Conventional wisdom in Arkansas, where I was born and raised, is that it would be stupid and suicidal for a Democrat to oppose Sen. Blanche Lincoln next May. Most of those under this persuasion cite Lincoln's $1.7 million war chest and cower, but I say the true narrative of Blanche-the-Wal-Mart-funded-Villainess is stronger than complacent Arkansas Democrats' fetishized center-right hegemony. We have the villain; we now need a hero.
What frustrates me is outside of anecdotal talk on the Arkansas Times blog of the SEIU sending out feelers around Little Rock for a Green Party candidate, I've heard little about a progressive Democrat willing to challenge Blanche 12 months from now. All corporate media focus in the state seems to be on which Republican will challenge her in November.
I asked the uninvolved, savvy-worshipping pundit John Brummett a couple weeks ago if he'd heard anything about a progressive primary challenger and he said via direct tweets:
rumors that bill halter would do it, but i'm all but certain he wouldn't. futile. suicidal. i simply do not believe you can beat a well-financed 2-term democratic senate incumbent in her own primary amid our state's inertia and 'statement' campaigns don't make much of a statement."
Via Facebook chat I asked leading Arkansas politics wonk Jay Barth the same question, and he said he's heard of no such candidate and that he's hearing a lot of calls at the national level to challenge her in the primary, but Barth doesn't think that's a good idea.
Unless centrist Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter's willing early on to swear off the DLC and Evan Bayh crew, nevermind him (Halter: Are you? Speak up here if so.) Even though I'd also like to write, "and nevermind John Brummett," he has however made an excellent case in recent days, perhaps unintentionally, for why now is the time for progressives to try to kick Blanche out of the party: In short, as difficult as it would be to challenge Blanche, it would be much more difficult to challenge the son of David Pryor.
Blanche's polling is down, and her actions on the hill practically -- flippantly -- dare us to challenge her 12 months from now.
The narrative is simple: Arkansas is a state of poor people. We do not need a senator taking bribes from the wealthiest people on earth.
Earlier this month at Huffington Post, Jonathan Tasini encapsulated the national progressive outrage toward Blanche:
There has got to be a labor candidate from the state's labor executive board who has the gumption to jump in as the standard-bearer for a primary challenge. I'd pledge a contribution to such a campaign. And I'm sure such a campaign would draw financial support beyond the state's borders. Enough.
Arkansas organized and canvassed for the Campaign for Change. Of course we didn't go blue, but we made strides, and some of us -- including myself -- went to Missouri and learned quite a bit about rural organizing. The face-to-face element is key, and I think we could get a lot of mileage out of it even though we would have to start now. I propose that we start a campaign on thepoint.com in order to raise funds for a progressive primary challenger to Blanche Lincoln, and that we give those funds to the best and most serious candidate as determined by the donors.
I've canvassed for Obama and raised money for journalistic projects but I've never raised money for politics. How much should we set as a fund-raising goal starting out? $50,000? $100,00? Please give me feedback on this immediately. I have some very close friends in the Young Democrats of Arkansas as well as Teamsters 878, and I am ready to make this happen.