Arkansas Primary Runoffs

[Old Hawk]

Tomorrow will be a telling day here. Blanche Lincoln has wriggled around her positions all through the campaign but just before the primaries she bragged about casting the deciding vote for Obamacare. She did this when the polls clearly showed Arkansawyers opposed that legislation by a huge margin.

Her latest campaign ads have her saying she heard the message loud and clear in the primaries that left her facing a runoff against Lt. Gov. Bill Halter.

Halter hasn't had to defend any positions because he has never had to take any. Now in his first elected office his only claim to fame is personally spearheading the Arkansas lottery. He is a dynamic progressive with major national political ambition who is attempting to spring into the senate without the usual political ladder climbing.

Bill Clinton has entered the arena to campaign for Lincoln for her long standing performance as a good Democrat party trooper. Given what good he did for Hillary I have to wonder why she wants his support.

The winner of this how liberal can you be while trying to appear a moderate contest will face fifth term Republican Congressman John Boozeman. He has a good track record on the key issues that concern conservative voters. The polls look good for him against either of the Democrats.

As he is running for a new office anti-incumbent fever won't likely affect his chances either.

I don't think the Republicrat game will ever resolve the issues. But sometimes I just pretend I don't know any better and root for the less bad guys.

Tomorrow's runoff and the fall election will be telling us of voter mood now and maybe foreshadow what that will be when they get really ticked off.

OH

[Old Hawk]

The eyes of the nation were focused on Arkansas as Blanche Lincoln, as expected, defeated Bill Halter in the run off election.

Lincoln tried hard to be a good party soldier and still not alienate the conservatives in her constituency. She had a mutually contrived confrontation with Obama at one of his health care promotions and publicly agonized over her decision, dragging it out to casting the deciding vote at the last minute.

It isn't too hard to capture the Lt. Gov seat here and Halter used it as a platform to try to launch himself into a bid for national elected office. Others, like Huckabee, have done this before.

Halter is an extreme progressive with a lot of money and a carefully groomed charisma. He hoped to ride the anti-incumbent wave against Lincoln to reach the Senate and position himself for a presidential bid. He couldn't be attacked on his record or positions as he hadn't any to attack. He had huge support from corporations and from unions as well.

So Lincoln will face Rep Congressman John Boozeman in the fall and there she will be defeated by the anti-incumbent mood of the voters and by her liberal track record. Arkansawyers have had a bellyfull of that.

Lincoln is pretty well finished politically unless she gets some sort of appointive office right away. It could happen as Obama owes her big time for that crucial vote.

Halter is back to square one and we might hope that's as far as he will ever get.

For now, good riddance to both of them.

Stick it in your ear PT.....

OH