Arkansas DemocratsArkansas Politics

What’s Bob Johnson’s Angle?

Sen. Bob "Robert" Johnson
Sen. Bob "Robert" Johnson

Arkansas News Bureau columnist David “J.” Sanders broke the news yesterday that Sen. Bob Johnson, Democrat from Bigelow, is considering a primary challenge to Sen. Blanche Lincoln. (Sanders floated the rumor on his blog over at AETN. That’s right: Sanders is blogging now. That means that, in addition to his twice-weekly column, monthly television show, Twitter feed and regular KARN radio appearances, he’s now able to annoy you entertain and inform you on an entirely new platform).

Johnson confirmed the rumor shortly thereafter, and he told reporter John Lyon that he’s a “Harry Truman Democrat” and made some statements that indicate he’d be running against the reigning Democratic majority in Washington. “Mr. Johnson must have decided the Republican primary is too crowded,” Lincoln’s campaign manager, Steve Patterson, wryly notes.

Now, Bob Johnson is a calculating man, so I’ve been trying to wrap my head around what his calculations might be. Lincoln commands an impressive fundraising apparatus, so he can’t compete on money; he admits as much in his interview with Lyon. He’s a more conservative Democrat than Lincoln, so he’ll run to her right. Is Lincoln weak among conservative-leaning rural Dems? Johnson also says that he’s received encouragement from current and former state legislators. Is that to suggest that Lincoln has unsteady relations with the state Democratic machine?

Or perhaps it’s all just a function of things like this. And things like this:

Public Policy Polling

Anyway, I’ve added Johnson to our ever-lengthening list of 2010 Senate candidates.

Please follow and like us:

24 thoughts on “What’s Bob Johnson’s Angle?

  • After all these so called conservatives beat each up in their party primaries, they will then have to face a true conservative in the general. Things are looking better for Trevor Drown everyday.

    Reply
  • Tired of Trevor

    Teamster – Great point! Johnson must be in cahoots with the mighty Trevor Drown and his army of Teams! Nothing like a “conservative” teamster.

    Reply
  • Fourche River Rex

    Bob Johnson lives down river from me. I used to sneak out on his farm to dig up arrowheads. I know Bob Johnson, and Trevor Drown is no Bob Johnson.

    In all seriousness, Trevor Drown has no chance of winning. Don’t fool yourself in thinking he does. No independent or third party does. When is the last time you’ve heard of an Independent not from Vermont or named Lieberman win? All independents and third parties do is suck votes away from the major party candidates. And if it is a close race, Drown could suck enough votes away from the Republican to give the Democrat the seat.

    And, honestly, if Mr. Drown doesn’t understand this, he doesn’t understand politics enough to be in the US Senate.

    Reply
  • Why Drownie why?

    The Teams are FAIL.

    Click my name to see the true Trevor Drownie.

    18Z

    Reply
  • Cameron Bluff

    This action by Bob Johnson looks to be right out of the pages of the Trevor Drown playbook!

    Reply
  • I BBQ’d today, using a sauce out of the Trevor Drown cookbook!

    Reply
  • Cameron and 18Zulu,
    Those are the two funniest back-to-back comments we’ve had on the blog in months. I presume you guys are working from the Trevor Drown jokebook.

    Trifecta!
    D.

    Reply
  • These comments were a great way to start my morning.

    Reply
  • Oh no!

    Not the Trevor Drown memory book with the Hello Kitty cover!

    Game over, man.

    Game over.

    Reply
  • True American

    I don’t see Trevor
    Drown as a man trying to suck votes from either party I see A TRUE man standing up for the American People, and being a voice for the people of Arkansas, I have never and will never be a quote Party person but a person standing along side of Mr Drown in being a voice for the people of this great nation, he is not a man who is out for glory or fame but a true man that is willing to stand up and make a difference for the common man. But if he has a cook book out I would love to have one…..Catch his bio trevordrown.com and Dare to make a difference with him………..

    Reply
  • Pingback: Blake’s Think Tank » Blog Archive » 2010 in the Senate: An Early Look

  • Fourche River Rex

    True American,
    It doesn’t make a hoot in hell how you see Trevor Drown or the party system in the United States. I might not see gravity as problematic either, but if I jump off a cliff its still going to f#%k me up. Perception don’t mean crap when reality is slapping you in the face. Reality is, independents and third parties do not win. That’s why Ralp Nader isn’t President.

    A party provides resources that an indpendent can’t get. It takes money to win and Trevor Drown is and will remain an unknown entity in Arkansas. The only people that will vote for him will be a handful of people that would have voted for the Republican. They may or may not be enough to influence the election. Their influence will have less to do with Trevor Drown than with the political climate in November of 2010. In other words, Drown is going to get what he’s going to get regardless. Whether he impacts the election or not depends on the other candidates and not Drown.

    Oh, and Teamster, seriously? You’re going to remember this? That’s great! You can remember it when you are going over your playbook trying to figure out where this campaign went wrong. The Drown campaign will clearly have gone off the rails when the Arkansas Project denziens made fun of Trevor Drown. It will certainly not be when Trevor Drown got the idea that he could run as an independent and have a snowball’s chance in hell despite all evidence to the contrary. No, no. It will clearly be this thread that did it.

