The Shine Has Flaked Off...For Now

Steve Benen reminds us that at least in the short term, Republicans who blocked Manchin-Toomey are actually paying a price for it.  The main question is if it will matter 18 months from now.

Yesterday, Public Policy Polling noted that Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), on the heels of his support for a Republican filibuster on gun reforms, has become the nation's least popular senator. The new figures point to Flake having a dismal 32% approval rating.

Asked about his poor standing, Flake initially blamed PPP, questioning the pollster's accuracy, despite its impressive track record. Today, the Arizona senator took a different line.

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) has an interesting take on a recent poll by Democratic Public Policy Polling that showed his approval rating imploding after his recent vote against expanded background checks for gun purchases: It's probably right.

"Nothing like waking up to a poll saying you're the nation's least popular senator," Flake wrote on his Facebook page late Monday night. "Given the public's dim view of Congress in general, that probably puts me somewhere just below pond scum."

And yet Jeff Flake won't have to face voters until November 2018 at the earliest, five and half years from now.  You think Flake cares?  You think voters will remember?  Despite being a right-wing reactionary, he won by three points last year over Richard Carmona.  He may be in trouble now, but he's got a political lifetime to dig himself out of this hole, and the NRA will back him every step of the way.

He may be pond scum now, but in 2018, at least 45% of voters will say "Yeah, but he's our pond scum."