“She seems to just want the limelight,” “She can’t be trusted in anything she says or does.”

Monday, March 25th, 2024

ARIZONA -–  The New York Times reported over the weekend that Republicans are warning that Kari Lake’s power hungry quest to stay in the “limelight” “will result in another defeat” as Lake “can’t be trusted in anything she says or does.”

Lake has not been able to “walk away from the controversial positions that have turned off independents and alienated potential allies” as she pushes for the “U.S. Supreme Court to endorse a conspiracy theory,” continues “lashing out against Republicans,” and lies about her dangerous record on abortion.

Read more about the Arizonans “[questioning] her ability to win in November:”

New York Times: Kari Lake, a Trump Acolyte, Struggles to Find Her Path

March 25, 2024

By: Michael C. Bender, Kellen Browning

Key Points:

• Kari Lake opened her Senate run in Arizona showing every intention of shedding the trappings of the Trumpism that made her a star in conservative circles but cost her the governor’s race two years ago: unfounded claims of election fraud, ruthless attacks on fellow Republicans and obsequious tributes to former President Donald J. Trump […]

• But after six months as a Senate candidate, she is struggling to walk away from the controversial positions that have turned off independents and alienated potential allies, lashing out in ways that Republicans now backing her campaign have warned will result in another defeat.

• At a campaign event last week in Cave Creek, Ariz., she announced plans to continue her legal challenges to her 2022 election loss, castigated Republicans as cowards who did not support her fight and claimed, without proof, that Democrats were orchestrating illicit voting schemes involving undocumented immigrants.

• “That’s the only way they can win — with illegals voting,” Ms. Lake said […]

• Many moderate Republicans in Arizona remain opposed to her bid, criticizing Ms. Lake’s overtures as inadequate and insincere. Some conservatives who supported her in 2022 have voiced concerns about her authenticity and questioned her ability to win in November.

• “Kari Lake is making a lot of rookie mistakes, and you just don’t know what you’re going to get with her or where she’s going to land,” said Dan Farley, the president of the Arizona Tea Party and a former supporter who is now backing her primary opponent, Sheriff Mark Lamb of Pinal County. “She’s a powerful force but kind of like a bazooka lacking aim. She’s blowing up her own garage instead of enemies in the driveway.” […]

• But Ms. Lake still faces a tough sell within her own party.

• In a poll last month from Noble Predictive Insights, 27 percent of Republicans said they had a negative view of Ms. Lake, more than double the share of Democrats who said the same about Mr. Gallego. Among all Arizona voters, 49 percent had a negative opinion about Ms. Lake compared with 40 percent who viewed her positively. […]

• Jeff Fleetham, an Arizona Republican who was a Trump delegate at the past two Republican National Conventions, backed Ms. Lake two years ago but said he did not think she could move on from old fights. If she wins his party’s nomination, he said, he will not vote in the race, which would be the first time he has skipped voting in a contest with a Republican candidate.

• “She seems to just want the limelight,” said Mr. Fleetham, who is backing Mr. Lamb in the primary. “She can’t be trusted in anything she says or does.” […]

• Ms. Lake has reached out to one of Mr. Lamb’s supporters, former Representative Matt Salmon, who ran against Ms. Lake in 2022. Mr. Salmon said he ignored a text message from Ms. Lake last month, which came days after she mocked him during a radio interview for refusing to meet with her.

• “There’s nothing authentic about her,” Mr. Salmon said. “She touts her endorsements, but two years ago she would have criticized anyone with those same endorsements and declared them swamp creatures.”

• At her rally in Cave Creek last week, some of Ms. Lake’s supporters said she should drop her false claims that she had been cheated out of the governorship in 2022.

• “It alienates a lot of people,” said Julee Miller, 47, of North Phoenix. “It’d be nice if she tries to tone down a little bit, compromise here or there.” […]

Read more: Kari Lake 2.0 wants a new 2022 election? So much for moving on, Axios: U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake pivots back to stolen election rhetoric, MSNBC: Kari Lake faceplants in the mad dash to whitewash her extremism, Arizona Republic: Kari Lake’s back on the air, this time talking far-right topics on online show, Arizona Republic: Kari Lake’s charm offensive is more offensive than charming for moderate Republicans, Washington Post: Kari Lake struggles to court moderates, imperiling GOP Senate pickup, POLITICO: When QAnon fundraises for Kari Lake … she shows up, Arizona Republic: Kari Lake defends Jan. 6 Capitol rioters on the Senate campaign trail