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Jeff Flake goes public with his vote for Biden: (Original Post) tblue37 Oct 2020 OP
Wish he'd done more earlier... But still. sweetloukillbot Oct 2020 #1
If so, that could help in Arizona and Nevada karynnj Oct 2020 #11
Certainly better than mittens announcing that in this great battle against evil... Salviati Oct 2020 #21
Jeff Who? NonPC Oct 2020 #27
Look him up DownriverDem Oct 2020 #40
Cabinet post dreaming? Chipper Chat Oct 2020 #2
HAHAHAHA! lagomorph777 Oct 2020 #3
Obama had a few GOP members on staff at various times. TwilightZone Oct 2020 #8
No. Fuck Republicans. n/t theaocp Oct 2020 #35
I could see Kasich or Flake or another Republican like that in a cabinet post AdamGG Oct 2020 #20
Qualifications? NonPC Oct 2020 #30
No. Fuck Republicans. n/t theaocp Oct 2020 #36
Not sure about Flake's qualifications, but Kasich or Mass. Gov. Charlie Baker AdamGG Oct 2020 #50
Flake's fake "concern stall" over his Kavanaugh vote rates him oasis Oct 2020 #34
That's exactly why he's so showy about his vote Politicub Oct 2020 #39
Feh. TlalocW Oct 2020 #4
The Kasich/Romney wing n/m NorthOf270 Oct 2020 #12
A Flake presidential run? Wednesdays Oct 2020 #16
I think he'd have to change his last name. luvtheGWN Oct 2020 #18
Depends on the results of this election, really HermitageHermit Oct 2020 #47
I think there's a good chance. I'm not saying he'll do well but I think he'll run... TlalocW Oct 2020 #51
Have to give credit when it's due. Baked Potato Oct 2020 #5
If there were more Republicans like Flake, we could probably have a functioning Congress. TwilightZone Oct 2020 #6
No. Fuck Republicans. theaocp Oct 2020 #37
Not necessarily. TwilightZone Oct 2020 #48
Purity hasn't been tried yet. theaocp Oct 2020 #49
Thank you Jeff Flake. BlueNProud Oct 2020 #7
Flake was a weakling on everything important, but this did take some guts. madaboutharry Oct 2020 #9
What took him so long? calimary Oct 2020 #13
They are weak. madaboutharry Oct 2020 #23
He made a good speech on this topic on the floor of the Senate greenjar_01 Oct 2020 #28
Did he get confronted in an elevator? NorthOf270 Oct 2020 #10
That's good, I guess. Hey, Flake, thanks for Gorsuch and Kavanaugh. catbyte Oct 2020 #14
How brave Tribetime Oct 2020 #15
A regular Profile in Courage, that one is Dream Girl Oct 2020 #19
Where were you when we needed you? icwlmuscyia Oct 2020 #17
"moral values and integrity are things we cannot put aside" LiberalLovinLug Oct 2020 #22
Earlier ? Gilbert Moore Oct 2020 #24
He's a weak fish, but I never thought him crazy, nice of him to go publicly sane /nt bucolic_frolic Oct 2020 #25
Such a maverick IronLionZion Oct 2020 #26
Unfortunately republicans are only and I mean ONLY admirable after they're out of office ffr Oct 2020 #29
Better musclecar6 Oct 2020 #31
"FLAKE" is the perfect name for this spineless coward. AZ8theist Oct 2020 #32
Nicely timed. OnDoutside Oct 2020 #33
Jeff who? dlk Oct 2020 #38
How did you vote on the down ballot? Do you have any allegience? Are you faithful to any ideology? Earthshine2 Oct 2020 #41
Flake... llmart Oct 2020 #42
How did he vote on Kavanaugh? Orrex Oct 2020 #43
He basically was shamed by the two women on the elevator NorthOf270 Oct 2020 #45
Voted 100% in support of Big Business, 100% in favor of taxing the middle class. klook Oct 2020 #44
NcConnell keeps spines in a locked closet. JohnnyRingo Oct 2020 #46

sweetloukillbot

(10,788 posts)
1. Wish he'd done more earlier... But still.
Wed Oct 28, 2020, 01:55 PM
Oct 2020

I wonder if this will have any impact on the Mormon vote in the state. I know Trump's team has been pretty desperately courting the Mormons for the past couple months.

karynnj

(59,474 posts)
11. If so, that could help in Arizona and Nevada
Wed Oct 28, 2020, 02:14 PM
Oct 2020

I can not imagine that Utah could be in play (or Idaho).

