Democrats Sweep Arkansas

[johnnydr87]

Democrats swept the offices around the state. Anyone surprised?

From the ArkTimes Blog:

A sweep of statewide constitutional officers in Arkansas. (Would it have hurt Gov. Mike Beebe or Lt. Gov. Bill Halter to thank Democrats for their help? Coalition-building is one thing, but this was a DEMOCRATIC night.) Go here for Ark. results.

The college bonds and charity bingo passed easily.

There was a return of incumbents to Congressional seats in Arkansas. A little-known, underfunded challenger held the Third District Republican, John Boozman, under 60 percent according to the last vote I saw. Thank the misbegotten war for that.

The Legislature?

The Senate remains 27-8 Democratic. A strong Democratic candidate in Springdale, Lynn Carver, came within a few hundred votes of beating a reasonably sane Republican, Bill Pritchard. This was for wacko, eternal candidate Jim Holt's seat. He vowed tonight, by the way, to continue his Christian campaign of hate by mounting a popular drive to prevent gay people from being foster parents.

The state House: A real surprise. At last count, the Republicans looked like they could be losing three seats in the House, perhaps moving Democrats to a rock-solid 75 votes in the House, but my math may be off here. Maybe Jason Willett is better than we thought. Democrats won these races that Republicans expected to win: Eddie Hawkins of Vilonia in District 47; Lance Reynolds of Quitman in 59; Joan Cash of Jonesboro in 75; Ray Kidd of Jonesboro in 76; Charlotte Wagner of Manila in 77. Heh heh, by the way -- Barry Hyde, the Dem, won the NLR House race, proving again that an unbridled overwhelming Democrat-Gazette endorsement is the kiss of death. Sorry, Chad Green.

Again, Mike Beebe. Why couldn't you thank Democrats for your victory? I know you had Republican votes and that was important. But there was a Democratic wave Tuesday night, here and everywhere. Acknowledge your roots, dammit.

In PULASKI COUNTY:

Mark Stodola won the Little Rock mayoral race without a runoff. The crime issue was a good one, as I wrote last week.

Doc Holladay beat the nut for sheriff.

Kathy Lewison, an earnest and hard-working Democrat from WLR, won a narrow re-election victory over another lavishly backed Dan Greenberg cutout for JP on the Quorum Court, Allen Kerr. Again the D-G endorsement was the kiss of death. Lewison would have won easily had not an independent candidate clouded the race by siphoning progressive votes. Sorry, Kate.

LITTLE ROCK CITY BOARD

It is clearly time to change city government to ward elections. Mark Stodola's mayoral victory should help.

But the Board will change in ways that will be hard to predict, though in seats that generally vote in the minority. Two incumbents were ousted.

Erma Fingers Hendrix got "re-elected" over incumbent Johnnie Pugh, who had stayed too long.

Doris Wright edged out incumbent Genevieve Stewart by maybe five votes. Recount? She's developer friendly, but many of them didn't get behind her this time because they thought Stewart had the district cold.

Ken Richardson took the seat vacated by Willie Hinton.

NORTH LITTLE ROCK

It approved a reallocation of some tax money to cushion coming electric rate shock a little bit.

[skirby]

Democrats swept the offices around the state. Anyone surprised?

From the ArkTimes Blog:

You all know where I stand politically. I'm pretty thrilled right now.

Out of the new Democrats elected, I like Halter the most. He seems like a left-leaning businessman Democrat.

Implications for Arkansas? ....Or the nation?

[Dale]

I didn't know they had Republicans in Arkansas anyway.

[johnnydr87]

You really know how to pick them. Halter couldn't win the Governor's office so he ran for an office that should not exist. What has he done to be called a businessman? He worked as an advisor for a consulting firm does that make him a businessman? The Republicans didn't offer a choice and now Arkansas is back to the party that has put Arkansas in the 49th spot. I don't expect much when the party continues to back people like Charlie Daniels. This election sucked thats why I voted mostly Green. Watch out Mississsippi. Arkansas just might take over your spot.

[KJW]

Don't know about the other races, Johnny, but here's my .02 on the gubernatorial one.

My wife and I own a gift store very close to Bentonville. In our shopping center when we moved our store in last February was a printing shop that did signs, t-shirts, etc.

