Morrison (D) backs Griffin (R) - (U.S. House-AR-02)

Politico ^ | 6/19/10 | ALEX ISENSTADT

[randita]

Morrison backs Griffin

By ALEX ISENSTADT | 6/19/10 12:30 AM EDT

Arkansas congressional candidate Tim Griffin has won the backing of former Democratic Senate candidate D.C. Morrison, an early victory for the Republican in his general election campaign against Democrat Joyce Elliott.

Morrison, a conservative Democrat who won a surprising 13 percent of the vote in Arkansas’s May primary, announced his support for Griffin at a Friday lunch at the Political Animals Club in Little Rock. Griffin also spoke during the lunch.

In an interview with POLITICO Friday, Morrison said he had decided to endorse Griffin over Elliott because he found the Republican’s views on government spending more in line with his own.

“I think he’s the best candidate,” said Morrison. “I just think Tim Griffin is much more in agreement with my views on fiscal responsibility.”

Asked if he was prepared for criticism from Democrats over his decision to support Griffin, Morrison responded: “I’m a conservative candidate, but that’s not going to keep me from supporting who I think is the best candidate regardless of party.”

Morrison said he would head up Democrats for Griffin, and that he planned to campaign for the Republican in the weeks ahead.

Morrison’s endorsement comes a little more than a week after Elliott she defeated state House Speaker Robbie Wills in the primary runoff for the Democratic nomination. Elliott, a state senator, had emerged as a favorite of liberal voters in the Little Rock-area district Arkansas Rep. Vic Snyder is vacating after seven terms.

Griffin said Friday that Morrison’s endorsement signaled that he planned to take his “message to every voter in the district: rural or urban, Democrat, Independent or Republican.”

“I don’t care what party you belong to or what your background is,” said Griffin. “If you believe we are headed in the wrong direction, and believe there needs to be a check and balance on the President and Congress, then join my campaign.”

[randita]

This is an open seat previously held by Vic Snyder (D). Snyder is one of those retiring Rat congressmen who hasn't paid their dues to the DCCC. This is shaping up to be GOP gain.

[randita]

Key House Race ping.

[gthog61]

Well, it is the Little Rock district. Little Rock is infested with libs who look down their noses at the rest of the state, so who knows?

[Clintonfatigued]

This is good news, and it furthers the case that Joyce Elliot is a radical leftist who’s too liberal for the district. Has there been any polling on District 1?

[no dems]

Uh oh....I just did a Google Search of Joyce Elliot. Just what I feared; she is a Black candidate in heavily Black Little Rock. What does that have to do with anything, you ask? Tim Griffin starts off with a 13 percent deficit.
Blacks are the largest voting bloc, percentage-wise, that the Dems have. They vote 96 percent DemocRAT.

[freespirited]

McCain won this district by 10 percentage points. Griffin should have an excellent chance.

[randita]

I haven’t seen any polls yet on AR-01.

[Impy]

I don’t need to see a poll to be 99% certain that Griffin will win. Joyce Elliot couldn’t be elected to congress from a Southern district that wasn’t heavily black.

But if you want one, “OnMessage Inc.” A GOP firm I’ve never heard of puts Griffin up 50 to 34.

Anyway good for Morrison, hopefully his mind will expand and he’ll realize that if he’s really conservative at all that doesn’t belong in the same political party as radicals like Elliot.