day 4: arkansas

[memphis]

An important fact about politics in Arkansas is that the population is growing quite rapidly in the Republican Ozarks of the Northwest. Wal-Mart is based up there in Bentonville, bringing lots of business types to the Republican voting totals. Like all of the South, except Florida (which is more independant) Arkansas is trending religious right fast.

[memphis]

I agree with you that Dems from Arkansas can still win there. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor come to mind. However, regarding Dems in Presidential elections, which is the topic this thread is about, I think the story may be different. Of course, Bill Clinton was from Arkansas, so he had a home state advantage, which I'll concede only goes so far as Al Gore demonstrated. Even Clinton's election was not as simple as one may at first think because of Perot's impressive showing in the 1990s elections. Short of a Dem landslide or having a native son, I really don't think Arkansas would go for a Dem presidential candidate. Anybody who could win the primary among national dems would have trouble in Arkansas.  Nonetheless, Arkansas is still one of the most Democratic states in the South.