I read Senator Flakes book that reflects common sense he learned when growing up on a Northern Arizona cattle ranch. His “curable weakness” as he states, he often stands alone on being forced to vote “yes” or “no.” Perhaps his education in academia political science differs from that of engineering training where you improve design of unforgiving farm machinery with safe design that overcomes defects. Simply stating a “no” on a proposed law does not look for the best, and does not condition a “yes” vote on how the defects of the proposed law can be overcome.
The tone of the book infers that President Trump is not a conservative, which tells me that Senator Flake appears to hate the President’s leadership style. Senator Flake overlooks how President Trump has stated many times since the beginning of his campaign, by clearly stating his support of conservative core issues. Senator Flake does not understand that leadership is not a science ordained by rules of conduct. Leadership is all about commanding attention of problems. Our President is a skillful populous leader who gains public attention with rally’s, tweets as well as construction management techniques, and wants to get the job done ahead of schedule and under budget.
President Trump’s opponents, including Senator Flake are totally inept at understanding Trump, and how to work with a “doer” to get things done quickly. Senator Flake’s book tells why he sides with the few loose cannon Republicans that can only whine. The book has no constructive answers on how the Republican Party can all be onboard and ensure for constructive legislative assistance to the President.
Senator Flake tells of his family creed, “Assume the best, look for the good,” and of his Dad’s admonition, “What you need to do is listen to everybody.” The book never assumes the best of the President or looks for the good. Further, the book tells by inference, that Senator Flake, by his anti-populous dialog lie has never listened to President Trump.
Chapter three of Senator Flake’s book dances around the issue of “fake news.” I believe fake news will always be with politics to convey a false message that some voters may want to hear and may result in wanted or unwanted collateral damage. Towards the end of chapter three he concludes: “We must get off this kick” about fake news.
In 1970, I was named the “Engineer of the Year” by the Arizona Society of Professional Engineers. At the state-wide convention, where I received this award, my wife Nancy and I had the pleasure to dine with Barry Goldwater. He stated that he lost the opportunity to become the President because conservative Republicans widely and frequently speculated that they believed good would come with Barry as President because he would “nuke” Hanoi, which would end this military police action, and rid the economic burden of social security. Barry was emphatic that he would have never even considered these false actions.
I have always been a fan of Barry Goldwater, and his straight talk that included political correctness not to defame fellow Republicans when they make unfounded false statements. Mr. Goldwater became a national mentor that what in his day is now labeled “fake news” can be overcome simply by publicly identifying those who generate “fake news” as criminal wrongdoers.
Senator Flake’s book, Conscience of a Conservative brings up some of the important political issues that need to be addressed. If the Senator really wants to “stand alone,” he needs to ensure that his viewpoint must clearly support the President’s expectation that our legislative efforts must move ahead faster. The book is worth reading as unintentionally, Senator Flake reveals the gap between his own politician’s acceptance of dalliance and our business leaders’ objective of progress involves completing the tasks ahead of schedule and under budget. For Senator Flake to win re-election in 2018 as he clearly wants to, he needs to stand alone by understanding President Trump and clearly proclaim his support for him. Senator Flake’s book is a sorry attempt to straddle the liberal concepts that are crippling America as a form of conservatism.