Archive for Arkansas
Guber Quick Hits, Thurs 9/16/10
Posted by: | CommentsArkansas: Democratic incumbent Mike Beebe’s campaign has been endorsed by 73 of Arkansas’ 75 sheriffs.
California: Today marks the day the Golden State’s budget impasses moves into record-setting territory, as it surpasses the previous record set in 2008. To mark the occasion, Democratic guber wannabe Jerry Brown unveiled a proposal that would start next year’s budget plan from scratch. Is “zero-based budgeting” workable or simply an election year gimmick?
Florida: Rick Scott has made it clear he’s opposed to Obama’s stimulus spending, arguing during the guber primary that he would “fight all the stimulus money.” It’s somewhat awkward, then, that a firm he’s heavily invested in just received $36.1 million in Recovery Act funding to build a fiber-optic network in rural Louisiana.
Iowa: Hawkeye State Dems are hoping to use Sarah Palin’s upcoming visit to rally the base.
Iowa II: A piece of information that seems to be counterintuitive to the prevailing political narrative over the GOP’s huge enthusiasm gap. Democratic requests for absentee ballots in Iowa outnumber Republicans by nearly 3-1.
Nebraska: Democrat Mike Meister is trying to make the placement of TransCanada’s proposed oil pipeline across the Ogallala Aquifer an issue in his campaign against Gov. Dave Heineman. Meister says running it across the aquifer is too risky while Heineman says he isn’t focused on the issue.
Nevada: Rory (the younger) Reid has indicated he would sign a state budget that included tax increases, if it came across his desk. This represents a significant shift in the tax-averse Silver State, where candidates of all ideological stripes adhere to a no new tax mantra. With Rory trailing Republican Brian Sandoval badly in every public poll, is this shift a profile in courage or an act of political desperation?
New Mexico: Bill Clinton is doing yeoman’s work this campaign season. He’ll be joining Diane Denish on the trail next month.
Oregon: After falling far behind Republican Chris Dudley in the race for big campaign checks, Democrat John Kitzhaber has begun raking in donations from the state’s unions.
Vermont: After the drawn-out Democratic primary, it’s probably not all that surprising Peter Shumlin has less money in the bank than Lt. Gov Brian Dubie, who had no opposition in the GOP primary. But his $62,000 is a lot less than the $410,000 Dubie’s got in his warchest.
Wisconsin: Mark Neumann won more counties than Scott Walker in Tuesday’s GOP primary, but he lost overall because Walker dominated him in the populous suburban Milwaukee counties, a region that has become the key for Republican victories in the Badger State.
Guber Quick Hits, Sun 9/12/10
Posted by: | CommentsAlabama: Bradley Byrne – who at one point was the odds-on favorite to win the GOP guber primary before he was upset by Robert Bentley in a run-off – has become a partner at a law firm that he had come under fire for hiring while he served as Alabama’s two-year college Chancellor. He had been criticized over the $102, 395 the firm was paid to seek federal grants because the firm failed to land a single grant.
Arkansas: Gov. Mike Beebe is hosting a private fundraiser today with a roster of pro athletes with Arkansas ties, including LA Angels outfielder Tori Hunter and Atlanta Hawks Joe Johnston.
California: Meg Whitman is using a clip of former President Bill Clinton from a 1992 Democratic presidential debate in which candidate Clinton attacked rival Jerry Brown for raising taxes during his gubernatorial tenure. Despite the fact the state of California has declared Clinton’s statement untrue, Whitman’s camp won’t stop airing the ad.
Florida: Does Gov. Charlie Crist need Alex Sink to pull him to victory?
Kansas: From the “this isn’t a surprise file” – the largest government workers union in Kansas has endorsed Democrat Tom Holland’s guber run against Sen. Sam Brownback.
Maryland: The 2010 elections marked the debut of early voting in the Free State – and it was far from a resounding success. Less than 2% of the state’s eligible primary voters cast ballots during the early voting period.
Oregon: GOP guber nominee Chris Dudley is facing questions about whether he dodged Oregon income taxes during the 1990s when he played for the NBA’s Trail Blazers.
