Former Arizona Senator Jeff Flake visited Utah State University on Tuesday. He gave a speech called Is Polarizing Partisanship The New Normal? and spoke about how he saw the Republican party change since the 2016 election.
In September 2018, Senator Flake created a political stir when he wouldn’t vote in favor for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanagh after the historic hearing where Kavanagh denied sexual assault allegations. When the hearing was over, many questioned Flake's position as a Republican senator.
“It’s not the party that I grew up with," he said. "the Republican Party has always been the party of limited government, of economic freedom, of free trade, strong national and international leadership, it’s tough to describe the Republican Party right now in that fashion. I do hope the Republican Party does recover but I can tell you there’s a lot of recovering to do.
Flake said that many people think that if the President talks and acts in a certain way, then we as citizens must do so as well. The former Arizona Senator said the best way to change the way politics are heading right now, regardless of the political standing, is to find common ground. He believes that whichever party does so, will ultimately win the 2020 election.
“There is a lot of energy to replace the current president. As a Republican, I hope that Republicans can meet in the middle somewhere, but that doesn't look to be the case right now. You know, common ground is scarce in Washington right now, but it’s alive and well everywhere else in the country,” Flake said.
As for now, Flake hopes to see a change in the 2020 election.