Salviati

(6,002 posts)
21. Certainly better than mittens announcing that in this great battle against evil...
Wed Oct 28, 2020, 02:39 PM
Oct 2020

... he had voted "present"

NonPC

(269 posts)
27. Jeff Who?
Wed Oct 28, 2020, 03:07 PM
Oct 2020

As an Arizonian, I find it comical that people outside of Arizona even know of this guy. He did absolutely nothing in office. I doubt that his own family listens to him -- let alone the Mormon church members.

Jeff Flake and Dan Quale -- nice looking empty suits. Martha McSally -- empty headed Trumper.

Ready for another true AZ Senator -- Mark Kelly.

DownriverDem

(6,205 posts)
40. Look him up
Wed Oct 28, 2020, 03:51 PM
Oct 2020

Yes he's a repub, but a fiscal repub. We don't have to agree with him, but he's not an empty suit. He's regularly on CBS and a critic of trump. We all know these aren't normal times. To defeat trump we need as much help as we can get.

TwilightZone

(25,342 posts)
8. Obama had a few GOP members on staff at various times.
Wed Oct 28, 2020, 02:03 PM
Oct 2020

Pretty much every president in memory has had members of the opposing party either in the cabinet or as ambassadors, etc.

In that context, Biden could do a lot worse than Flake. If exit polls show that independents went heavily for Biden and/or there was significant GOP crossover, putting someone like Flake in a position is a good political move for 2022 and beyond.

AdamGG

(1,275 posts)
20. I could see Kasich or Flake or another Republican like that in a cabinet post
Wed Oct 28, 2020, 02:39 PM
Oct 2020

Obama had Jon Huntsman as Ambassador to China and a Republican as Secretary of Defense. Clinton had William Cohen and a couple others. It's smart politics to to coopt some of the other side.

NonPC

(269 posts)
30. Qualifications?
Wed Oct 28, 2020, 03:10 PM
Oct 2020

Yeah, Jeff Flake brings a 1000 watt smile to the party -- and nothing else. There are qualified Republicans who could serve in the cabinet -- Jeff is not one of them. A 2024 Presidential bid -- yeah right.

AdamGG

(1,275 posts)
50. Not sure about Flake's qualifications, but Kasich or Mass. Gov. Charlie Baker
Thu Oct 29, 2020, 01:11 AM
Oct 2020

I don't know that much about Flake, but someone like Kasich or Charlie Baker who is centrist and has competent executive experience would be a shrewd political move. Co-opt some sane Republicans and let the GOP stay the party of Qanon, militia members and hardcore evangelicals and we can maybe hold onto the House/Senate a lot longer than we did after 2008.

Politicub

(12,163 posts)
39. That's exactly why he's so showy about his vote
Wed Oct 28, 2020, 03:40 PM
Oct 2020

Is he influential in any way? Like are there people sitting around who will see this and say, “Shiver me timbers. If Biden is good enough for Jeff Flake, he’s good enough for me.”

It makes me ill to think of a republican getting a seat as important as one on the cabinet.

TlalocW

(15,358 posts)
4. Feh.
Wed Oct 28, 2020, 01:57 PM
Oct 2020

I think Flake is setting himself up for a presidential run in 2024. No matter who wins - though he actually seems to be coming down on Biden's side, which is surprising that he would even tell us that - he's going to present himself as a return to normalcy for the GOP. Part of his schitck before biting Susan Collins upon leaving the Senate (passing along his were-Jeffism to her) was pretending to be someone who considered bipartisanship and would "listen" to the other side, especially when Kavanaugh was being confirmed, before returning to type and doing whatever McConnell said like a good puppy.

TlalocW

HermitageHermit

(42 posts)
47. Depends on the results of this election, really
Wed Oct 28, 2020, 04:45 PM
Oct 2020

If there is a Democratic victory next week, Trump and his base will be repudiated from the party.

Should cause the ascendancy of the Flake-Kasich-Romney wing of the Republican Party to reassert control over the party machinery and be able to get their man the nomination. Although Flake's name really doesn't do that much for him, he does look like someone who could play the role of President in a Hollywood production.

TlalocW

(15,358 posts)
51. I think there's a good chance. I'm not saying he'll do well but I think he'll run...
Thu Oct 29, 2020, 02:34 AM
Oct 2020

Generic good-looking guy. Only served one term, leaving in 2019, which sets him up, like I said, for a presidential run in 2024, where no matter who wins in 2020, he can set himself up as the return-to-normalcy candidate for the republicans. Also allows him to be an outsider of sorts. Always made a big deal about appearing bipartisan, which we all know is bullshit but will play well in Peoria.

