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

While Arkansas’ voters will be casting their ballots in March and November this year, the state’s two U.S. senators will be looking toward future elections. For Sen. John Boozman, it’s 2022. For Sen. Tom Cotton, it’s 2024.

Cotton is up for re-election this year but doesn’t have to worry about campaigning. That’s because the Democrats’ candidate, Josh Mahony, abruptly and with little explanation quit the race hours after the filing period ended, leaving the party with no legal path toward finding a replacement.

There is a Libertarian candidate, Ricky Harrington Jr., who will need a favorable court ruling to stay on the ballot, and an independent, Daniel Whitfield, who must collect 10,000 verified signatures of registered voters.

Regardless, Cotton easily will win re-election and would have been re-elected if Mahony had stayed in the race, or against any Democrat. Maybe Mike Beebe could have made it interesting. Continue reading →

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

In presidential politics, what usually happens is not what’s destined to happen, and sometimes things can get really crazy.

So for fun, let’s consider the possibility that none of the Democratic candidates amass enough delegates in the primaries to win the nomination.

Let’s start by stipulating that pundits like me often predict this happening whenever there’s a large field, and then a nominee emerges long before the last state votes.

But this time might be different because the party’s rules have changed, because the process has been front-loaded with early big state primaries, because Democrats have several candidates who might stay in the race for a while, and because a big wild card has been tossed onto the table. Continue reading →

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

If you ever are named a head football coach – or CEO or governor or president of the United States – learn from the University of Arkansas’ Sam Pittman to see how to act in your introductory press conference.

The new head football coach won the press conference, and surely the hearts of those watching, through his authenticity and sincerity Dec. 9. Clearly, the 58-year-old first-time head coach raised in nearby eastern Oklahoma – who fought back tears at times – really, really wanted this job.

Just as important as his sincerity was his proper setting of expectations. Pointedly avoiding slogans, he promised only that his “blue collar” Razorbacks would work hard, excel in the fundamentals and try to score more points than the other team.

The press conference came two years and two days after his predecessor’s introduction, which was markedly different. Continue reading →

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

A billionaire businessman and former New York City mayor flew to Little Rock to file his presidential candidacy paperwork at the Capitol Tuesday, and that wasn’t the most unexpected event on the last day of campaign filing.

Michael Bloomberg, 77, was the only major presidential candidate to file in person. He has openly flirted with running for president for years but has never pulled the trigger. But he really doesn’t approve of his fellow billionaire New Yorker, President Donald Trump, and has been critical of the Democratic field.

Bloomberg had filed in Alabama, which like Arkansas has a ridiculously early filing period, but Arkansas was the first state where he did it in person. His appearance wasn’t previously announced, but word began to spread that morning, and reporters and onlookers were waiting when he arrived. He paid his $2,500 filing fee to the Democratic Party of Arkansas, filed his paperwork, had his picture taken, and then spoke briefly with reporters. He did not confirm he is running for president but did say he was “the only candidate to come here.” If he’s not a candidate, he’s doing a great impression of one.

Bloomberg wasn’t the only major party candidate to file Tuesday. Former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld filed in the Republican Party primary against Trump. Weld is an announced candidate and had been talking to the state party, so his decision, though notable, wasn’t a complete surprise. Continue reading →