. Those people aren't going to vote for Ward in Arizona, they're going to stay home.

That's the biggest issue with the way you guys regard Trump. You mistake a perfect storm for a tidal change.

Trump won AZ over Hillary. Sure, Dems can get a DINO elected...but then they are in the same boat with some bozo working against them.

Republicans may lose AZ, but if the return is. Passing the Trump Agenda, it is a well placed sacrifice. Lose AZ, pick up MO...think McCaskill has a chance? It would take an Akin...but I'm hopeful that won't happen again. And it's a wash...Republicans keep control. Dems are in a Senate hole in 2018...one pick up for them will be inconsequential.

Remember back when Missouri was a purple state?

'What the hell happened' in Missouri? The evolution of a newly minted Red State

 

[basquebromance]

“Quel scandale! Globalist as opposed to what, exactly? A provincialist? A parochialist? .??.??. f we don’t trade, we don’t grow. Given the alternatives, I’ll take the globalist moniker, thank you.” - Crooked Jeff Flake, after being accused of palling around with globalists in Paris

 

[Timmy]

Flake doesn't make sense . He needs to quit the senate so he can speak out !? As a senator he has the pulpit to say whatever !

 

[Zander]

You know, one of the main things that the GOP has been running on was that they were going to get rid of Obamacare, and they have promised that for several years now, and nothing has been done about it yet.

That is gonna piss off the base if they don't get it done by the next elections, and yeah, disgruntled GOP voters are either going to stay home, or vote for someone else.

Combine that with how Trump has managed to divide the GOP, and yeah, I kinda think that it's about time for the pendulum to swing to the other side.

When Obama was in office, you had an enemy to point to. Now that he's gone? You conservatives have started to eat your own.

Ah but with all due respect I disagree. Conservatives aren't eating conservatives. They've declared political jihad on RINO's. It's really quite that simple.

The post you responded to does not contain the word "conservative".

Republicans are eating republicans. They are making the "big tent" smaller, and excluding more and more people.

Is shrinking your base a winning election strategy?

Oh, I don't know? Has it been working? Let's see....Republicans control:

The House
The Senate
The Executive branch
Majority of State houses
31 of 50 Governors.

Yeah, it's working.

 

[basquebromance]

"There have been countless number of speeches delivered in The Senate & House. @JeffFlake 's speech will go down as one of the most historic." - CNN's Ana Navarro

lol, no it won't!

 

[Zander]

Flake doesn't make sense . He needs to quit the senate so he can speak out !? As a senator he has the pulpit to say whatever !

He's not quitting, he's being run out on a rail. He can't win the primary.

 

[Manonthestreet]

Seeyabye

 

[eddiew37]

Adios, Floyd!

damn shame Even the republicans that have a heart have empathy have a clue ??? are going south

 

[ABikerSailor]

You know, one of the main things that the GOP has been running on was that they were going to get rid of Obamacare, and they have promised that for several years now, and nothing has been done about it yet.

That is gonna piss off the base if they don't get it done by the next elections, and yeah, disgruntled GOP voters are either going to stay home, or vote for someone else.

Combine that with how Trump has managed to divide the GOP, and yeah, I kinda think that it's about time for the pendulum to swing to the other side.

When Obama was in office, you had an enemy to point to. Now that he's gone? You conservatives have started to eat your own.

Ah but with all due respect I disagree. Conservatives aren't eating conservatives. They've declared political jihad on RINO's. It's really quite that simple.

The post you responded to does not contain the word "conservative".

Republicans are eating republicans. They are making the "big tent" smaller, and excluding more and more people.

Is shrinking your base a winning election strategy?

Oh, I don't know? Has it been working? Let's see....Republicans control:

The House
The Senate
The Executive branch
Majority of State houses
31 of 50 Governors.

Yeah, it's working.

You mean it USED to work. But that was when you had Obama to scare and upset your base with.

Hate to tell you..............but Obama is no longer there to point to as a bogeyman. And, because the GOP hasn't figured out how to do anything other than blow out more and more flaming rhetoric, they don't know how to work with anybody any more, and as a result, they are now turning on themselves.

Sure...............lets see what 2018 brings.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Trump is making good on his promise to deStarkify the Republican party

 

[basquebromance]

Flake can't understand or accept why nobody likes him! and why everyone loves Trump..!