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Reynolds a Nimrod, Says Jonesboro Newsman

Conrad E. Reynolds
Conrad E. Reynolds

Fun media goof-up story from Roll Call today about one of Arkansas’ many GOP Senate hopefuls and the news director of the NPR outlet at Arkansas State University.

Candidate Conrad E. Reynolds has been making quite a bit of noise lately with a steady stream of news releases and press statements, and news director Greg Chance at ASU’s public radio station has apparently had enough:

Army Col. Conrad Reynolds is one of several Republicans vying to take on Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) for Arkansas’ Senate seat in 2010. Reynolds’ campaign issued a press release last week blasting Lincoln for a vote, and among those who received it was Greg Chance, the news director of an NPR affiliate based at Arkansas State University. From Roll Call, via Newsbusters:

Army Col. Conrad Reynolds is one of several Republicans vying to take on Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) for Arkansas’ Senate seat in 2010. Reynolds’ campaign issued a press release last week blasting Lincoln for a vote, and among those who received it was Greg Chance, the news director of an NPR affiliate based at Arkansas State University.

It seems Chance attempted to forward the e-mail to Katie Laning Niebaum, Lincoln’s Washington-based communications director. In his forward, which HOH obtained, Chance mocked the press release and even the campaign’s logo, which features the Army colonel insignia.

“There was another one from this nimrod earlier today which I lost. I just love his logo. That ought to go over really well with the enlisted people. (ha ha),” he writes.

One problem: Chance must have hit the “reply” button instead, because his message went straight to Kenneth Ryan James, the campaign’s spokesman.

Please note the particularly telling detail in the story, which is that Chance evidently thought he was communicating directly with Lincoln’s press secretary. Cozy. (Roll Call is subscription only, so link goes to Newsbusters write-up of the exchange.)

I requested a copy of the e-mail from Reynolds spokesman, K. Ryan James, and a screenshot is posted at the jump. The Reynolds campaign’s full response is available at his site.

While we’re on the Reynolds beat, congrats to the candidate and his wife on the birth of their new son yesterday.

Full e-mail from Greg Chance (click for larger):

Reynolds 'Nimrod' Screenshot

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15 thoughts on “Reynolds a Nimrod, Says Jonesboro Newsman

  • Fourche River Rex

    Rule number one, Mr. W. Gregory Chance, don’t call someone a nimrod if you are a douche bag. See Marion Berry as an example of this rule in action.

    Reply
  • Jerry Halsell

    Greg is welcome to his personal opinion & this was not meant as a public news story BUT we now know his personal “agenda” & therefore his news reporting & editorial commentary is no longer credible. I hear they are hiring at Hay’s for bag boys.

    Reply
  • Perry County Pete

    Nimrod is town in Perry County that has a lake named after it. Perhaps all these media wannabes yoking themselves to Democrats could just go jump into that lake.

    Reply
  • Elizabeth

    What is it about dems in Northeast Arkansas calling people nimrods? Maybe it’s the whiskey.

    Reply
  • Bubba from Gurdon

    So is the term Nimrod back in fashion? Wow, I am cool again!

    Reply
  • Bill from Sheridan

    Nimrod was a great and mighty hunter in the Old Testament
    .

    Reply
  • Fourche River Rex

    Hey, Perry County Pete, there are already two of us Perry County boys on here. You ain’t Bo Jack are you?
    I got folks from around the town of Nimrod. The name comes from the Bible, he was a king and great grandson of Noah. The name actully means woodsman or hunter. So that explains how the town got its name, which in turn was given to the lake.
    I’d imagine that the name started to mean a “foolish” person because it sounds sort of funny. It might also have to do with the fact that King Nimrod was foolish and tried to build the Tower of Babel so he could see Heaven. In any event, I always found the choice of word strange. Does Marion Berry go around saying “Nimrod” regular? I’ve heard that he was drunk when he said called that fella a Nimrod. I wouldn’t have believed such a rumor except that I’ve only met him twice in my life, and both times he was drunk. So maybe that’s the only way he comes.
    But anyway, do you think that when he hits his head he yells, “Egads! What a Nimrod am I!” Or when he’s out playing golf and he sees someone get mad and throw a club he says, “I say there, Reginald, old boy. You are making quite the Nimrod of yourself. Now, Cherrio and carry on, shall we old sport?” And I assume that when Greg Chance’s barbershop quartet is heckled, he proclaims, “Bully! There’s a man that’s a Nimrod! He’s in need of a thrashing and he shall get one as soon as I wax my handle bar mustache!!!”

