Term limits are a double-edge sword.
In theory, they prevent the dreaded "career politician" that a lot of people think is a big part of the problem in government. President Joe Biden, these days, is perhaps the most cited example of the issue. In 1972, he became the sixth-youngest U.S. senator in American history when he was elected from Delaware at age 29. He remained in national public office nonstop for 44 years and is now adding to that as president.
Term limits might prevent that length of service in many offices. In Arkansas, which has term limits for state offices, the impact has been manipulated so that state senators and representatives get about as much time in those offices, 16 years, as they can stand. The constitutional officers -- governor, attorney general, land commissioner, etc. -- get no more than two four-year terms, which empowers the Legislature.
The problem I have with term limits is they turn quality leaders out of office when the really good ones seem to be in short supply. Yes, limits can turn the idiots out, too. But I think the loss of good leaders does more damage. Especially in the House and Senate, where earlier, more restrictive term limits created a path for some pretty lousy public servants. Then they changed the rules so they could stay in office longer.
As far as governors, I know some will disagree, but I think Asa Hutchinson has done a good job leading Arkansas. I likewise think his predecessor, Mike Beebe, was a good governor. Both men love the state. Neither dug in their heels and refused to work with Republicans or Democrats to achieve good things for the state. Both reflected a level of pragmatism and common sense I think is vital to success in that office.
Both could probably have won a third term. But term limits require us to give them up. Whether that's a good thing always depends on who the next person is to hold the office.
I'm always hopeful that whoever is the next governor, he or she succeeds in pursuing policies that serve all Arkansans and the state's future well.
The conventional wisdom is our next governor will be Republican Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Donald Trump's former press secretary. The massive fundraising haul she's taken in -- more than $13 million -- at least suggests she can promote herself with TV commercials about as often as we have to swallow pharmaceutical commercials during non-election years. If money guarantees a public office, she's got it in the bag. Sanders, though, has another advantage: She's an all-out Trumper in a state with a lot of all-out Trumper voters.
Last week, Gov. Hutchinson sat down for an episode of my podcast, Speaking of Arkansas. Since he's endorsed Sanders and since she's not, at least so far, running a traditional kind of campaign of making herself accessible to as many Arkansans as possible, I asked Hutchinson why she'll make a good governor.
Sanders, he said, demonstrates she has strong conservative principles and has the ability to run a successful campaign. She has shown good communication skills, which he said are vital as governor. And, he said, he believes she will have a strong working relationship with the General Assembly.
"All the signs are she'll be a very thoughtful governor about the issues, and that she will lead in a conservative way, and those are good criteria from my standpoint for the next governor," Hutchinson said.
Hutchinson even suggested she might be a little like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. How? Well, I'm out of space, but you can listen to his answer on the podcast.