March 5, 2020

By Steve Brawner
© 2020 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

The presidential candidate who ran the worst campaign – in fact, barely ran a campaign at all here in Arkansas – was the big winner on Tuesday, which begs the question about the value of campaigning itself.

Former Vice President Joe Biden started this cycle as the frontrunner in a crowded field, but for much of its early stages he did little to solidify that status. He was shaky in debates, he didn’t seem to have a national following, and he trailed in fundraising. Americans had become accustomed to his goofy likability when he was vice president, but his performance these past few months created real doubts as to whether he is up to the job – doubts that persist. And, you’ll recall, there was that brief scandal about him being, not adulterous, but inappropriately affectionate with women.

Meanwhile, other candidates were doing all the things you’re supposed to do to win an election. Sen. Bernie Sanders was exciting the masses and building a national movement. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was spending hundreds of millions of dollars on advertising (and came to Arkansas three times, while Biden barely advertised here, never visited and instead sent his wife). Sen. Elizabeth Warren was a much better debater and offered detailed policy plans. Mayor Pete Buttigieg won Iowa, sort of, and almost won New Hampshire.

Then, just as it looked like Biden’s campaign was dying, he won South Carolina big. Continue reading →

March 3, 2020

By Steve Brawner
© 2020 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

For the second straight presidential election, Arkansas scheduled its primary early and then watched mostly from afar as a large field dwindled. The upside: At least voters here had their say while the nomination was still in doubt. The downside: It’s one more way that the system gives an advantage to incumbents.

When Arkansans went to the polls that day, 18 names were on the Democratic presidential ballot, but most of the candidates had dropped out and only four were still competitive: Sen. Bernie Sanders, the outsider disruptor the party establishment wishes would go away; former Vice President Joe Biden; former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg; and Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

When the day started, Sanders was the frontrunner. When it ended, Biden, whose campaign looked to be dead in the water only a week earlier, had become the clear frontrunner. The next day, Bloomberg had decided to stop spending his money, and Warren was having to decide whether or not to stop spending her energies.

In politics, a lot can happen quickly. Continue reading →

Feb. 20, 2020

By Steve Brawner
© 2020 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Were you watching the New Hampshire presidential primary results Feb. 12? Fort Smith’s Mosemarie “Mosie” Boyd was, because she was on the ballot.

The founding attorney of the True Grit Law Firm collected 32 votes and placed 25th in New Hampshire, then drove all night through a snowstorm to Cleveland and flew to her home state of California to campaign there. She spoke with me Sunday from Fair Oaks, where she attended high school and where her mother has a campaign sign in her yard near that state’s governor’s home.

“She’s very proud that he and his security detail drive by my presidential campaign sign every morning on his way to work,” she said.

Boyd, 50, planned to spend this week campaigning in California before returning to Arkansas. Both states have their primaries March 3. She’ll be one of 18 candidates on the Democratic Party ballot here. Continue reading →

Feb. 18, 2020

By Steve Brawner
© 2020 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Early voting has begun in Arkansas’ March 3 primary elections, which feature a Democratic presidential race, an Arkansas Supreme Court race, and not much else.

Eighteen presidential candidates are on the Democratic ballot, but most have suspended their campaigns. If former Vice President Joe Biden doesn’t win South Carolina Feb. 29, then by March 3 the field of serious contenders may have winnowed to five: Sen. Bernie Sanders, Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

Thirteen other states along with Arkansas vote March 3. The next day, it could be down to Sanders and Bloomberg. Sanders has a base of supporters committed to his socialist candidacy. He spoke to a crowd of 17,000 in Washington state Monday. That’s a Trump-like number. Bloomberg has a base of billions of dollars and the increasing attention of traditional Democrats who fear what Sanders will do to their party if he’s the nominee.

On the Republican side, two other names are on the ballot alongside President Trump’s. Former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld ran for vice president in 2016 as a Libertarian and hoped this year to position himself as some kind of return to post-Trump Republican normalcy. That ain’t happening, at least not this year. Rocky De La Fuente is also on the ballot, but he was never a serious candidate and has dropped out. Continue reading →