Pennsylvania: Democrat Dan Onorato is pushing for a state tax on the extraction of natural gas from Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale. He says Republican rival Tom Corbett’s opposition to the tax (and its much-needed revenue to help balance the budget) is because Corbett is doing the bidding of his energy industry backers.
South Carolina: Nikki Haley’s accounting skills – one of the foundations of her candidacy – continue to be called into question.
Utah: Democratic challenger Peter Corroon is accusing Gov. Gary Herbert of favoring big political donors in appointments and awarding of state contracts.
Guber Quick Hits, Tues 8/31/10
Posted by: | CommentsArkansas: Wealthy businessman (and GOP guber wannabe) Jim Keet has been dodged over the past week by tax questions. Among other offenses, he admitted to taking a property exemption to which he wasn’t entitled. But perhaps his biggest offense wasn’t the avoidance of taxes, but the way he blamed everyone else – including his wife – for the mistakes.
California: Now that she’s actually registered to vote, MegaBucks Whitman found herself in the Redwood City jury pool and spent Monday afternoon as a potential juror. I wasn’t aware that royalty were required to dirty themselves with such proletarian tasks.
Idaho: Incumbent Gov. Butch Otter is hammering Democratic challenger Keith Allred’s lack of government experience, despite the national anti-insider political climate.
Nebraska: Anne Boyle – a longtime stalwart of Nebraska Democratic politics (a dying breed, perhaps?) – has joined the Democratic gubernatorial ticket as Mike Meister’s Light Guv dance partner and she’s come out swinging at Gov. Dave Heineman as a bully who has threatened to punish people who don’t support his political agenda.
Rhode Island: A cornerstone of Republican Victor Moffitt’s guber bid is a proposal to build a half-billion dollar aquarium in the Ocean State.
South Carolina: Republican Nikki Haley received the endorsement of the Gun Owners of America in her guber race against Vincent Sheheen.
Texas: More evidence that the GOP is using immigration as a mid-term election issue to mobilize the base – after the White House said President Obama wouldn’t be available to meet with Gov. Rick Perry one-on-one to discuss border security issues, the governor declined an offer to meet with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and the White House’s top border security adviser to discuss border security concerns. It’s easier to grandstand and score political points than it is to sit down and work on solutions, I guess.
Utah: In Mormon-dominated Utah, Democratic guber wannabe Peter Corroon’s Light Guv running mate Sheryl Allen – a Republican and a Mormon - is accusing fellow Mormon Gov. Gary Herbert of using religion as a wedge issue in the gubernatorial race against Corroon, a Catholic.
Guber Quick Hits, Thurs 8/19/10
Posted by: | CommentsArkansas: Republican guber wannabe Jim Keet raised a paltry $33K in July while incumbent Democratic Gov Mike Beebe raised $333K.
Colorado: Despite pressure from the GOP establishment to quit the guber contest, Dan “Middle Manager” Maes is staying put. He’s picked his Light Guv dance partner, former state legislator Tambor Williams.
New Mexico: Earlier this year, Diane Denish attacked GOP rival Susana Martinez for plea bargaining with sex offenders. Now that a Democratic DA appears to have made a similar deal, Denish refuses to comment.
Oklahoma: Mary Fallin has a substantial fundraising lead over her Democratic rival Jari Askins. Nearly a third of the money Askins has raised has come from her own pocket.
Guber Quick Hits, TGIF 6/18/10
Posted by: | CommentsArkansas: Republican guber wannabe Jim Keet is trying to make his campaign against incumbent Mike Beebe a referendum on President Obama. In a radio ad, he calls the governor Obama’s “silent partner” who has refused to oppose the president even when his policies hurt the Arkansas economy.
Maryland: Bob Ehrlich will soon leave his controversial Saturday morning call-in radio gig, but he’s found an able (and supportive) replacement – his wife Kendall.
Maryland II: Republicans preach the mantra of “local control” until they don’t like the decisions made locally. Bob Ehrlich wants to create a system where local school boards could be overruled if they reject charter school applications.
