Barack Obama’s Arkansas primary problem

[SpartanDem]

That’s because only Obama and John Wolfe, a Tennessee lawyer, are on the Democratic presidential primary ballot in the Razorback State. (Wolfe took 12 percent — and nearly 18,000 votes — in a four-way fight in the Louisiana Democratic presidential primary in late March.) And a recent independent poll showed Obama running just seven points ahead of Wolfe in the southern Arkansas 4th district, which covers one-quarter of the state.

All of this takes place on a backdrop that is decidedly less than friendly for Obama. Even while he was sweeping to a national victory (and 365 electoral votes) in 2008, Obama received just 39 percent in Arkansas — six points worse than Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry did four years earlier.

“Arkansas voters are informed voters and are fully aware that John Wolfe will not make it out of the primary,” said one well-connected Arkansas Democrat. “However, if John Wolfe has a strong showing tomorrow, it’s a sign that Democratic voters in Arkansas are frustrated with the administration’s policies and further reiteration that Southern Democrats simply cannot identify with President Obama.”

And, if the press coverage of Keith Judd’s surprisingly strong showing two weeks ago in West Virginia is any indication, you can expect Wolfe to draw significant attention in the immediate aftermath of today’s vote.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/barack-obamas-arkansas-primary-problem/2012/05/22/gIQAV0oihU_blog.html

[rurallib]

1. the baggers care, I doubt anyone else does

but thanks anyway, Washington Post for the trying to stir the shit soup.

[ProSense]

2. "Here’s what you need to know about that"

The primaries that matter today

By Jonathan Bernstein

Barack Obama might embarrass himself tonight.

Well, not embarrass himself as much as be embarrassed by the Arkansas presidential primary results. See, the president isn’t very popular in that state — he has essentially zero chance of carrying it in November — and there’s a no-name candidate on the ballot, and so there’s some speculation that the president might do very poorly indeed.

Here’s what you need to know about that:

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

It’s a non-story. If the national media decides to chase after it tonight and tomorrow, it will be forgotten by next Tuesday.

The shame here is that there really are some serious, important contests today in Arkansas and Kentucky. National Journal’s Scott Bland tells us to watch the Republican primary in Kentucky 4 for a proxy McConnell/Paul showdown, with the winner getting a safe GOP seat, and both primaries in Arkansas 4, which has an open seat that will most likely be a Republican pickup. Also, in Arkansas 1, the Democrats may have a chance for a serious November challenge to incumbent Republican Rick Crawford, depending on today’s results. These contests will offer real results, with real consequences, even though the national media prefer to obsess about the presidential race — despite the probability that nothing happening right now in that campaign will make any difference at all in November.

- more -

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/the-primaries-that-matter-today/2012/05/22/gIQAtyZkiU_blog.html

Same as the felon getting a big chunk of the vote in WV: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002662669

[fishwax]

3. it's not as though Obama is going to take Arkansas in the fall anyway

It's a non-story, though the media might try to get some mileage out of it.

[tanyev]

4. Or, it simply means that GOPers are deliberately voting in the Dem primary.

From Powerline:

What To Do If You Live In Arkansas

Arkansas has open primaries. So, if you live in Arkansas, here is what you should do: If you live in the 4th Congressional district, vote in the Republican primary, and vote for our friend Tom Cotton, one of the brightest stars in the new generation of conservative leadership. If you live anywhere outside the 4th district, vote in the Democratic primary for John Wolfe. Who is he? A crank perennial candidate. But if he wins the Arkansas primary, as he very well may, attention will be focused on the fact that in state after state, Democratic voters have registered their discontent with the Obama administration. That would be a valuable step in the process of reclaiming America from Obama and his corrupt cronies.

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2012/05/what-to-do-if-you-live-in-arkansas.php

[sadbear]

5. Sounds like Southern Democrats are frustrated with President Obama's race.

This has nothing to do with policy. President Obama is a Democrat through and through.

[emulatorloo]

7. Yep. Should read: "Southern White Democrats simply cannot identify with President Obama.”

[BlueToTheBone]

9. Well, I think it's more the repubs are frustrated

with Obama and are voting in the Dem primary.

[JoePhilly]

6. Who gives a %$#$% what the voters in backward land think?

Obama has already won the Dem primary.

So now some dimwits from crazy town will vote in a meaningless election, for some one no one has ever heard of. And if that candidate gets any votes ... some very stupid people will dance around imagining a future in which Obama does not get a 2nd term.

Oh Noooooo!!!!!!!

[Hestia]

8. Who's really been pushing the John Wolfe (who?) meme is that the largest newspaper in the state has

been really pushing for this guy. I pride myself on knowing who the players are (by and large) and WTF is this guy? Ah, he is some kook from Chattanooga, TN, which is why no one has heard of him except the publisher of the D-G, who detests Democrats period, and President Obama specifically.

The 4th is newly drawn NW Ark. district which is a white haven red district. Tom Cotton winning the contest is some scary stuff. He is a Beltway insider who is using his a'shucks mode, but hasn't been in the state since 1995 when he graduated high school. He is trying to win Mike Ross' seat, Blue Dog, who is retiring, deciding not to run. There are some decent Dem's running. Maybe not true blue, but much better than having another freakin' pug representing us for the first time since Reconstruction.

Who cares about Arkansas politics? We do, the one's who actually live here.

[SoutherDem]

10. So just who will these Dixiecrats vote for in November?

Will they then give their support to Obama?

Is it an open primary?

By the way if someone missed the Dixiecrat reference I will explain it.

[bluestate10]

11. Arkansas is not a place a national democrat should

spend time in other than to support locals. The state has to make it's way into the modern world before a national democrat should spend time and money there.