Why, Asa, why? Former Governor Asa Hutchinson officially launched his campaign for the Republican nomination for president in Bentonville, Arkansas today. I don’t know why he did it but he did.
Hutchinson may have chosen Bentonville because it is part of the district he served in the House of Representatives during his years in Congress. His political experience includes his time in Congress from 1997 – 2001 and as Governor of Arkansas from 2015-2023. He left office in January when Sarah Huckabee Sanders was sworn in as governor. He served as the U.S. Attorney or the Western District of Arkansas from 1982 – 1985 (appointed by Ronald Reagan). He was an administrator of the DEA from 2001 – 2003 and undersecretary for border and transportation security at DHS from 2003-2005.
He is 72 years old.
Hutchinson wants to distinguish himself from the other Republican candidates by touting his career in government and “commonsense conservatism.”
“Today, I am announcing that I am a candidate for president of the United States,” Hutchinson said. “In this campaign for president, I stand alone in terms of my experience, record and leadership.”
In his speech, Hutchinson touched upon plans to address the economy, crime, and border security – issues that fit with his public service record. But the former governor, who’s working to build national name recognition, also highlighted his personal story of growing up on a farm in a small town.
His personal story may be a compelling one but the problem is that he would not be unique for that. All of the candidates and those rumored to be potential candidates have compelling personal stories. He comes from humble beginnings in Bentonville, Arkansas. From there, he earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Bob Jones University. He received his J.D. from the University of Arkansas School of Law. He practiced law for 21 years.
He has experience in government and in elected office. However, his approach as a “commonsense conservatism” is out of date. It speaks to being an Establishment Republican, someone who is more moderate than what is currently popular within the Republican Party. The base voters in the Republican Party have moved on to populism and a more isolationist point of view. Moderate Republicans are out of favor now. He wants to bring people together.
“We’ve been divided before, we have struggled before, and we’re resilient,” he said in an interview with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “It’s because we’re the greatest democracy in the world, and we have a Constitution that we try to follow. It has tensions, but we always find a way through.”
He speaks as a career politician would, right?
I just don’t know what his lane is here. His ideas aren’t fresh and new but those that would be held by any middle-of-the-road Republican. That is not to slam him, from all indications, he is a good man. He is solidly conservative. I just don’t see what sets him apart. As the field of candidates grows, that is something he has to do. He isn’t the only former governor running. Nikki Haley was governor of South Carolina, an important early state in the primary season. Ron DeSantis, though not officially in the race, is the current Governor of Florida. If Chris Christie and/or Chris Sununu get in, they, too, have gubernatorial experience. Sununu is the current Governor of New Hampshire (also an important early state). This isn’t 2015. The sooner the field shrinks, the better off we will be. Trump will be in first place for however long he will and may end up the nominee. In the meantime, all eyes are focused on the coming Trump-DeSantis war. Is Trump feeling a little uneasy about running against DeSantis? Yes. Trump feels entitled to a coronation and he isn’t going to get one, no matter how much he thinks he deserves it and his most dedicated supporters think so. Trump has to expand his base in order to beat Joe Biden, despite how lousy of an incumbent president he is, Trump has to earn it.
Hutchinson has to earn it, too. Can he get the support he needs to hang in there to see if he can challenge Trump? We’ll find out.
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