Nevada: Democratic guber wannabe Rory Reid thinks the state’s education system can be adequately funded without raising taxes. The leaders of the state’s teachers unions disagree.
New York: Carl Paladino is using a web poll to determine the name of his third party effort he wants to add to New York’s ballot. It’s a brilliant way to build his list – and identify people who may be willing to provide the signatures necessary to get his party on the ballot.
Oklahoma: Mary Fallin has been added to Sarah Palin’s list of “mama grizzlies.”
Tennessee: Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam has raised $8 million for his guber bid, far out-pacing all other contenders.
Wisconsin: A coalition of Badger State Tea Party groups will not endorse either Republican guber candidate until after their Tea Party debate, scheduled for August 29th. Both Mark Neumann and Scott Walker plan to show up and beg for the nod.
The Morning After – A Conventional Wisdom Reality Check
Posted by: | CommentsAfter the most intense day of voting since November 2008, Americans in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Arkansas, Oregon and Arizona cast their votes providing insight into whether the narratives created by the chattering classes will ring true come November. Are the Republicans riding a wave of voter discontent that could oust Nancy Pelosi from the Speakership? Are both parties lurching away from the moderate middle? Will Dems fall to insurgencies from the Left while Republicans drown in a Tea Party-inspired tidal wave from the “libertarian” right?
As usual, the punditocracy’s wisdom, conventional or otherwise, needs a morning after reality check. After all the commentators have had their say, what was it the voters meant, if anything?
TUESDAY’S BIGGEST SURPRISES LET THE WIND OUT OF GOP SAILS
In my opinion, the margins of victory racked up by Tea Party candidate Rand Paul and by Democrat Mark Critz in the special to replace John Murtha were the two most important indicators of what might be ahead in November. Both of those results have to be stomach-churning for the DC Republican establishment.
Paul’s clear victory is going to be trumpeted by the Tea Party and the punditocracy alike as evidence of the power of the anger brewing in the electorate. At least one conservative power-broker, direct mail guru Richard Viguerie has already called the Kentucky result a “vote of no confidence” in McConnell and urged the minority leader to resign his leadership post.
How is Merry Mitch going to handle Rand Paul as his potential junior partner? If he thought Jim Bunning was a headache he must be dreading the possible arrival of Paul. I wonder if he’s having secret thoughts about Conway winning in November?
The NRCC, who failed to win PA-12, the only Kerry-McCain district in America (this is the lowest-hanging fruit on the tree, boys and girls) must be realizing a Speaker Boehner is not going to be as easy as they thought when the week started. They can’t even win an open seat that’s been trending GOP over the past two pro-Democratic elections. How will they be able to knock off enough incumbents (in districts that have been moving the other way) to wrest control of the House? This probably hurts their fundraising, which is absolutely essential to winning all of those seats.
HOW OTHERS ARE READING TUESDAY’S TEA LEAVES
As usual, some of the best analysis can be found over at FiveThirtyEight. Nate reviews the outcomes of the five big contests (PA Dem, KY Dem & GOP, AR Dem and the PA-12 Special). He doesn’t see the Sestak victory and the Arkansas run-off as evidence of a leftist insurgency within the Democratic Party.
Dan Balz and Chris Cillizza from the WaPo chat about the things we learned. Not surprisingly, the results revealed to these Beltway Insiders just how much those outside the Beltway distrust and dislike DC.
The Safest Democratic Governor in America?
Posted by: | CommentsArkansas’ Mike Beebe.
A survey (pdf) done by Democratic firm Public Policy Polling showed the incumbent boasting a 63-17% job approval rating. While Democratic Senator Blanche Lincoln faces a difficult 2010 re-election campaign against virtually any candidate with an “R” next to their name, numbers like these are likely to scare off any serious GOP challenger to Beebe.
These numbers reinforce another midsummer Arkansas poll (pdf) showing Beebe strutting a stratospheric 77-17 favorable-to-unfavorable rating in the state.
