The untold story this morning is the subtext of Jim Holt’s smashing victory in the Republican primary for lt. gov.

Asa!-Holt is not exactly a dream Republican ticket (though Asa-Banks would have been). Asa Hutchinson, the GOP candidate for governor, wants to convince swing voters that he’s not a raving right-winger. It will be hard to do if he’s photographed embracing his extremist running mate.

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Asa and Beebe are both solidly establishment (with Bush, in other words) on the immigration question that is Holt’s red meat. In short: What’ll the chicken eviscerators do without immigrant labor? The candidates know who butters their bread. Yet Asa must excite his base, too. He could use Holt in this regard, but in the process risk cooling other voters.

Interesting dynamic ahead.

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PS — One more subtext. Halter is the dream candidate for Holt. He’ll be pegged a carpetbagging socialist before it’s over and no amount of his high-tech money can change that much. Wooldridge, on the other hand, would easly beat Holt by running as the saner of the two right-wingers.

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