Category Archives: Politics

Mike Beebe: From shack to Governor’s Mansion to new film

Politics, State government

By Steve Brawner, © 2019 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

First, Mike Beebe overcame an impoverished early childhood. Then, he overcame a Republican tide to be re-elected governor and win all 75 counties in 2010.

How he did both are subjects of a new hour-long documentary, “Men and Women of Distinction: Mike Beebe.”

The documentary was screened Wednesday at the Arkansas Cinema Society’s annual Filmland festival. AETN, which funded the $46,000 project, will begin broadcasting it Aug. 29. It also will be available for viewing at AETN’s website, aetn.org.

The work of first-time director Kathryn Tucker is an interesting look at one of Arkansas’ most important political leaders of the past half century. It’s well produced and worth an hour of your time – unless you can’t stand Beebe. That’s because it paints a very positive portrait of him, though everyone in the film seems to agree he had a cocky streak, including his wife, Ginger.

The film tells how Beebe was born in a tar paper shack in Amagon to a single mom waitress. They moved around during his early years. He never knew his biological father and had several stepfathers. Continue reading Mike Beebe: From shack to Governor’s Mansion to new film →

Arkansas gets more of a say for president. Is it worth it?

Elections, Legislature, Politics, State government

By Steve Brawner, vote, Mark Moore, 16-year-olds, Arkansas primaries, Goodson, photo ID© 2019 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Legislators this year permanently moved Arkansas’ presidential primary elections to March, and recently the state starting seeing the maybe-or-not-worth-it results: visits by two mid-tier Democratic presidential candidates.

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke both talked guns.

In a press conference Aug. 15, Klobuchar touted universal background checks and barring guns from people convicted of domestic abuse against unmarried partners. As the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s John Moritz reported, she also expressed support for “red flag” laws creating a process for temporarily removing guns from people deemed a threat.

O’Rourke narrowly lost a high-profile Senate race in Texas last year. He entered this campaign with much promise but has yet to catch fire, so he’s trying to create a spark.

He spoke Aug. 17 at the state Democratic Party’s Clinton Dinner, spoke at a gun control rally at the state Capitol, and visited a gun show in Conway. O’Rourke has called for banning military-style assault rifles and instituting a mandatory government buyback program where owners of those weapons who don’t participate would be fined.

O’Rourke formerly represented El Paso, where a mass shooter killed 22 people Aug. 3. Continue reading Arkansas gets more of a say for president. Is it worth it? →

What happens when Texas becomes a purple state?

Elections, Politics

Democrats, Alabama, blue wave, school boards, Hixson, Breanne, red tide, judicial electionsBy Steve Brawner, © 2019 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Arkansas is now dominated by Republicans, so the outcomes of most of next year’s elections aren’t in doubt here. Our neighbor, Texas – that’s where things are getting interesting.

Texas, formerly one of the country’s reddest states, is turning a shade of purple, with potentially huge electoral consequences for the entire country.

The state has 36 House members, nine times as many as Arkansas. Twenty-three are Republicans and 13 are Democrats, and both senators are Republicans.

But four Republican House members have recently announced they are retiring – three of them in competitive districts, which is no coincidence. The latest, Rep. Kenny Marchant, is leaving office after eight terms in a Dallas district after being re-elected with only 50.6% of the vote last year.

Prior to that, Rep. Will Hurd, the only African-American Republican in the House, and one of two in Congress, announced he is not running for re-election. A critic of President Trump who represents a district on the Mexican border, he was re-elected in 2018 by fewer than 1,000 votes. Continue reading What happens when Texas becomes a purple state? →

Hendren ‘not telling them no’ in 2022 governor’s race

Elections, Politics, State government

Jim Hendren, tobacco taxBy Steve Brawner, © 2019 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Could Jim Hendren be Arkansas’ next governor? He thinks so. I told him it would be an uphill climb.

The state Senate president pro tempore from Gravette in Northwest Arkansas said he’s being encouraged to run in 2022. He said supporters approve of what Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Republican legislators are doing. And he’s not discouraging their interest.

“I am beginning to travel some and to meet with some folks and have those discussions about the challenges that we face and the things that we can bring to the table to be successful,” he said while traveling on business Monday. He later added, “I guess what I’m saying is I’m not telling them no at this point. I’m having those discussions.”

Hendren joked during a recent dinner speech at the National Conference of State Legislatures that he was declaring his candidacy – against his sister, state Rep. Gayla McKenzie, R-Gravette, for her office. When the women in the audience chanted her name, he told them he instead would run against his uncle for president.

That would be Hutchinson, who recently said a White House run is “on the table.”

Hendren’s name has been mentioned often concerning the 2022 governor’s race, but not as the first name on the list. Lt. Governor Tim Griffin is definitely running for governor, and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge is considered a possible opponent. Continue reading Hendren ‘not telling them no’ in 2022 governor’s race →