Beebe: 1 Hutchinson: 0
Who watched the Beebe - Hutchinson debate last night? It was a little hard for most people to catch, but it was shown live, online which might be a first for an Arkansas debate. I was fortunate, and got to watch it on a huge flat screen plasma monitor at one of my favorite haunts, the Mallard at the Peabody. It was interesting to watch the debate with such a colorful group of insiders including lobbyists, developers, public relations types, campaign aids, and to make it more interesting I got to meet Dustin McDaniel there as well. He is taller than I expected.
The debate was a bit dry with most of the humidity being absorbed by Hutchinson. I've heard him speak before and he is just not dynamic. His tone is flat, he needs speech lessons in a bad way. Simply put, he lacks passion. Beebe is comfortable in front of any audience and it shows. He used great vocal variety and he knows how to summarize the points he wants to make so they are easier to remember.
Of course, this was not a debate in the classic sense. Instead it was just a series of softball question that each candidate has a stock answer for already. I think it was Prof. Jay Barth who last week predicted that Hutchinson, because he is trailing in the polls, would be the first to go negative and attack Beebe. His prognostication was correct. Hutchinson took every shot he could at Beebe using carefully chosen buzz words and catchy phrases. Hutchinson attacked him using misleading assumptions and other unhelpful rhetoric. Moreover, he did it badly, without style and with a flat presentation.
Beebe was right – voting records should be examined in context of what was happening during each session. If the state was in risk of running a deficit – raising taxes sometimes was necessary. Hutchinson’s viewpoint was too simplistic. How important is it in the end whether someone sponsored a certain piece of legislation? Not very. Simply because Beebe may have voted to raise one tax didn’t mean he didn’t vote elsewhere to lower taxes. I have no idea about his overall tax votes – but I feel fairly certain the story Hutchinson is telling does not reflect how the legislature really works.
Beebe is right about one thing – Hutchinson is a Washington D.C. outsider and after being away has lost touch with the state.
Comments
Can't believe McDaniel was at the Mallard. Who owns that hotel again?
Posted by: can't imagine | September 19, 2006 11:53 AM
Hoglawyer, you're obviously a Beebe supporter. Have you given him money too?
Posted by: Anonymous | September 19, 2006 02:50 PM
What a load of BS. Beebe won???
His closing statement was typical of his candidacy. He said he has a vision for Arkansas and then didn't say what it was. He said he has the experience, but didn't mention that many of the things he says he's for, such as cutting the grocery tax, he's opposed consistently throughout his tenure in office. Most of the other things he's for he's had 20 years to do something about, so he could run on a record, instead he's running from his record.
Beebe won. What a joke.
Hutchinson was very clear and specific and he didn't have to run from his record to. He can point to his record to show that what he wants to do as governor he's already done throughout his career in public office.
Posted by: Anonymous | September 19, 2006 02:58 PM
"He can point to his record to show that what he wants to do as governor he's already done throughout his career in public office."
"Border emergency declared in New Mexico
Governor says area 'devastated' by human and drug smuggling"
CNN
Saturday, August 13, 2005;
"The declaration said the region "has been devastated by the ravages and terror of human smuggling, drug smuggling, kidnapping, murder, destruction of property and the death of livestock. ...
"[It] is in an extreme state of disrepair and is inadequately funded or safeguarded to protect the lives and property of New Mexican citizens."
New Mexico shares 180 miles of border with the Mexican state of Chihuahua.
"The situation is out of hand," Richardson said Friday night on CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight," noting that one 54-mile stretch is particularly bad"
And all we must do is look around NWA, read the murder headlines and wonder how so many came in so fast. Thanks Asa, Cheif of Border Security.
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Posted by: Lwood![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/hoglawyer/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 19, 2006 03:33 PM
No mention of the other candidates. Jim Lendall proposed a cut on the food tax several years ago and beebe voted no. Good to see he's changed his mind. Let's talk about how Mike and Asa were scared of the others' ideas and worked early to block them out. Let's talk about how this is negatively affecting our democracy by not allowing all voices to be heard. Come on, let's talk about something that really matters. not meaningless lip service on topics they're not going to do anything about.
Posted by: JRM | September 19, 2006 04:25 PM
In the spirit of candor, I think I have given Beebe maybe $40.
Posted by: hoglawyer | September 19, 2006 09:13 PM
"And all we must do is look around NWA, read the murder headlines and wonder how so many came in so fast. Thanks Asa, Cheif of Border Security. "
Yeah, that's really well thought out. The number of illegal aliens has been spiking since early in the Clinton administration. Like Beebe, you don't want to do anything about the problem locally. You just want to point fingers and say that you care about the issue.
Posted by: Anonymous | September 20, 2006 10:49 AM
Border security SHOULDN'T be an Arkansas issue nor an issue for the state government.
I've been in the courthouses around this state, same sad joke. Illegal gets on some penny-ante offense, the Feds get called to haul them off, Feds say once cut 'em loose we don't want them.
The state has no legal authority to haul 'em back to their country of origin, that's a Federal responsibility and for years the Feds have refused to take virtually any illegal caught by local law enforcement unless a violent crime was involved.
Posted by: Well | September 20, 2006 02:21 PM
"Like Beebe, you don't want to do anything about the problem locally. You just want to point fingers and say that you care about the issue."
I could care less. Frankly, I'm for open borders and decriminilaztion of mj. What I find so damn hypocritical
is Asaid wants to "round'em up" now that he seeks state office. But when he was in a position do actually do something about it what happened?
Ilegal immigration increased as my post shows. He could not violate the wishes of Bush who wants a stream of cheap labor for his large corporate donor buddies.
If I were going to enforce immigration rules I would do exactly as Mike Beebe said he would do as govenor- fine the employers who hire them. I'm not so sure a state official can fine an employer based upon the emplyer violating Federal law. Hoglawyer may wish to clarify.
Whether anyone likes it or not immigration is strictly under the control of federalies and Asaid knows the law well enough to know a state official cannot roundem up and deport.
I'm not naive enough to think we will ever have legal open borders but thanks to Bushco we have them nonetheless. We do need to streamline and update Fed immigration processes.
Btw, borders were porous during Rompin Ronnie's terms and Bush ver 1 too. However we were in RECESSION then and few jobs to attract messicuns but Clinton got our economy jumpin and here came more workers.
Posted by: Lwood![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/hoglawyer/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 24, 2006 02:31 AM
How about we ask Asa Hutchinson about what went on in Mena with Barry Seal in the 80's? Why is no one talking about that little issue?
Posted by: sole | October 18, 2006 03:31 PM