    Reply
  • This is how you really call someone a nimrod:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcRNp1baEqA

    and FRR, douchebag? really? Nah, douchebags pop their collars and such other nonsense.

    Also is it just me or is it a tad humorous to see a suppossed army stud whining about a being called a nimrod?

    Reply
  • Fourche River Rex

    BR,
    You ever see the website hot chicks with douche bags? It sounds disturbing but its so not. I Love it! http://www.hotchickswithdouchebags.com/
    Anyway, I think a douche bag can be someone that thinks he’s cool but is really clueless, thus my reference to old W. Greg. You know, he’s thinking, “Look at me, I’m all friends with Lincolns butt monkey” and making his snide remarks. But in reality he’s sending his remarks to Reynolds. I mean, that’s pretty douche bag. He probably dressed like those kids from Kriss Kross when he was in high school. You know, his shirt and pants backwards and all.

    Is it humorous to see Col Conrad (who was my favorit GI Joe, by the way) whinning? In theory it could be, but this is politics. We’re talking about him, so I think he wins. If the d-bag hadn’t screwed the pooch, we wouldn’t. So W. Greg gets the prize for playing opposite day to the most effect.

    Reply
  • Barbara

    Well, at least the NPR employee wasn’t using a state computer, or a state-funded e-mail account, while he was working at his state-paid job for the “non-profit” radio station.

    I mean, if he were, that would be a violation of so many laws, right?

    And I’m glad he didn’t send campaign material to the official Senate web-site where the Senator might fall into one of those campaign finance violations (i.e., a violation of the law that she herself helped to pass).

    Oh no, can’t have that. Move along so no one realizes what a big deal this really is.

    Reply
  • Barbara,
    It’s doubtful that there are any legitimate legal issues here. Mr. Chance wasn’t engaging in any political campaign activity using those state assets — he was passing on an unvarnished editorial comment, and he apparently thought he was doing it on the sly. That’s stupid, but it’s not illegal.

    On the Senate side, for someone to send political information that is received on your government email account is hardly a campaign finance violation, since you don’t really have control of what is sent to you. In fact, if memory serves, a Senate press secretary can respond to limited campaign-related questions if they are initiated by a reporter, though it’s usually wisest to refer them to a campaign spokesman.

    Based on the facts as they’ve been reported, it seems the “big deal” is that the mask has been pulled back, revealing Mr. Chance’s complete lack of professional judgment and utter untrustworthiness in his role as an ostensibly unbiased news-gatherer. And really, he’s probably done Republican candidates a favor by laying it out that he’s a partisan tool, rather than an even-handed journalistic player. Say…maybe he should start a blog.
    D.

    Reply
  • Barbara

    Well, the Supremes are soon going to declare the entire McCain/Feingold (BCRA) Campaign Finance law unconstitutional, so it probably doesn’t matter in the long run, does it???

    Reply
  • Jessica Deaver

    Here is where it gets a little fuzzy to me, beside the 20 fanatic David Kincade fans that read this blog everyday, no one knows who Conrad is. I know his people are interested in gaining coverage for a candidate that has yet to really excite people, but I wonder how associating “Nimrod” with “Conrad Reynolds” works in the long run.
    Most Poli-Sci 101 classes in communication say that your candidate will have about three words associated with their name. Hence the repetitive nature of messaging. I appreciate the whole, any news is good news for our guy approach, but I wonder how many folks are saying: “Hey, isn’t that the “Nimrod” guy”. Just in the name of slamming a pretty no name reporter.
    There are some battles I think you just don’t fight because of the way it gets framed. I already had two people ask me, did you hear about this “Nimrod Candidate” on the radio. Seems like bad press to me. What say you, our fearless blog leader?

    Reply
  • Fourche River Rex

    Do you know how we know Jessica has no idea what she’s talking about? She thinks 20 people read this blog.

    Reply
  • Now, Rex, we did have 20 readers that one day. Remember that one day? I think it was a Tuesday. That was a good day.

    As for Jessica’s question: You’re correct that Reynolds will get some negative blowback on the “nimrod” association. But I suspect in a strict cost-benefit analysis, he comes out a little ahead here, because it’s a story that pits him against a sinister “liberal media” figure who’s cozily “conspiring” with the Democratic incumbent. So it’s not between Reynolds and a single no-name reporter — it’s between Reynolds and a “liberal media” complex that is actively working with and for the other side. That’s a conflict that might play well with Republican primary voters.

    Enough to overcome Reynolds’ structural disadvantages and Gilbert Baker’s big pile of money? Probably not. But at least it puts his name in the game.
    D.

    Reply

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