Kind of without a personality as well. I just think he'll fit right in with the Romneys/Rubios/Jebs of the party.

TlalocW

TwilightZone

(25,342 posts)
6. If there were more Republicans like Flake, we could probably have a functioning Congress.
Wed Oct 28, 2020, 01:58 PM
Oct 2020

Of course, he's not even in Congress anymore.

TwilightZone

(25,342 posts)
48. Not necessarily.
Wed Oct 28, 2020, 05:24 PM
Oct 2020

A not-insignificant segment of the voting public *wants* some level of bipartisanship. Not everyone is a rabid partisan like we are.

But, hey, purity and animosity have worked out so well for us in the past so let's go back to that.

madaboutharry

(40,149 posts)
9. Flake was a weakling on everything important, but this did take some guts.
Wed Oct 28, 2020, 02:03 PM
Oct 2020

Giving credit where it is due.

calimary

(80,693 posts)
13. What took him so long?
Wed Oct 28, 2020, 02:29 PM
Oct 2020

That’ll always be my reaction to folks like Jeff Flake.

Flaked out on America til it was LONG past too late.

But, I guess, better late than never.

madaboutharry

(40,149 posts)
23. They are weak.
Wed Oct 28, 2020, 02:43 PM
Oct 2020

People like Flake don’t have courage. It takes them coming to a point of unbearable self- loathing to take action.

He probably could not look himself in the mirror. And maybe he plans to be a part of whatever new Conservative party emerges after the Republican Party is declared DOA.

LiberalLovinLug

(14,153 posts)
22. "moral values and integrity are things we cannot put aside"
Wed Oct 28, 2020, 02:42 PM
Oct 2020

Um yes they are.

40% of Americans will do just that.

Gilbert Moore

(217 posts)
24. Earlier ?
Wed Oct 28, 2020, 02:46 PM
Oct 2020

Me thinks all of these endorsements are scheduled with release dates by Team Joe so that everybody doesn't do there own thing and endorse the same day.

Glad he did this !

ffr

(22,644 posts)
29. Unfortunately republicans are only and I mean ONLY admirable after they're out of office
Wed Oct 28, 2020, 03:09 PM
Oct 2020

Otherwise they're just drones doing what they're told by their masters.

Earthshine2

(3,848 posts)
41. How did you vote on the down ballot? Do you have any allegience? Are you faithful to any ideology?
Wed Oct 28, 2020, 03:53 PM
Oct 2020

Or are you just a flexible Flake?

This guy would not be making this announcement if he expected Trump to win a second term.

We'll see other republicans jump ship just to be with the winner. F*ck 'em. Know your enemies; know your allies.

Orrex

(63,084 posts)
43. How did he vote on Kavanaugh?
Wed Oct 28, 2020, 04:17 PM
Oct 2020
Oh, right.

I have absolutely no respect for these career lock-steppers who suddenly find their spines once they're no longer in a position to rein in their vile party's systemic corruption.

Good for Jeffy casting the obviously correct vote. He deserves no more praise than any other private citizen, and arguably less than that because he wore the "voice of reason" mask while rubber-stamping everything his owners wanted.
 

NorthOf270

(290 posts)
45. He basically was shamed by the two women on the elevator
Wed Oct 28, 2020, 04:34 PM
Oct 2020

Cried about the optics, delayed the hearings for a week and voted for the rapist anyway. And he wasn’t even running again.

klook

(12,134 posts)
44. Voted 100% in support of Big Business, 100% in favor of taxing the middle class.
Wed Oct 28, 2020, 04:33 PM
Oct 2020

Supported LBGT rights 37% of the time, women's rights 31% of the time. Supported labor rights and wages 11% of the time, taxing the wealthy 0% of the time, restricting money in politics 0% of the time, financial sector regulation 0% of the time, gun control 0% of the time, internet freedom 0% of the time, environmental protection 0% of the time. Oh yeah, also consistently voted against public health care.

(Sources: politicsthatwork.com, ballotpedia.org.)

Flake voted with Trump 92% of the time. (Source: Axios)

Yeah, he's just the kind of guy we need to boost Biden's "reaching across the aisle" cred.

JohnnyRingo

(18,581 posts)
46. NcConnell keeps spines in a locked closet.
Wed Oct 28, 2020, 04:45 PM
Oct 2020

When they leave office he gives them back along with their balls.
Ask Joe Walsh.

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