Upset: Republican wins surprise blowout in Arkansas Senate special election

Hot Air ^ | January 17, 2014 | Guy Benson

[2ndDivisionVet]

Let’s read some 2014 tea leaves, shall we? First, some background on an Arkansas special election that was decided earlier this week:

The special election for a northeast Arkansas Senate seat vacated by a lawmaker who resigned over ethics violations will be an early bellwether on the fight to protect the state’s Medicaid expansion, as well as Democrats’ chances in the November election. Voters head to the polls Tuesday to cast ballots in the special election between Democrat Steve Rockwell and Republican John Cooper for state Senate District 21 seat that covers the Jonesboro area. The winner will serve the remainder of the term of former state Sen. Paul Bookout – a Democrat. The race for Bookout’s seat between Rockwell and Cooper has centered on the key issue facing lawmakers when they return for next month’s fiscal session – whether to continue the state’s “private option” plan to expand Medicaid.

Craighead County has not been represented by a Republican in the state senate since reconstruction. An analysis from the left-wing Daily Kos explained the dynamics and significance of this race:

Craighead County is part of the Delta. As such, it is part of the rural Democratic coalition that dominated state politics for over a century. Today, county politics are still largely Democratic…On the politics side of things, this election is huge. Craighead County is a key area of the state for both Mark Pryor and Mike Ross to win (they need to get at minimum 49% of the vote in this county to win the state) If Rockwell can’t put up a decent showing, Democrats are going to have some serious issues going into 2014.

So here we had a contested race in a traditionally Democratic area, the outcome of which held significant implications for Mark Pryor’s re-election bid. An Obamacare-related controversy drove the campaign. Oh, and according to an email blast from the NRSC, the Republican candidate was outgunned on the spending front by a three-to-one margin. Your result:

(VIDEO-AT-LINK)

It wasn’t even close. The victorious Cooper called his triumph a “statement win.” Indeed. I’d imagine Sen. Pryor can hear that statement loud and clear.

[2ndDivisionVet]

I expect the Republicans to somehow throw it all away between now and November.

[arderkrag]

Oh, of course. They always do, aided by the “hold-your-nose-and-vote” brigade. Oh, yeh, you’re doing everyone such a favpr by voting for any Republican on the ticket... ::snort::

[Mark17]

I expect the Republicans to somehow throw it all away between now and November.

I keep saying, they do not call them the stupid party for nothing.

[Ray76]

  Here's Johnny

[Graewoulf]

” - - - Craighead County has not been represented by a Republican in the state senate since reconstruction. - - - “

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[skinkinthegrass]

history probably will prove you correct.
if there's any chance, GOP/e will blow it.

[robowombat]

This may be somewhat akin to what is going on in Louisiana and might be called the ‘Revenge of the Dixiecrats’. It is clear that in a state that is forty something per cent black as is Louisiana that the current GOP control of both houses of the legislature is a bit odd. Digging deeper, it seems in many rural parishes the local Democrat political leadership are white Blue Dog Democrats who detest National Dem policies. All they want to do is hold on to power at the parish level and make sure that the men (mostly) that get sent to baton Rouge will bring home some pork whether they have an R or a D after their names. These folks have zero interest in ‘community activism’ mode of stirring up the torpid mass of the blackamoors to vote heavily on election day. I suspect this sort of attitude is now spreading to other Bluedog strongholds.

[GeronL]

With amnesty and all the other crap the GOPe is apparently going to pull on us, they will lucky to exist as a going concern after the elections this year

[matthew fuller]

I have previously predicted that the Pubbies will NOMINATE a Northeastern RINO, similar to Romney. Christy? Whoever it will be, he/she will suffer the same fate.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Louisiana is 33% black, second only to Mississippi at 38%.
Washington DC is 52%, but they’re not a state.
http://blackdemographics.com/population/black-state-population/

[mrsmith]

Final results:

•Republican John Cooper: 4,314 (57.21%)

•Democrat Steve Rockwell: 3,227 votes (42.79%)

[Fiji Hill]

Oh, of course. They always do, aided by the “hold-your-nose-and-vote” brigade.

FR has its share of nose-holders.

[Forward the Light Brigade]

The first of many GOP victories to come! A new wind is blowing and it will change the face of American politics! Watch and be amazed by this new wave of Conservatism—Ted Cruz was like unto John The Baptist calling the way for another who will transform the nation. Not a new Reagan—more like a new Lincoln!

[robowombat]

Louisiana is 33% black, second only to Mississippi at 38%.
Washington DC is 52%, but they’re not a state.

That statistic seems to keep falling with each census. Good news for the Swamp State.

[arderkrag]

I know. They rear their ugly heads every election cycle, claiming that anyone not supporting a party is “throwing their vote away” or somehow voting for the other party.

[Bullish]

And even if they do win they’ll want to go back into ‘power sharing’ mode and let liberals shit all over them again.

[MrEdd]

I expect the GOPe to try, and for their candidates to begin losing primaries.

[definitelynotaliberal]

What say you, Joe?

[RIghtwardHo]

While this is nice, special elections are a bell-weather for absolutely nothing.

[VerySadAmerican]

Back in 1980 Bill Clinton was defeated in the Arkansas governor’s race by a republican named Frank White. He was the first republican governor since reconstruction. Sadly, two years later the dumb voters put Clinton back in. If he had not won in 1982 we wouldn’t even know the name “Hillary”.