Later in the year, the printing shop owner decided to sell her store and move way up northwest in the U.S. The buyer of the shop turned out to be none other than Asa Hutchinson's brother, who owns a real estate firm in northwest Arkansas. At the time I heard the shop might be used for printing campaign signs, etc. Seemed like a reasonable use.

Anyway, nothing ever seemed to be done at that store once it changed ownership. We needed a couple of signs printed for our business and went to the store manager (it became a one-person operation essentially) to ask if she could help. She never could, but it was as if she never had the capability to do anything. Later in the year, the Hutchinson family sold the print shop, and the new owners of the equipment moved it out somewhere in east Benton County. The shop site has now sat vacant for months.

That seemed to epitomize Asa Hutchinson's campaign. For what seemed like the entire summer, Mike Beebe's campaign ran TV ads. Hutchinson did nothing.

Last night as I talked with co-workers, people who were traveling central Arkansas said they were almost appalled at the lack of "Asa!" signs there.

Apart from the (IMO) last two distinctive ads involving children (and I wasn't turned off by the "When I grow up, I want to be..." - if Beebe has a history of being indecisive that was a very clever way to show it, IMO), who in the heck was running Asa Hutchinson's campaign?!?!

Northwest Arkansas is strong, but it ain't strong enough to carry this whole state in an election.

[skirby]

Funny. Democrats are responsible for Arkansas' 49th place? Not completely, although I do think some blame rests with the conservative Dems here (and actually, we're 37th depending on what rankings). I know you read the Arkansas Blog enough to know that Democrats supported Huckabee's stance on school consolidation, while Republicans didn't.

Obviously, Democrats in Arkansas are a hell of a lot more conservative than elsewhere.....but if Republicans were to win in Arkansas (Asa, Jim Holt), they'd be against school consolidation. Ironic, eh?

Now, about Bill Halter.

Here's his wiki-bio:

Do you know what a board of directors is? They are not merely "advisors"--they are at the top of the chain of command. They are collectively second to the CEO and help guide the company's future. You can't get much higher.

He is smart. Stanford and Rhodes Scholar. His accomplishments in academics and career are NOTHING to sneeze at...and Arkansas is lucky to have somebody with his connections and talent. Do you honestly think a random Green Party candidate for lieutenant governor would have more positive influence than he? Riiight.

My original point about liking Halter had nothing to do with whether a lieutenant governor position is necessary or not.

Read up on some facts before making such boldly ignorant comments (is there a euphemistic, less frank way for me to say this?). It really is a pain retyping what you can basically look up within ten seconds.

[Aporkalypse]

You really know how to pick them. Halter couldn't win the Governor's office so he ran for an office that should not exist. What has he done to be called a businessman? He worked as an advisor for a consulting firm does that make him a businessman? The Republicans didn't offer a choice and now Arkansas is back to the party that has put Arkansas in the 49th spot. I don't expect much when the party continues to back people like Charlie Daniels. This election sucked thats why I voted mostly Green. Watch out Mississsippi. Arkansas just might take over your spot.

[johnnydr87]

You need to look at the lack of ovesite that most Boards provide. Also, as for his Acting Commissioner of Social Security he held that job for less than 60 days. Arkansas is 37th in what? There you go talking about ignorant comments but you cannot even state what you are trying to prove.

[skirby]

Sorry. You introduced the vagueries by saying we're 49th. I was speaking specifically about education.

And hate to break it to you, but that has nothing to do with ignorance. The dictionary is a useful tool.

Here is the online version: http://www.morganquitno.com/edrank05.htm

Boards do not necessarily have a lack of oversight. It depends on the relationship with the CEO and standards set in place in the company. Besides, there are not many more important roles.

I didn't even mention his work with Social Security. I find the companies he works with more interesting.

As for one of his 5 companies failing...so what? That's the nature of many startup companies. In fact, many "steady" companies have deficits every so often (Uhh, Ford, airlines, paper, etc.)

At least he's pushing and trying out these new companies/technologies. How can you place any fault in that? So he's not 5-0. But who would be? And who among other candidates would be better in that respect?

[johnnydr87]

Can't you make up you mind. First you say that boards are at the top of the chain then you say their power rests with their relationship with the company. As for companies running a deficit of $40 million with only 60 on staff then you have a problem. Then their main pipeline item has to be withdrawn; you have problems. The main reason he is on these boards have to do with his former government connections. It has nothing to do with is skills as a businessman. It is not that these companies have a deficit ever so often but they have never made money. He never put any money into these startups.

