Lead, Follow, or Get Out of Our Way

Everyone knows (why did he use that old saw?) how I feel about the Governor, so the title is probably not a surprise to anyone who’s ever read my Substack. Our state government is the exact opposite of what Donald Trump (DJT) is trying to put together in DC.

It’s simple to say “Democrats will be Democrats” with a snarky grin, hoping to convey disdain for the other major party while maintaining your air of superiority. So here’s a question; excepting this last national election, how many Republican “waves” were forecast, and how many actually happened? I’ll wait. The answer is, of course, none (as in naught, nil, nada, zilch, goose egg).

Why is that? Is your memory so short you don’t remember the day before yesterday? You don’t remember CR1, CR2, and CR3? You don’t remember the Democrats actually saved Speaker Johnson’s bacon when the Republicans couldn’t be herded together (as usual) to get a needed job done.

Republicans seem to be proud of not going along with the party’s program in DC, and it’s no different here in Arkansas. Jimmie writes about the Purple Party, and I agree with him. You have some Republicans and some Democrats. The rest are the Purple Party, and their only aim is the destruction of whatever government entity they can get elected to.

When the Republicans need rescue by a septic tank floater like Hakeem Jeffries, we’re in big trouble, and yes, we’re in big trouble.

Now opinions are like, well, you know, and everbody has one. Here’s mine. The Governor is Purple. She brings on a sycophant like Joseph Wood and a fixer like Bilenda Harris-Ritter and forms her cabal. Names a couple of reasonable people to the Supreme Court, because you still need the Constitution and the State Constitution enforced (at least for now), and then you bring on a cub scout (place keeper for Kim Hammer?) to be Secretary of State.

Cole Jester may be a fine young man, and I hope he actually does what he say he will. However he’s just that, a young man, and between college and law school, clerking for Judge Smith and working for the Governor, he hasn’t had much time to gain experience. A lot of box checking, but not much real experience.

Jester said, at his introduction, “As your secretary of state, I will fight to keep Arkansas the best state in the country by keeping our elections the most secure in the country.” He doesn’t say how he’ll do that, but it sounds good. Will he push for paper ballots and getting rid of the highly suspect voting machines the state presently has? If he pushes for paper ballots, what political capital does he have to go against the die-hard County Clerks who throw a fit whenever they hear “paper ballot.”

We wandered away from the Purple Party (I prefer the Purple Gang, it’s more sinister) so here’s the radical turn back to the story arc.

Everything the Governor does weakens the Republican Party of Arkansas (RPA) and strengthens her. Everything our elected officials do that is not transparent, honest, or both, weakens the RPA and increases their power. Getting the drift here?

The RPA is supposed to be concentrating on electing Republicans, but looking at voting records, history, and what they actually support, what RPA elects is Purple in most cases. And if they weren’t to start with they’re certainly Purple when they get to Little Rock and meet the lobbyists and donors and are pressured by the governors posse.

So our poor little elected officials, who “love” the color red, but end up preferring royal purple go to DC and find it’s worse there from the legislative point of view. The only DC politicians who actually represent their constituents are lonely indeed.

But the purple ones, well they get donors and lobbyists who convince them they really are royalty, and they look good in purple. Some will actually have a snippet of ethics left, and they’ll join the House Freedom Caucus, and will work very hard to push the freedom agenda. Typically they will be stymied by the Purples in DC, who would rather work with the other side to submit a bloated CR, and then talk tough.

It seems being right isn’t good enough anymore.

So the Democrats continue to do what Democrats do, and Republicans continue to act like a herd of cats.

The Purples take advantage of both and support neither.

Just remember, purple is a royal color, and we got rid of royalty in 1776. It’s time to remember where we come from and who we are.

And we ain’t purple

Some things still haven’t changed.

Christmas is two sleeps away, and the hurricane victims in North Carolina still need help.

They’re still living in tents with no water and no heat. The CR provided money, but that’s in the pipeline and will take months to be delivered.

Government is less interested in their disaster response than they are with spending money they don’t have. They need to spend time trying to save lives.

We can’t ask often enough that you contribute to a charity or organization that is taking care of them. We recommend Samaritan’s Purse or Mercury One. They are already on the ground and doing excellent work. Thank you.

If you like our work, you can get more at Jack’s Substack

Merry Christmas to all!