    Reply
  • Jack Welch

    I could possibly subscribe to what someone posted a few threads back, Drown is an elaborate plot by the Democrats to throw the GOP off stride and make them loose focus and votes. The thing, is it must be working because this forum clearly loves bashing someone that should not even be an issue, according to the above post. He still has to get on the ballot and I suspect he will. The various GOP candidates still need to have their little spat and then the Republican candidate can join Trevor Drown and Blanche Lincoln. Times are a changing my friend. To sit in the box and think all of what you said bespeaks of someone with some deep mental disorders.

    The fact remains, your typical Arkansan has no idea what goes on in the mini-Beltway of the Little Rock blogosphere. I would imagine less than 500 a month come on here and it is the same ones. The people in the rest of the state don’t care, about this little slice of hell. Anything posted on here now or even months from now will mean nothing. In regards to the vote, it is the man on the street that counts. If you can reach him, then it is game over and I have a feeling Drown’s very existance already is reaching them as well as scaring you. By the way to think he will split the party is such a racist view. Considering the Republican’s make up less than 2 percent of the electorate. It is like saying republican’s have conservative views. It is too broad, I know many democrats with the same conservative views, the only reason they are not republicans is they cannot tolerate the racist and 19th century mindset.

    Now take a deep breath and respond.

    Reply
  • Fourche River Rex

    Honestly, I don’t know that I can. Egads, you’ve proven me a trembling racist in a 2% minority club! Eck! I’m done for! But certainly, good luck with…um, whatever.

    Reply
  • Cameron Bluff

    Hmmm, quite possibly Jack Welch is actually quoting directly from the Trevor Drown playbook.

    I am opening betting with five to one odds that TAP (definitely a little slice of hell) has more individual readers (easily verified) than Trevor Drown will have voters in 2010 (equally easily verified).

    In the end, the Trevor Drown playbook will turn out to be about as influential and widely read as that masterpiece about the Clintons written by Brummett.

    Reply
  • I am wondering why, if Jack and his Drownies “imagine less than 500 a month come on here,” then why are they wasting their time in posting their crap?

    Is this coming from the Trevor Drown Cliff’s Notes?

    Reply
  • Fourche River Rex

    Don’t you guys know you all have mental problems from sitting in the box? So stop fighting it and join in the genius that is the the Drownie movement! You and your sucky little blog.

    I’m fighting the urge to make a joke about being in a box, so I’m going to leave now. And if I get Rick n Rolled by 18Zulu again, I’m going to vote for Drown just for spite.

    Reply
  • LOL, Rex.

    “The Drownies put the lotion on the skin.”

    From the Trevor Drown grooming pamphlet.

    Reply
  • Pingback: New Lincoln Poll Numbers Looking Ugly | The Arkansas Project

  • Iraqi Vet

    It’s amazing that Drown talks about anything other than himself, because that’s all we hear at the Arkansas Guard. Right now he is the running joke here at Camp Robinson for those of us who have got to hear about his heroics in Afghanistan over and over and over and over again.

    I’m sick of hearing about the green beret from Arkansas and the half-truths about the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center on his website–trust me, I have several friends who work over there and told me of his many exploits.

    True, he was OIC of CPEC while the true OIC was at a military school. What wasn’t said is that he did such a poor job, he wasn’t kept on.

    True, he was a liason for some foreign teams. Also true is that he isn’t going to be this year because of his bad attitude.

    Trevor who has been assigned to NGMTC off and on since 1996 is considered by many to be one of the most qualified combat long distance shooters in the Arkansas Guard. Yes, he is a good shooter but said by many?????? I’d like to know who said this???

    He was also selected as the only officer out of 22 assigned to NGMTC to accompany the Commander of NGMTC in representing the National Guard at the annual Infantry Conference held at Fort Benning, Georgia. What a joke!!! Most officers are traditional and not even available (he was working full-time at the time), some of the others would have no benefit in going (i.e. finance officer, personnel officer, etc) and lastly ask why he wasn’t even considered this year—because of the black eye the commander got because of his relationship with Trevor and his buddy from California – Roy Fleshman (the man who made the stupid soapbox).

    Hey Roy (who is posting on here)…why don’t you tell people why your orders did not get renewed at NGMTC and why Trevor’s military career is going down the drain?

    Even if he got 10,000 signatures (obviously people who got duped by this sap) I think it would be great for his opponents to learn about his checkered military past. This is one Iraqi vet who won’t be considering this bag of hot air!!!!

    Reply
  • Have you been asking yourself what you can do to reclaim the principles of liberty that laid the foundation of Arkansas and America? If you have then joining our grassroots campaign is a great start.

    TELL WASHINGTON YOU’VE HAD ENOUGH

    Electing me, Trevor Drown to the United States Senate presents an opportunity for you to tell the chosen few in both parties, that you’ve had enough. For you to tell the liberal leadership in Washington and our liberal Senator in Arkansas who voted against the people of this state that you’ve had enough of the hypocrisy and false promises they offer while we are faced with unemployment, more and more taxes, liberal health care reform and national security concerns, trillion dollar debt while ever increasing salaries are being paid to growing numbers of government employees with the tax dollars of recession-battered citizens of our Arkansas.
    There’s too much at stake for you and your family not to get involved. Join us in holding Washington’s feet to the fire, make them accountable as you send a strong message that you’ve had enough..

    VOTE Trevor Drown, US Senate in 2010
    Dare to Make a Difference!!

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Cameron Bluff Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The Arkansas Project