OPINION:
Former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the law enforcer who raised the hackles, to put it mildly, of the Eric Holder-esque social justice crowd, announced in an interview with The Daily Beast that he’s seriously considering a run at Jeff Flake’s Senate seat.
Why not — Jeff won’t need it. He’s a goner, a victim of his own self-importance and of poor poll showings during primary season. Flake, remember, was the guy who vocally hated President Donald Trump while quietly voting 90 percent of the time for Trump policies, while not-so-quietly penning and promoting a book that pretty much bashed Trump and Trump-type populism.
It’s one thing to hate Trump.
But you have to be sneakier when voting for him while simultaneously condemning him.
It’s all about the stealth. Otherwise, it comes across as hypocritical and — well, voters just don’t like their senators tainted with that slime.
Anyhow, so Flake’s out and Arpaio wants in. This should be a good race.
“I am seriously, seriously, seriously considering running for the U.S. Senate,” Arpaio said, The Hill reported, “not the congressman’s [Trent Franks] seat.”
That’s after Franks resigned over concerns about having to defend his queries to office staffers about surrogacy.
Why not. The Republican Party, facing a likely win for Roy Moore in Alabama on Tuesday, could use a little distraction. Arpaio was pardoned by Trump earlier this year on a contempt of court conviction stemming from his refusal, while sheriff, to quit racial profiling to determine immigration status.
The media would certainly howl if he won. And given all the discussion about sexual harassment that’s taken over the news cycle — not to mention what’s to come with Moore — perhaps a little press outrage on Arpaio’s supposed discriminatory leanings will be just what the doctor ordered. The refocus couldn’t hurt the sexual harassment crowd, that’s for sure.
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