I wouldn’t hazard more than a dollar on the outcome of the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. But the punditry seems to be detecting an upset.

Politico says:

Advertisement

1) Blanche Lincoln’s campaign was one of the worst of the year.

Lincoln has seemed to suffer from a split personality in trying to defeat Lt. Gov. Bill Halter. At the outset, she was an apologetic DLC moderate — happy to defy her liberal national party on behalf of Arkansans. Then, after barely edging Halter in the primary, she veered hard to the left and aired ads touting her support for healthcare reform and featuring noted Razorback favorite Rachel Maddow. Now, seemingly frustrated with labor’s continued air assault against her, she’s returning to Southern Dem of yore mode, warning outsiders to stop meddling in her state and boasting of her time spent in her caucus’s “time-out chair.”

Advertisement

If she wins, it will be because this Blanche relied on the kindness of strangers — namely tradition-minded Democratic regulars who may show up for a run-off — and not because she did herself any favors.

2) And then there’s the prediction of how Bill Halter could change the face of progressive Democratic politics NATIONWIDE?

Advertisement

Adam Green of the liberal group, Bold Progressives, said a Halter victory would have the impact of Ned Lamont’s upset victory over Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) in the 2006 Democratic primary.

“Just as the Lieberman primary victory shocked Democrats into talking about Iraq, this will shock Democrats into being more populist and anti-corporate,” said Green. “If Halter wins, it will prove to thousands of activists, donors and voters that defeating corporate Democrats is possible — and likely lead to a huge infusion of energy into other progressive campaigns across the country.”

Advertisement

Ummm, maybe, maybe not. Is the Tea Party ascendant in Masschusetts and the U.S.? Or did Martha Coakley just run a terrible race?

Help to Keep Great Journalism Alive in Arkansas

Join the fight for truth and become a subscriber of the Arkansas Times. We've been battling powerful forces for 50 years through our tough, determined, and feisty journalism. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, our readers value great journalism. But we need your help to do even more. By subscribing and supporting our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage. Together, we can continue to hold the powerful accountable and bring important stories to light. Subscribe now or donate for as little as $1 and be a part of the Arkansas Times community.

Previous article The best of the ‘Fest Next article CNN: Why, no, we don’t want to point fingers at anybody – it’s not like we’re a news organization or anything . . .