Soft spoken, thoughtful and a principled leader were words that were sometimes used to describe Arizona Senator Jeff Flake. As a congressman, Flake built a reputation as a fiscally conservative republican, free market activist and a representative who was watery on immigration enforcement. Although most Arizonans did not stand with the Senator with regards to his position on immigration, his reputation as a fiscal conservative offered the general voting public definition and a path to what some would constitute his values and principles. Thus, helping him to be elected and reelected.
Today, his reputation has eroded into what some would consider a “man lost in anger” with little to no definition. Senator Jeff Flake’s visceral disdain for then candidate Trump and now President Trump has been consuming. Rather than rationally serve the needs of his constituents and the country during current budget and historic immigration debates which are threatening government shutdown, Senator Flake again abandons his elected duties to rehash, regurgitate and propagate his self-righteous disposition.
In the guise to protect a free and democratic nation, the senator, works to confound the President’s attacks on the media as false and disconnected. Flake’s negative monologue was tied with a common thread he called truth.
How is this for truth? Five months after the 2016 election Investors Business Daily (IBD) published an article entitled “Poll Confirms Media Bias: Is Fake News the New Norm?” The article cites a survey by Politico Magazine, which surveyed 63 members of the White House Press corps. Politico found that of the 63 members survey only 5% were Republican, 16% Democrat, 37% Independent and 37% were not registered to vote.
IBD also found when breaking down the Politico survey that 45% admitted that the media's coverage is biased against Trump. To put this in context…nearly half of the White House Press corps is admittedly biased against Donald Trump.
How do “We the People Feel?” Media Research Center ran a post election poll which found 69% of voters do not believe the media are "honest and truthful," additionally they found that 78% felt that coverage of Trump was biased.
Lastly, it is important to understand and defend our nation from influences that would color or interfere with our local or national elections. Many of us support Senator Flake’s statements of defending the integrity of our elections from outside influences such as Russia…but likely see the protection as more then one man’s scorn.
When do we hold the media accountable for coloring or interfering with local or national elections? Flake highlights “Truth” as a common thread during his self-advocating monologue…how can he stand and defend the biased spin of national media?
During the 2016 Election, The Hill ran an article, which sampled one Thursday evening of main presidential media coverage. The broadcast evening news, sampled by The Hill, included ABC, NBC and CBS. They found that the negative coverage for Trump vs. Clinton had a ratio 23 negative to 1 positive. Furthermore, The Hill reviewed the New York Times and found 11 negative stories about Trump and zero negative stories on Clinton, all at the time Clinton/Wikileaks broke.
Hard to imagine why a self-proclaimed conservative attacks a president who is protecting religious liberties, has appointed a conservative supreme court justice, ended regulatory abuses, passed historic tax reform, protected the life of the unborn, is unwinding the biggest lie “The Affordable Healthcare Act”, working to protect our borders and is an unapologetic American.
President Trump’s political agenda is America first. He has unabashedly repositioned the strength and disposition of our nation to the world. President Trump may not be Flake’s type of President but to the historic 14 million voters who voted for him during the primary and the 31 states who delivered 306 electoral votes he is their type of President. One does not have to agree with the words he uses or his method of delivery. However, it is hard to argue with President Trump’s remarkable outcomes in the face of the bipartisan and media opposition. It is no wonder the Senator’s once body-of-support has spiraled into a legacy soon forgotten.