Posted on 05/21/2009 7:43:29 PM PDT by St. Louis Conservative
Starting with the background: AR-01 is one of those districts that is… interesting. It is currently rated as R +8 in the Cook Political Report, but is held by a soi-disant ‘Blue Dog Democrat’: in this case, Marion Berry. Berry has been in that seat since 1997: he won the 2006 election with 69% of the vote; and he was unopposed in 2008.
However, he will not be unopposed this term. Rick Crawford is going to be challenging him; it’s reported that the NRCC is looking at him as part of their planned campaign against selected ‘Blue Dogs’ that did not get challenged in the last election cycle. Rick is a business owner (AG Watch, a radio agricultural network) and military veteran (Army, bomb disposal) with strong roots in the area; he’s pro-life, pro-Tea Party, ready to run on an agricultural platform and is just as exceptionally happy to see the back of Arlen Specter as most of the people reading this, particularly after what Specter did to Kemp’s memory.
The NRCC is taking a challenge to this district seriously, and it’s no surprise why: while Barry has been comfortably winning elections lately - and didn’t have a challenger last cycle - the district itself has shifted on the national level (Gore in ‘00, Bush in ‘04, McCain in ‘08). Plus there’s the entire agricultural subsidy thing, which Berry is notorious for (and, apparently, has set up an arrangement to allow himself to continue to benefit from personally). Then there’s the ongoing neutering of the Blue Dogs in general; as this NRCC radio ad (H/T: ARRA News Service) points out, Barry’s voting for what Pelosi’s proposing.
(Excerpt) Read more at redstate.com ...
Ping!
I don’t know much about this race. I’ve read that Crawford hosts a radio talk show that’s agriculturally oriented.
Marion Berry (AR-01): He represents an increasingly Republican district that voted for Al Gore in 2000 but gave John McCain a 21% victory last fall.
http://tolbertreport.com/2009/04/30/who%E2%80%99s-rick-crawford/
Crawford discusses his career from his time in the Army as a bomb disposal technician to his studies in Agriculture Business and Economics at ASU to his time in the rodeo both as a saddle bronc rider and later an announcer to his current project of a news anchor and agri-reporter in Jonesboro.
http://www.meetrickcrawford.com/
I derive my livelihood directly from agriculture, as do many citizens of the First District, and it is vitally important that our leadership in Washington take a hands on approach in protecting our industry. So where do I stand on the issues? Following are some links to columns I wrote that were published in Northeast Arkansas Business Today which should provide some insight as to where I stand on farm policy.
As an Arkansan, I can tell it is basically a blue state that votes red in presidential elections because of social issues (Clinton being the exception for obvious reasons).
The people of my state are extremely stubborn to support a republican on any other level of gvt.
That said, I will support him and try and raise money for him, assuming he is a conservative. I don’t know him well, so I will study him now.
Arkansas is the last remnant of the Old South political system. It votes heavily for Republican presidential candidates (excluding BJ Clinton), yet has a Dem governor, and a Dem legislature along with two Dem senators and a majority Dem US Rep delegation. Part of the reason is the sorry state of the AR GOP. A little investment there by the party could produce a real political sea change in that state. It is ripe for a Republican takeover.
The entire U.S. should be ripe for a GOP takeover, if the entire GOP ever gets its act successfully together! So far, unfortunately, the GOP is really heading for more defeats, with its ongoing move to “Democratic Party-Lite”.
Woo hoo!
I hope you will keep us updated on your findings on Mr. Crawford. I live in Missouri about 2 hours from Jonesboro, have relatives in Paragould. I liked what I read at his web site. I might support this young man.
Quite correct. With Mike Huckabee as the Republican leader, Arkansas is predictably one of the most Democrat states. But some Republicans think the Huckster is a great leader! It is very embarrassing that there was no GOP candidate in the 1st CD which voted McCain over Obama 59-38%.
Democrats Mike Ross (AR-4) and Vic Snyder (AR-2) had no GOP opponents either, and both districts also went for McCain. It was pretty sad.
If only the Green had won with leftist and GOP support, It would have meant a sure pickup in 2014.
The Green probably would’ve switched to the Democrats (as did the Green Party legislator that won in N. Little Rock last year did recently).
They’d have taken her but she wouldn’t have been favored in the next rat primary. I don’t know how much of a psycho she was, ie would she have run as a green in 2014 and thus hand the seat to the GOP.
I do ..and Rick’s got my vote!
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