Flake: Can't See Myself Voting for Trump

The Mohave Valley Daily News ^ | September 2, 2016 | Neil Young

[Hildy]

BULLHEAD CITY — Arizona U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake says he still has issues with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and is unlikely to vote for him.

Flake, in Bullhead City on Wednesday, gave an exclusive interview to the Mohave Valley Daily News. “I’m not part of the ‘never Trump’ movement. I want to be able to vote for him, but I can’t see myself doing that, unless he changes the positions he’s taken and the language he’s used,” Flake said. “I don’t think he can win the presidency and if he doesn’t change the way he’s campaigned, I don’t think he should.” Flake said he strongly disagrees with Trump’s positions on trade. Flake said he supports the North American Free Trade Agreement, which Trump calls “the worst trade deal in history.”

Flake said he also favors the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, which Trump has said will hurt American workers.

Flake said he supports accepting refugees from war-torn Mideast countries if properly vetted, while Trump has said the program of accepting Syrian refugees should be suspended.

Republicans who are not supporting Trump — or who are reluctant to — are facing sharp criticism from Trump supporters who said those Republicans are helping to defeat Trump.

Flake disagrees.

“I say exactly what I said to Donald Trump himself ... every Republican in Arizona could line up behind him and unify and it wouldn’t be enough,” he said. “We’ve got to persuade swing voters, independents, who, until a couple of months ago, outnumbered Republicans in the state. And he seems to be going out of his way to offend just about every swing voter out there. “ “And I see much more damage done to the (Republican) party and to the conservative movement by unifying, if you will, behind that intolerant message that he has that will impact not just this election but future elections as well.”

During the primary season, Flake favored presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida.

“I think if Marco was on the ballot now, we’d be running away with it. Hillary Clinton, her unpopularity is hitting new highs if it weren’t for Donald Trump. I’m really chagrined,” Flake said. “With Trump, I think those of us in the Republican Party who think he ought to run differently, we ought to tell him so. He’s unlikely to change if we’re telling him, ‘You’ve got to change.’ He’s certain not to change if we all say, ‘We’re behind you. We agree with you,’ ” Flake said.

Flake said he is especially concerned about polls that show younger voters overwhelmingly favor Clinton over Trump.

“Put another way, only one in five voters under age 35 is planning to pull the Republican lever and we consign ourselves to oblivion as a party if we latch onto that Trump message that is just repulsive to most young people. People will sometimes break their pattern of voting in later years but in general people tend to stick with how they first vote. That’s really death to us as a party,” Flake said.

Asked whether or not he thinks the Republican Party can maintain its control over the Senate, Flake quoted analysts who have said if the election were held today, the Democrats have a 60 percent chance of taking the Senate. Republicans hold 54 seats in the 100-seat chamber, but their seats in at least six states are vulnerable.

“So, I’m glad the election isn’t today. And I would expect a lot of Republicans, between now and November, will distance themselves from Donald Trump,” Flake said. “You’ll see a lot of advertising kind of in the name of checks and balances: You’re going to have a Democrat in the White House, you’ve got to have a Republican Senate to check that. That’s what we did in ‘96 when Dole was the candidate (running against President Bill Clinton). Everybody knew that he probably wasn’t going to win ... and we picked up three seats in the Senate that year. So I do think that we can maintain (a majority) but if we all adopt the Trumpian message I think we’ve lost hope,” he said.

Flake said he does not believe the Republican control of the House of Representatives is in jeopardy but he does think the party will lose some House seats. Regarding whether he will vote for Trump, Flake said, “I hope to be able to, but I’m losing hope that he’s going to change.”

Flake is serving in his first term as senator. He faces re-election in 2018.

[Hildy]

I want all Republicans in Arizona to remember this in two years when Senator Flake is up for re-election.

[DoughtyOne]

If FReepers would join me by sending an additional 10% of what they have already donated this FReep-a-thon, we would end the FReep-a-thon today

How about it FReepers?  Do you have a few minutes to spare?


We're getting close folks.  Lets put this FReep-a-thon out of its misery.  ":^)



Free Republic, the Home of the Eternal FReeper, Conservatism's Finest  (timely thoughts on the FReeper dynamic and Free Republic)

Ramirez's latest political cartoon LARGE VERSION 09/02/2016: LINK  LINK to regular sized version of Ramirez's latest, and an archive of his political cartoons.  Read his thoughts on Colin Kaepernick sitting down, use right link.
In this political cartoon, Ramirez presents, "...Labor Day..."

Please join the monthlies, an automated way to help support Free Republic.

If you are not opting to join the automated monthly support program, please consider joining the One One Done project.  LINK

FReepers, 93.67% of the Third Quarter FReep-a-thon goal has been met.  Click above and pencil in your donation now.  Please folks, lets end this FReepathon.  Thank you!
...this is a general all-purpose message, and should not be seen as targeting any individual I am responding to...

[miss marmelstein]

Do Republicans in Arizona LIKE illegals? They certainly vote that way.

[TheDon]

Two bad Senators in Arizona.
California must be rubbing off on Arizona.

[albie]

I remember liking Flake at one time. He just keeps saying stupid shiite.

[euram]

what do you expect from a flake?

[dp0622]

ARE YOU KIDDING?!?!?!?!

Didn’t mccain just win the primary?

Come on, man.

[vette6387]

Another Mormon “Hump!”

[A_Former_Democrat]

They didn’t remember about McLame

[ClearCase_guy]

Flake is serving in his first final term as senator.

Fixed it.

[Arthur McGowan]

Oh, yes. Hillary is so much better than Trump, morally, ethically, intellectually.

[apocalypto]

Flake is no Republican. He pretended to be one and sprouted certain slogans that made he appear like one. Probably has been a Hillary Democrat all along but felt he had a better chance of winning if he ran as a Republican. And then hope to undermine the GOP.

[rockinqsranch]

Yeah, but our “BAD” Senators are Democrats.

[Lurkinanloomin]

Arizona voters love their Cheap Labor Express stooges just like South Carolina.

Voting for Senators and Congressmen who side with illegal aliens and their employers against the citizens and the rule of law has become a way of life.

[IVAXMAN]

Most Mormons are teaming against Trump. I will not be voting for another Mormon in any political race.

[Lurkinanloomin]

He was a Cheap Labor Express stooge when he was in the House.
They have no excuses.

[Jim Robinson]

By a strange coincidence, I can’t see anyone voting for Flake.

[Migraine]

This guy is vomit. How does he dare vote for the criminal? Maybe he’s one, too.

[LegendHasIt]

Shocking that an Open Borders Establishmentarian Chamber of Commerce Globalist Whore would prefer Hillary Clinton to Donald Trump.

[mistfree]

OK Flake tell me how you will vote for a brain damaged felon instead. I can’t wait to hear.