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Maricopa County Arizona voters had enough of Joe Arpaio and his antics. In November Arpaio lost in an election for his seventh term as Sheriff. The 84-year-old became a national celebrity through the years with his unorthodox approach to law enforcement. From the infamous Tent City, and citizen posses to the use of chain gangs Arpaio was heralded as a conservative hero for his “old-school” and less than humane policies.
For the average American, Joe was a hero. He appeared to be someone who didn’t take any shit. He was a law and order champion and dished out the kind of punishment that many believed were appropriate for criminals. What those inside Maricopa county knew was something much different. For many, he was a tyrant and dangerous. The worst of the stories somehow never made it much farther than the local papers and radio stations, but those stories are incredible none the less.
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From things like arresting reporters who covered him, to a lack of investigation in sex crimes, and even a staged assassination attempt his antics were not only costly to his constituency but also dangerous. It’s also hard to ignore the pure embarrassment of his tenure including his own personal investigation, at the expense of local taxpayers, into President Obama’s birth certificate. A more extensive list of his ridiculousness can be found in this tweet storm from The Phoenix New Times.
We’ve been covering Joe Arpaio for more than 20 years. Here’s a couple of things you should know about him… 1/many
— PhoenixNewTimes (@phoenixnewtimes) August 26, 2017
The final straw for most of the voters in Maricopa County was the racial profiling case that to date has cost the county more than 45 million dollars. With his constant refusal to obey court orders and above the law attitude, the public decided enough was enough. Paul Penzone was elected as Maricopa County Sheriff and a new era began with a hope that the reputation of the Sheriff’s Department and the County itself could be restored. The first steps included Penzone’s decision to close Tent City. In the announcement of the closing, it was discovered that shutting down Tent City would actually save taxpayers $4.5 million dollars per year. Arpaio’s claim that he was actually saving money with his brainchild was proven to be completely false.
With the conviction of Arpaio on federal criminal contempt charges, many whose lives had been destroyed by his ruthlessness felt somewhat vindicated. It couldn’t put families back together or completely restore reputations that had been ruined, but at least he would taste some form of punishment for a few his crimes.
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But alas, that too was ripped away. At the hands of President Trump who simply ignored the rule of law completely. He repaid the support he received from Sheriff Joe during the 2016 election with freedom from consequences for his criminal activity. The ultimate in quid pro quo and the voters of Arizona were left with that stinging feeling that again Joe had got away with it. Again they had to watch Arpaio on television enjoying his celebrity and basking in the glory of publicity he thrives on.
Trump may have saved his pal from jail, but his coattails weren’t long enough to keep him in office. As the President’s approval numbers continue to spiral downward in Arizona, this action may prove to be even more damaging to Trump and the Republican Party. With Trump’s constant attacks on GOP Senator Jeff Flake and his less than subtle hint that he is leaning toward backing Flake’s tea party challenger, Trump may have actually placed the GOP’s chances of holding the seat in jeopardy.
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Ultimately, where Arpaio was concerned, the voters made their voices heard in the voting booth. The risk that the GOP now faces is that those same voters will make their voices heard again in 2018, at the expense of Jeff Flake and the Republican majority.
At some point, Trump voters and the GOP have to decide who’s side the President is really on.
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Photo: Getty Images