As I visited with a strongly conservative Republican the other day, he predicted the outcome of the races for the state's constitutional offices.
"A sweep," is the term he used, using competitive terminology for a total victory, without loss.
In Arkansas, that would mean voters will elect Asa Hutchinson as governor; Tim Griffin as lieutenant governor; Leslie Rutledge as attorney general; Mark Martin as secretary of state; Andrea Lea as state auditor; John Thurston as state land commissioner; and Dennis Milligan as state treasurer.
Two of those -- Martin and Thurston -- are incumbents, giving them that little edge officeholders get within the electorate.
Currently, those seven offices include one vacancy, two Republicans, three Democrats and an apolitical appointment by a Democratic governor.
A "sweep" would certainly be historic for a state that's traditionally been a Democratic stronghold, but has seen that strength ebb in recent years. At the end of the filing period for state and federal offices in March, 132 Republicans and 88 Democrats threw their proverbial hats into the ring.
Republicans last go-round earned control of the Arkansas House of Representatives and Senate for the first time since Reconstruction after the Civil War. When it comes to the numbers game, the Republicans are licking their chops.
For a while now, the Republicans have been playing that game. They knew to make any headway in Arkansas, the party had to field candidates from constable to governor. In the process, they've clearly put a few folks on the ballot only after they fulfilled two critical requirements for the opportunity: They had to be willing to have an "R" beside their names, and they had to be breathing.
The second requirement, at times, appeared negotiable.
To use another sports term, the Republicans have suffered for years from not having a very deep bench of potential candidates. One only has to look over the ranks of state legislators to see several who can repeat the Republican Oath, Law, Motto and secret handshake, but find it difficult to critically evaluate anything that doesn't fit nicely into their preconceived, and oversimplified, philosophical boxes.
Don't get me wrong. I love someone with a strong political philosophy who is sharp enough to apply them with reason and engage in the collaborative process of democracy. Someone who believes in the power of influence as preferable to the power of lines in the sand and obstinance. I prefer principled solutions over dogmatic entrenchment any day.
For every top-quality Republican the party has discovered, it seems there's another whose candidacy or service in office proves how shallow the GOP pool has been.
I would argue the Arkansas GOP deserves a stronger candidate for attorney general than Leslie Rutledge. She was the better choice in the spring primary, but as her record of pettiness, political and personal immaturity and legally suspect analysis has been revealed, Republicans had to be shaking their heads. This is the best the party can offer to be the state's No. 1 attorney?
Dennis Milligan, the Saline County clerk who wants to be treasurer, showed his true colors by trying to blackmail his GOP rival, Duncan Baird, into dropping out of the race. Baird is eminently qualified for the post; Milligan is a political thug whose actions have shown a disregard for any boundaries. It astounds me GOP voters nominated him. The best reason to elect him is the virtual certainty he'll give the statewide Arkansas Democrat-Gazette material for interesting stories in the office formerly held by Martha Shoffner. You may remember how things turned out for her and her pie-box bribes.
As in sports, winning cures a lot of ills. If there is a sweep, the victories will help build the Republicans' pool of candidates so that next time, perhaps, the quality of candidates will match up to the quantity they've so far been able to push.
The real danger with victory is the next four years, after these mediocre candidates find their way into the power of public office. What will they do with the responsibilities of leadership, accountability and operating in the public's best interests?
Some of them look like a train wreck waiting to happen. As Republicans in power, every member of the GOP will need to set an exceptional example of trust, stewardship and reason if the party is to demonstrate its ability to govern well. And they need to make clear that such expectations apply to everyone with an "R" beside his or her name.
GREG HARTON IS OPINION PAGE EDITOR FOR NWA MEDIA.
Commentary on 10/27/2014