It is an odd time in Arkansas politics, and last week was certainly an odd one for the Democratic Party. As Republicans continue to gain ground and Arkansas transitions from a one-party state to a two-party state, Democrats appear a bit perplexed regarding how to cope with the change and remain the majority party.
Part of the success Democrats have enjoyed in recent decades in a state that leans heavily to the right has been their ability to separate themselves from national politics. But making the case that Arkansas Democrats are different from Washington Democrats is becoming increasingly challenging.
With the fiscal session around the corner, Arkansas Democrats kicked off last week with a news conference at the state Capitol. About two dozen Democratic legislators stood in front of about a dozen members of the news media and told them they wanted the upcoming fiscal session to be as short and painless as possible — get in, get out, nothing else.
This is all well and good, but one reporter asked House Majority Leader Johnnie Roebuck why call a news conference to announce that you plan to do what you are constitutionally required to do. What’s the point?
“We wanted to send a message to the people of Arkansas that we are bipartisan and we do know that we have to reach across the aisle for help during this session,” said Roebuck. “People are tired of the bickering in Washington and their refusal to work across the aisle. So we wanted to set a tone for this session.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
I asked that if that was the purpose, why were there only Democrats at the event?
“Remember, we are the majority party,” answered Roebuck. “We wanted to brag on some of the things we have done.”
The next day, Rep. Garry Smith, D-Camden, drifted off the script when he was back home in the comfort of a Democratic gathering and perhaps forgetting that a local reporter was also in the room.
He began by saying how proud he was to be a Democrat, and he added, “If Jesus were here today, he would be a Democrat because he tried to help everybody and he still does.”
Smith also offered praise for President Obama, which is something most Arkansas Democrats try to avoid because the president is so unpopular in the state.
But perhaps the biggest gaffe was when he tried to explain the difference between a Washington Democrat and an Arkansas Democrat.
“I am an Arkansas Democrat, I am not a Washington Democrat,” Smith was quoted as saying. “And we are definitely different. The Republicans in Washington are anti-everything. They don’t like Jesus; I am pretty sure of that.” Needless to say, Republicans took exception to the remark and Smith has since tried to backtrack, saying he didn’t really mean it and should not have brought up Jesus.
But only a few days after that, the Democratic Party of Arkansas engaged in what would appear to be a Washington-style political tactic. In a news release, the DPA linked Republican Minority Leader John Burris to some ill-chosen comments of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney who — in an attempt to explain he was focused on helping the middle class — said, “I’m not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there.” Burris defended Romney on Twitter, saying he was “spot on” and pointed out that the state spends billions on Medicaid. DPA spokeswoman Candace Martin said in the press release that Burris’ words showed “Republicans don’t care about the elderly or Arkansas families who rely on Medicaid.”
So to recap the week — Democrats began with a press conference calling for bipartisanship in Arkansas, and then turned around and said Republicans don’t like Jesus or care about the elderly.
It must be an election year.
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Jason Tolbert is an accountant and conservative political blogger. His blog — The Tolbert Report — is linked at ArkansasNews.com. His e-mail is jason@TolbertReport.com.