Arkansas’ turn

A super day to count votes

WILL THERE be a comeback kid this year? Or, better put, will there be a comeback old business executive or lifelong pol? That’s what the field has been narrowed to, at least in the Democratic primary for president of these United States. Fourteen states vote today. Including this one.

You can’t say today is the end of the campaign, because more negative attacks, more negative campaigning, more negative debates await us all, and the frenzy will only increase between now and the general election in November. Then after that election, the presidential race for 2024 can begin. What a country!

But first, the nominations, please.

A few candidates have dropped out already—including Amy Klobuchar on Monday—but there are still good options for Democratic voters in Arkansas. Or at least those who will ask for a Democratic ballot. We’ll bet that President Trump will sweep to his nominating convention, but he needs good, tough, ready competition in the fall. All politicians do.

As for the Dems:

Even before Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar dropped out, Mike Bloomberg seemed like the best choice. A lot of voters respect a presidential candidate who has worked in the real world, aka the do-or-die private sector, where you must produce or you don’t have a job/capital/future in the morning. And the fact that he has political experience running the nation’s largest city is an advantage.

Mike Bloomberg is selling himself as a crisis manager, having become New York City’s mayor while the World Trade Center still smoldered in Lower Manhattan after 9/11. Such experience would not just serve him well, but us. He has more liberal positions than we would like, but then nobody’s perfect.

A lot has been made of his debate performances, so let’s mention them: Even given the incredibly limiting structure of these awful debates, he had the best answers on charter schools (in New York, parents were given options) and marijuana (let’s think about this before legalizing the drug, especially over the objections of many doctors). There is no question he is head and shoulders above all the other candidates in experience, having real-world business and political.

Mike Bloomberg’s age—he just turned 78—might be a concern. But he seems in great shape. For now. Anyone older than 75 running for the most stressful job on the planet gives us concerns.

Doubtless, many people in Arkansas would have liked to have had the opportunity to vote for Amy Klobuchar or Mayor Pete before they dropped out. Not to mention Andrew Yang, Beto O’Rourke, Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, John Hickenlooper, Jay Inslee . . . .

Another argument should be made for what we call the John McCain Primary. The former senator once proposed an idea to have the country divided into quarters, and each section would take turns holding a Super Super Tuesday during the primary season. That way all states could, on occasion, make early decisions about the nominees.

Ah well. If nobody’s perfect, neither is democracy. But we kinda like this one.

THERE ARE many of us who will stay up late tonight, not just in anticipation of what Arkansas will do, but other, lesser states, too. In case you haven’t heard, some states named “Texas” and “California” will vote today. Not to mention Minnesota and Massachusetts, Vermont and Virginia, among others.

Will voters in the Democratic Party cast their ballots for a moderate businessman? Will they trust Joe Biden in a debate with Donald Trump? Will they again put a liberal Boston pol at the top of the ticket?

Or will they follow a socialist? Over a cliff?

This is a political watcher’s March Madness. Only this theater has less room for Cinderellas. And after tonight’s performance, we’ll just have to get the scenery in place for the next act and primary. Lights! Action!

(Group enters, stage left.)