Preacher, General On Rise
Arkansans in spotlight
Last updated Wednesday, August 15, 2007 10:05 PM CDT in Columns
By John Brummett
THE MORNING NEWS
I seemed to recall it, so I looked it up. The potentially prophetic column was from May 2006.
It raised the possibility that the presidential race in 2008 would be Arkansas-centric, pitting a ticket of Hillary Clinton and Wes Clark on the Democratic side against John McCain and Mike Huckabee for the Republicans.
I wasn't wholly serious, except maybe about McCain, now the least likely of the four to make it.
Clark probably won't get there, either. For her running mate, Hillary would be expected to choose a more accomplished politician or someone providing regional balance. You hear mostly about Barack Obama or Bill Richardson.
But I'm not so sure of that wisdom. With the war in Iraq front and center, she might use a victorious former NATO commander.
The idea of a decorated retired Army general debating Huckabee -- why, it positively scintillates. That would pair an experienced walker of the walk with an exceptional talker of the talk. You'd have one who practiced against one who preached.
I remember a few years ago when Clark toyed for a few minutes with running against Huckabee for governor. At least he sat for lunch on the notion with the state Democratic chairman. Huckabee made some public remark about how being a politician was a lot different from being a general, and it kind of irked Clark.
I'm about to talk myself, if not Hillary, into it.
Of course she'll need to secure the actual nomination first.
You'll notice I'm fairly confident of Hillary as the nominee. I'm more accepting, if not precisely confident, of the prospect of Our Boy Mike's doing well enough in his presidential campaign to get tabbed as a running mate on the GOP side by Rudy Giuliani or Mitt Romney.
Either of those East Coast fellows could sorely use some of the geographical and evangelical balance a Southern Baptist preacher would provide. A Republican cannot get elected without the mostly solid South, with Arkansas, Louisiana and Florida the least solid components.
The week began in Arkansas with a focus on Huckabee's triumphant second-place showing in the Ames straw vote in Iowa. It will end with Huckabee's heading out for four days in New Hampshire while the state gets ready for Hillary to barrel in Monday.
Well, maybe not "barrel." She's going to drop by to pick up some money.
The plan is for her to appear at noon Monday at a big-ticket fundraiser at the Fayetteville home of old friends Suzie Stephens and Jim Hatfield.
Then she'll come to Little Rock, where, at 4 p.m., she'll meet with invited Democratic state legislators and county officeholders at the headquarters of the Association of Arkansas Counties. That will be pursuant to the arrangements of her newly announced Arkansas chairman, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel.
He has this idea -- the right one -- that it's as important for Clinton to make a personal connection with Arkansas Democrats, to show them she relates in a way John Kerry didn't, as to raise big bucks. She'll probably have to pooh-pooh new gun restrictions, and it won't hurt her to talk about her religious faith.
At 5 p.m. Clinton will appear at a cheap-ticket reception for "young professionals" at the relatively new Cafe Africa at the Little Rock Zoo. At 7 p.m. she'll attend a high-dollar function at the Little Rock home of Kaki Hockersmith and Max Mehlburger.
I'm expecting Gov. Mike Beebe to endorse her while she's here. He may as well. Every other leading Arkansas Democratic officeholder has done so, except U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln. She is sticking for now with her position that Arkansas voters can decide just fine without her assistance.
John Brummett is a columnist and reporter for Stephens Media in Little Rock.
About this columnist
John Brummett has been writing about Arkansas and national politics for three decades and as a regular columnist since 1986. Email Brummett at jbrummett@arkansasnews.com.
Click here to read his blog.
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