Category Archives: Elections

Independent Rogers would have joined the Democratic caucus

D’James Rogers, who placed second in the July 12 District 54 special election to represent Crittenden County, said today that he would have joined the Democratic caucus if elected.

Rogers ran as an independent because he wanted an African-American to represent the majority-minority district rather than the eventual winner, newly sworn in Rep. Hudson Hallum (D-Marion). Hallum, who is caucasian, had defeated two African-Americans in the Democratic primary.

Hallum won the July 12 special election held after Rep. Fred Smith (D-Crawfordsville) resigned following a felony conviction.

According to unofficial returns, Hallum received 987 votes, while Rogers received 437. Republican John Greelan received 415 votes.

Rogers said that, if he had won, he would have governed as a Democrat. He has been actively working with Democrats since 2000 and was the regional field director for last year’s coordinated campaign.

Rogers said that running as an independent was difficult in a district dominated by Democrats. Naturally, he received no help from the Democratic Party and struggled to raise money. “I didn’t get any support from them,” he said. “It was like, ‘We’ll talk to you once the election is over with.’”

He campaigned with the help of family and friends and used social media to communicate his message. He said African-American leaders in the district did support him.

He said he would run again some time in the future and would do so as a Democrat.

The right muzzles Newt Gingrich

“I am not a member of any organized political party,” American humorist Will Rogers once said. “I am a Democrat.”

That’s one of Rogers’ most famous quotations, and it is as true now as it was when he said it. It’s one of the reasons Democrats have had such trouble creating a coherent message to counteract the “less government” message Republicans have been preaching so successfully since the Reagan years.

Republicans have a different problem – they are too organized, as Rogers pointed out. He also once said, “Democrats never agree on anything. That’s why they’re Democrats. If they agreed with each other, they would be Republicans.”

Now more than ever in my lifetime, Republicans demand almost lockstep conformity on just about every issue – as Newt Gingrich is finding out.

Gingrich, the party’s leader during the mid-90s, is trying to revive his political career with a presidential bid that is going nowhere. On Sunday, he criticized Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan’s Medicare plan as “radical” and “right-wing social engineering.”

I don’t know about “right-wing social engineering,” but Ryan’s plan is pretty radical. He wants to replace Medicare as it now exists with a voucher program that gives senior citizens $15,000 a year to buy their own health insurance. It certainly deserves a healthy debate – both within the Republican Party and outside it. In fact, a healthy debate would actually help its cause. A new poll shows most voters oppose any cuts at all to Medicare, which shows how little they understand the budget realities the country faces. A healthy debate might educate them on those realities.

But Republicans are cutting Gingrich off at the knees, and, regrettably, he has already backtracked.

Republicans have always talked about being a “big tent party.” If Newt Gingrich isn’t welcome inside, that’s a pretty small tent.

Here’s the poll I mentioned.

Libertarians turn in sigs; should be on ballot

A core belief of independentarkansas is that the political system is broken and unable to reform itself.

That’s why the news that the Libertarian Party of Arkansas seemingly has gathered more than enough signatures to qualify for the ballot is welcome. The party announced that it has gathered 16,139 signatures, far more than the 10,000 required. No Libertarian has ever run for elected office in Arkansas except for president of the United States.

Libertarians fill a niche neither of the two parties currently fill – they are economic conservatives (like Republicans) and social liberals (like Democrats). Its candidates will be for lower taxes and pro-choice on abortion. Having never had power, they tend to be consistent in their views – and occasionally extreme, to their detriment. They’ll have to decide to moderate their views, or at least their rhetoric, if they want start winning elections.

Regardless, they are welcome on my ballot and might get a few of my votes if they run the right candidates. The best way to reform the two major parties is to make them afraid candidates who are not a part of their duopoly might actually win an election.