Exit Jon Kyl, Enter Jeff Flake

Slate ^ | February 10, 2010 | David Weigel

[Clintonfatigued]

A Kyl-less Arizona U.S. Senate race is a bit like the open race in Texas. There is a wide, deep bench of ambitious Republican talent -- John Shadegg, Jeff Flake, state legislators who have now run the place with supermajorities. So this is significant -- the Club for Growth is already urging Flake to make the race. (Conservative donors have, for years, floated the possibility of Flake challenging or replacing John McCain, who isn't up again until 2016.)

[Clintonfatigued]

A Jeff Flake candidacy would present conservatives with a dilemna of sorts. Flake is excellent on many issues and has been a leader on holding the line on tax increases and government spending. He’s also socially conservative, pro-life and pro-2nd Amendment. The problem is that he not good on border security and illegal aliens.

[umgud]

I hear Big Sis may make a run for this seat from the dem side. Some have speculated Gabriele Giffords could win this seat with a sympathy vote, keeping in mind, she’s somewhat of a moderate dem to begin with.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Jeff Flake — wonder if he is any relation to William J. Flake, the Mormon who opened the Snowflake settlement in July 1878.

[Lancey Howard]

keeping in mind, she’s somewhat of a moderate dem to begin with.

Don't buy that crap, not for a second.
I checked out her voting record and she's just another socialist Democrat scumbag.

[Clintonfatigued]

You make an interesting point. Flake is Mormon, so it’s possible.

[Clintonfatigued]

Follow-up, you’re right. William J. Flake is Jeff Flake’s great, great grandfather.

[SharpRightTurn]

Jeff Flake—”The problem is that he not good on border security and illegal aliens”.

Excellent point. NumbersUSA gives him only a C rating (voting only 46% correctly on immigrations issues). That’s pretty pathetic, especially for someone from a border state who should know better.

Obviously, this race is for AZ voters to decide, but as always outside money (like Club for Growth) will be coming in. I am not an Arizonan, but I contributed last year to the J.D. Hayworth, Jesse Kelly, and Ruth McClung campaigns.

I would not want to spend money on a contribution for someone with as poor an immigration record as Flake when I could use that money for contributions to a better candidate.

If we don’t do something about immigration soon, the demographics will lock conservatives into a permanent minority. Flake should know this.

[Frantzie]

Maybe Jesse Kelly should run. Utah stunned Bennett with conservatives booting him out in Utah. Napolitano would lose. Giffords might win - she is a lib.

[tennmountainman]

The first order of business in AZ is to close the primary.
Until that happens, don’t expect much.

[Clintonfatigued]

There is an up side to the Flake candidacy:

http://tucsoncitizen.com/three-sonorans/2011/02/13/russell-pearce-to-run-for-us-congress-if-jeff-flake-runs-for-kyls-us-senate-seat/

[fieldmarshaldj]

Very simple for me. No Flake.

[AuntB]

” Flake is excellent on many issues and has been a leader on holding the line on tax increases and government spending. He’s also socially conservative, pro-life and pro-2nd Amendment. The problem is that he not good on border security and illegal aliens.”

Good on government spending....I would agree to a point. Fiscal conservatism doesn’t include giving the country away financed by tax dollars to 20 plus million illegal aliens.

[Clintonfatigued]

I’d like to see Jan Brewer run, but there’s no evidence that she’s interested.

[Russ]

With the sympathy vote and the media drooling over her, Giffords would beat Barry Goldwater himself for the senate seat...

[UCFRoadWarrior]

John Flake is pro-Illegal/Anti-American....and in the past he had been working with Luis Guitterez (the Hispanic Racist rep from Illinois) to pass Illegal Alien Amnesty.

Obviously, the Club for Growth is also pro-Illegal/Anti-American...for even thinking about pushing Flake

We need our borders secure...and all Illegal Aliens DEPORTED. Supporting any politician or group that promotes Illegal Aliens is supporting Amnesty. A big hell no on Flake

[UCFRoadWarrior]

Jeff Flake...not John Flake. My bad.

[fieldmarshaldj]

She’s better off remaining Governor. I’m wondering if John Shadegg will have a go.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Goldwater was damaged goods by the time of his last term. He only barely edged a pro-life Democrat in 1980. But if being shot is a good political move, than George Wallace should’ve won the Presidential nomination back in 1972. We have no idea how impaired Giffords is. People forget, too, that she nearly lost reelection last November, winning with below 50% of the vote. Were it not for a Libertarian on the ballot, Republican Jesse Kelly would’ve beaten her.

I also saw a rumor today that Butch Napolitano may jump into the Senate race, so if both she and Giffords get in, it could get quite ugly on the Dem side. Despite the media falsehoods, Giffords is very liberal and well out of step with Arizona voters. The best move for her at this point is to resign from Congress and devote her time to recovery and spending time with her family.

[originalbuckeye]

Shadegg seems the logical choice out here. He was a popular Congressman and retired just in November. I wonder if he and Kyl had had conversations about the soon to be open Senate seat. BTW, Kyl didn't volunteer to be VP candidate. He was asked about it and he just didn't immediately say no. He would be a good National candidate. No apparent skeletons in his closet and he's a brilliant Constitutional scholar.