What kind of dope are you smoking? You state "I didn't even mention his work with Social Security." Reread you post at 10:47. You said "Now, about Bill Halter.Here's his wiki-bio:" and you quote "After serving in the OMB for six years he was nominated by President Clinton and confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate in 1999 as the Deputy Commissioner and later as Acting Commissioner of Social Security.

[edit]Academics and business"

[skirby]

"First you say that boards are at the top of the chain then you say their power rests with their relationship with the company.'

They are at the top of the chain, and their power rests with their relationship with the company. What's your point???? Are you saying he's a failure because he's not the CEO? This is getting comical.

"The main reason he is on these boards have to do with his former government connections."

I wouldn't doubt that. I talked about how his connections (with companies) would be helpful in an earlier post, did I not?

"You state "I didn't even mention his work with Social Security." Reread you post at 10:47. You said "Now, about Bill Halter.Here's his wiki-bio:" and you quote "After serving in the OMB for six years he was nominated by President Clinton and confirmed unanimously by the United States "

In the copy and pasted bio, I did. I should have been more specific: I never mentioned his work in social security as one of the reasons why I like him so much.

But let's get to the main point here: you think a green party candidate with half Halter's academic and business credentials would be a better candidate....whereas I don't.

[Aporkalypse]

If you don't like the president, thank the Green Party which got him elected.

[hogwash]

I see some bashing of Halter. Honestly, I would voted for anybody running against Holt. He is a complete whacko... I remembering looking at his website and his stances and wondering what it had to with Arkansas. Halter has an agenda and stances that are pertinent to state government. Holt had very little to nothing.

[Aporkalypse]

I see some bashing of Halter. Honestly, I would voted for anybody running against Holt. He is a complete whacko... I remembering looking at his website and his stances and wondering what it had to with Arkansas. Halter has an agenda and stances that are pertinent to state government. Holt had very little to nothing.

[Arkansas Student]

Someone said something about us being 49th in a lot of stuff, and I won't dispute that, but I'll dispute the reason.

It doesn't have anything to do with Democrats or Republicans.

I think the reason we are nearly last is because our population is not very progressive. And by progressive I don't mean liberal. I mean a lot of people are hesitant toward change in general. There are a lot of people in this state who were born and raised in the same town, and they'll die there. They live on land their parents and grandparents owned and they will leave that land to their children, who will tend it they way they do.

They don't want a lot for themselves, and some even think that it's wrong to live a more prosperous life than their parents did.

Many are uneducated by choice; they don't believe they are smart enough to go to college or trade school, and they don't believe in themselves. In reality, they could do anything they wanted to but there is such an overriding fear of the unknown -- fear of change -- that they can't bring themselves to take chances.

This fear can come from a lot of sources: tales of the dangers of the outside world told by family and friends, the way the world is portrayed by the media, and at times even the church can make people fearful of things they don't know. We've also been taught by previous generations that gambling on the unknown and taking chances is irresponsible and foolish -- we might lose everything. The only sure bet is to continue onward in the same vein, so that you can survive.

In short, I think the good people of Arkansas (and many of them are) don't realize they could have so much more. The world has convinced us that we are a second-class, backwards state who doesn't wear shoes, swills moonshine and lives in one-room shacks with dirt floors. It's a self-fullfilling prophecy: we believe what we're told, and so we keep listening.

In the few short years I've been alive, I've had so many friends who didn't think they could do what they wanted to with their lives. Take that attitude and apply it statewide, and you get a populous that is willing to settle for 49th.

[hogwash]

Ditto. Halter was a NLR guy who had a pretty normal childhood, was smart enough to go to Stanford and later become a Rhodes Scholar. In many ways, he's Clintonesque.

Holt was an uneducated nutjob. When he ran for office in NWA with his name beside the Jesus fish on a bumper sticker, I had to question his sanity. Not that I'm anti-Christian, I'm against the exploitation of religion for political gain.

The GOP this year really missed Win Rockefeller. He was a very well-liked guy with no agenda except to make Arkansas a place to live. Leukemia took away a guy who would've been one of the best governors in Arkansas history, a pro-business social moderate that worked well with both parties. A billionaire who drove a pickup truck.