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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBarack Obama’s Arkansas primary problem
Thats because only Obama and John Wolfe, a Tennessee lawyer, are on the Democratic presidential primary ballot in the Razorback State. (Wolfe took 12 percent and nearly 18,000 votes in a four-way fight in the Louisiana Democratic presidential primary in late March.) And a recent independent poll showed Obama running just seven points ahead of Wolfe in the southern Arkansas 4th district, which covers one-quarter of the state.
All of this takes place on a backdrop that is decidedly less than friendly for Obama. Even while he was sweeping to a national victory (and 365 electoral votes) in 2008, Obama received just 39 percent in Arkansas six points worse than Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry did four years earlier.
Arkansas voters are informed voters and are fully aware that John Wolfe will not make it out of the primary, said one well-connected Arkansas Democrat. However, if John Wolfe has a strong showing tomorrow, its a sign that Democratic voters in Arkansas are frustrated with the administrations policies and further reiteration that Southern Democrats simply cannot identify with President Obama.
And, if the press coverage of Keith Judds surprisingly strong showing two weeks ago in West Virginia is any indication, you can expect Wolfe to draw significant attention in the immediate aftermath of todays vote.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/barack-obamas-arkansas-primary-problem/2012/05/22/gIQAV0oihU_blog.html
rurallib
(62,478 posts)but thanks anyway, Washington Post for the trying to stir the shit soup.
ProSense
(116,464 posts)By Jonathan Bernstein
Barack Obama might embarrass himself tonight.
Well, not embarrass himself as much as be embarrassed by the Arkansas presidential primary results. See, the president isnt very popular in that state he has essentially zero chance of carrying it in November and theres a no-name candidate on the ballot, and so theres some speculation that the president might do very poorly indeed.
Heres what you need to know about that:
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Its a non-story. If the national media decides to chase after it tonight and tomorrow, it will be forgotten by next Tuesday.
The shame here is that there really are some serious, important contests today in Arkansas and Kentucky. National Journals Scott Bland tells us to watch the Republican primary in Kentucky 4 for a proxy McConnell/Paul showdown, with the winner getting a safe GOP seat, and both primaries in Arkansas 4, which has an open seat that will most likely be a Republican pickup. Also, in Arkansas 1, the Democrats may have a chance for a serious November challenge to incumbent Republican Rick Crawford, depending on todays results. These contests will offer real results, with real consequences, even though the national media prefer to obsess about the presidential race despite the probability that nothing happening right now in that campaign will make any difference at all in November.
- more -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/the-primaries-that-matter-today/2012/05/22/gIQAtyZkiU_blog.html
Same as the felon getting a big chunk of the vote in WV: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002662669
fishwax
(29,150 posts)It's a non-story, though the media might try to get some mileage out of it.
tanyev
(42,669 posts)From Powerline:
What To Do If You Live In Arkansas
Arkansas has open primaries. So, if you live in Arkansas, here is what you should do: If you live in the 4th Congressional district, vote in the Republican primary, and vote for our friend Tom Cotton, one of the brightest stars in the new generation of conservative leadership. If you live anywhere outside the 4th district, vote in the Democratic primary for John Wolfe. Who is he? A crank perennial candidate. But if he wins the Arkansas primary, as he very well may, attention will be focused on the fact that in state after state, Democratic voters have registered their discontent with the Obama administration. That would be a valuable step in the process of reclaiming America from Obama and his corrupt cronies.
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2012/05/what-to-do-if-you-live-in-arkansas.php
sadbear
(4,340 posts)This has nothing to do with policy. President Obama is a Democrat through and through.
emulatorloo
(44,268 posts)BlueToTheBone
(3,747 posts)with Obama and are voting in the Dem primary.
JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)Obama has already won the Dem primary.
So now some dimwits from crazy town will vote in a meaningless election, for some one no one has ever heard of. And if that candidate gets any votes ... some very stupid people will dance around imagining a future in which Obama does not get a 2nd term.
Oh Noooooo!!!!!!!
Hestia
(3,818 posts)been really pushing for this guy. I pride myself on knowing who the players are (by and large) and WTF is this guy? Ah, he is some kook from Chattanooga, TN, which is why no one has heard of him except the publisher of the D-G, who detests Democrats period, and President Obama specifically.
The 4th is newly drawn NW Ark. district which is a white haven red district. Tom Cotton winning the contest is some scary stuff. He is a Beltway insider who is using his a'shucks mode, but hasn't been in the state since 1995 when he graduated high school. He is trying to win Mike Ross' seat, Blue Dog, who is retiring, deciding not to run. There are some decent Dem's running. Maybe not true blue, but much better than having another freakin' pug representing us for the first time since Reconstruction.
Who cares about Arkansas politics? We do, the one's who actually live here.
SoutherDem
(2,307 posts)Will they then give their support to Obama?
Is it an open primary?
By the way if someone missed the Dixiecrat reference I will explain it.
bluestate10
(10,942 posts)spend time in other than to support locals. The state has to make it's way into the modern world before a national democrat should spend time and money there.