Here’s the Saturday open line. And tell me:

Do the algorithms on your web habits line up right? Are ads popping up promoting the notion that Clarke Tucker, the Democratic nominee for 2nd District Congress, would be a tool of Nancy Pelosi (who Tucker has distanced himself from)?

The ads take you to a website created by Sen.Tom Cotton’s PAC, the Republican Majority Fund, which is devoted to electing people like him (think banker 2nd District Republian Rep. French Hill, another trusted ally of the Trump agenda). The National Republican Committee is also selling the theme. Pelosi apparently puts fear in the trembling spines of the old white male Fox viewers who make up so much of the Cotton/Trump base. Their social media pages will be lighting up with the Tom Cotton ad buy. Liberals like me? Not so much.

Advertisement

This follows the Russian election model. Find an appealing scare tactic, no matter how big the lie, and shovel gigabytes of it down the social media throats of true believers. Keep them motivated. Worked for Trump. Might work for Cotton’s boy French.

One thing is clear: Tucker is viewed as a threat. They weren’t dumping huge sums into ad buys in May 2016 against Diane Curry, the unknown Democratic nominee who nonetheless beat French Hill in his hometown. Scaring off potential swing voters is the name of this game.

Advertisement

Perhaps somebody should create a frenchkoch2018 website. The Koch brothers are among the plutocratic, earth-warming, immigrant-hating deep pockets behind Cotton  ($8 million in his first Senate race) and, thus, Hill. Hill and Cotton have been doing their work for some time, working to prop up the carbon burning industry.

I don’t happen to fear Nancy Pelosi. Tom Cotton and Donald Trump and enablers like French Hill? Different story.

Advertisement

Arkansas Times: Your voice in the fight

Are you tired of watered-down news and biased reporting? The Arkansas Times has been fighting for truth and justice for 50 years. As an alternative newspaper in Little Rock, we are tough, determined, and unafraid to take on powerful forces. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, we are making a difference. But we can't do it without you. Join the 3,400 paid subscribers who support our great journalism and help us hire more writers. Sign up for a subscription today or make a donation of as little as $1 and help keep the Arkansas Times feisty for years to come.

Previous article The new RiverFest, a review from our photographer Next article Crowds increase at RiverFest day 2