Arkansas has produced a disproportionate share of superb politicians. In the very top rank of that group stands Dale Bumpers, former governor and U.S. senator who died a few days ago.
His was a truly remarkable and unparalleled political career. A political unknown when the 1970 gubernatorial campaign began, he managed to defeat the once-invincible Orval Faubus, who was trying for a comeback in the Democratic primary, and incumbent Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller in the general election. Four years later he won a convincing Democratic primary victory over J. William Fulbright, ending Fulbright's 30-year Senate career.
Bumpers won four Senate terms, never being seriously threatened. Among those he defeated were Republican challengers Asa Hutchinson (1986) and Mike Huckabee (1992), both later elected as governor. No figure in Arkansas history and few anywhere have triumphed over so many otherwise successful foes.
Nationally, he was best known for his closing defense of President Clinton in the Senate impeachment trial in 1999, after Bumpers had completed his Senate service. He was known for his effectiveness as a speaker and was highly respected in the Senate. Clinton knew that when he asked Bumpers to speak for him, and Bumpers demonstrated the wisdom of that choice and helped assure Clinton's acquittal.
In the state, Bumpers was seen as a dynamic leader who moved Arkansas into the modern era in state government administration. In a 1998 ranking by experts of the state's chief executives during the 20th century, Bumpers was the only governor ranked as "great."
His 1970 run for governor was not his first political venture. He helped desegregate the schools in his hometown of Charleston soon after the Supreme Court's 1954 Brown decision. In 1962 he ran for the state Legislature, but lost badly and resolved to put politics "behind me forever." However, the political pull was strong, dating back to 1938 when as a 12-year-old he traveled with his father and brother to hear President Franklin D. Roosevelt speak. He later wrote that he could think of no 10-minute period of his life more awesome that being in the presence of the president. He doubted he would ever see any president again, although that hardly proved to be the case. And, indeed, as his star rose in the 1970s, there were many who expected he would become a presidential candidate.
Although a master of retail politics, television was a significant factor in his rise. He was the first Arkansas politician to make extensive use of TV, which he did in the 1970 campaign. That meteoric campaign also benefited from the editorial backing of the old Arkansas Gazette as Bumpers' candidacy began to generate excitement.
Bumpers surmised the state was ready for a new face. And in his four years as governor, he benefited from his telegeniety. Cable television was bringing Little Rock TV stations to much of the state and Bumpers drew wide coverage. It was also a period of relative prosperity in Arkansas and Bumpers was highly popular.
It was against this background that Bumpers weighed the decision to run against Fulbright in 1974. He admired and supported Fulbright, but Deloss Walker, his campaign strategist, urged him to make the race, believing the timing was perfect. A poll taken for Bumpers indicated he could easily defeat Fulbright. As Fulbright's press secretary, I knew our polling showed the same thing.
Several Arkansas commentators have said a major reason Bumpers decided to oppose Fulbright was because the senator, weakened by his anti-war position on Vietnam, would lose to arch-segregationist Jim Johnson. But our political data indicated that while Bumpers could defeat any potential candidate, no other potential candidate would seriously challenge Fulbright. Furthermore, Fulbright had defeated Johnson in a four-man primary in 1968 without a runoff. (Fulbright had 53 percent; Johnson 31.6 percent).
Therefore, we sought to discourage Bumpers from entering the race by pushing the idea he would be better positioned for an eventual presidential race by being in the governor's office than being one of 100 senators, and lacking Senate seniority clout. However, at the last minute he filed for the senate race. Despite Fulbright's vigorous campaigning, the final results reflected what the early polls indicated. Though they remained distant for some years, Bumpers and Fulbright eventually reconciled and enjoyed each other's company.
Bumpers never made the presidential race. Jimmy Carter, who had been governor of Georgia, did and won in 1976.
In the Senate, Bumpers was one of the rare senators whose colleagues actually stopped to listen to when he spoke. He didn't become a power broader or chairman of a major committee. He was known, however, as a zealous guardian of the Constitution and of the environment.
He recalled the 1978 Panama Canal Treaties debate as the most volatile issue he faced. As a staff member working with the Senate leadership on behalf of the treaties, I recognized the critical significance of Bumpers' announcement of support. With two-thirds approval required, the treaty passed with one vote to spare. (Arkansas's other senator, Kaneaster Hodges, also backed the treaties. He was appointed by Gov. David Pryor to serve the remainder of the term of Sen. John McClellan, who died in 1977, and had opposed the treaties.)
Bumpers, Pryor and Clinton constituted the "big three" of Arkansas politics from the 1970s through the 90s. All will be remembered as extraordinary figures. In Bumpers' case, it will be for his brilliance as a campaigner, his hard-rock integrity and enduring commitment to public service and the causes he believed in.
Commentary on 01/06/2016