About those experts

According to Democrat-Gazette reporter Ryan Tarinelli’s story published Dec. 5, it appears incumbent U.S. Rep. French Hill has the 2nd Congressional District tied up tighter than a trussed hog.

How does Tarinelli know? Three university professors in disparate parts of the state say so. The professors consulted political science theory, which most obligingly revealed the will of Republican voters in the 2nd Congressional District come the May 2022 primary. You see, it seems Tarinelli’s good professors found the Republican residents of Saline, Perry, Conway, Van Buren, Faulkner, Cleburne, White, and northern Pulaski counties so agog over Hill’s divinely inspired voting record they’d never quit him. Why, the voters in the 2nd Congressional District aren’t merely agog, they’re downright besotted with Hill’s peerless Republican performance, the wise ones of the university have concluded.

An ear to the ground at recent Republican events and online forums suggests that nothing could be further from the truth. For example, in late November, Hill voted yea for the approval of $400 million earmarked for a national database that seems intended to track the vaccination status of every single American person. Apparently the three wise ones of political science have no idea the degree to which such a proposition rankles the Republican soul. Those who embrace the principle of limited government do not take kindly to the prospect of government agencies tracking and badgering them, all for questionable medical treatments they quite naturally resist.

And yes, that’s exactly what a sponsor of the legislation claims could be done under the provisions of HR550, for which the beloved French Hill so gleefully voted.

Could French Hill be vulnerable as a result? You bet. Perhaps reporters should consult with voters at least as much as they consult with experts.

MAUREEN RICHMOND Little Rock