There is some confusion surfacing in the Arkansas Governor's race. Here we sit in mid-July staring headlong into the November election cycle with two distinct Arkansans vying for the state's top executive spot.
The confusion: Most Arkansans, when asked, really can't tell you what makes these two men different one from the other. Despite millions of dollars being raised and spent to this point in the campaign, there are few real discernible, personal differences to the Arkansas voter.
There needs to be some significant separation between now and November, if Arkansans are indeed going to elect a leader for state government.
Our state government, by all accounts, has been led by one of the most popular and truly strong Democratic governors of the last 20 years: Gov. Mike Beebe.
And he has done so under a newly Republican led legislature or a group of legislators who are basically split along party lines.
Mike Ross, a strong Democrat, is no clone of Mike Beebe.
Neither is Asa Hutchinson a Mike Beebe in GOP clothing.
Leadership in this race must rise to the top -- a true separation from what we are seeing and reading from each of the candidates: Asa Hutchinson, the GOP nominee or Mike Ross, the Democratic choice.
Some voters lament that the "awfulness" of the testy U.S. Senate race which has truly "powered down" the impact of selection in this governor's race.
Both men have distinct campaigning styles and records. Mike Ross has never lost a race, be it for the Nevada County Quorum Court, Arkansas State Senate or the 4th Congressional District seat. And for the Congressional seat he defeated an incumbent Republican -- Jay Dickey of Pine Bluff -- twice.
Asa Hutchinson, the record will show, is 0-3 in state wide races and has only won one true campaign contest -- for 3rd District Congress, when his brother Tim Hutchinson vacated that seat for the U.S. Senate run.
Asa Hutchinson has never served at the state level. Mike Ross has been a state Senator.
Both men talk about jobs. That's well and good.
But at best, without additional federal assistance or a state Legislature buying into their building jobs programs, that's all we will hear.
Both men talk about education -- and here is one difference to date.
Mike Ross is a firm believer in Pre-K and early education, especially reading and math skills. Asa Hutchinson talks about teaching more computer code writing and technical skills in the upper levels of high school.
Both men have opinions on the Arkansas Private Option, here too, may be an area for more separation in the days ahead. Mike Ross favors the Private Option and says he will work to keep it. Asa Hutchinson says it is up to the Legislature, while in a TV ad he has said he opposes Obama care and "always will."
Both men like to wear out the other's voting record. This, however, is not true campaign separation.
Separation can only come from debates, public forums (where both men are present) and retail campaigning out and across the state.
Arkansans want to see more separation on why these independent thinking Arkansans should choose one man over the other, despite their party affiliation, to lead this state.
It is not so much about the political party in the Arkansas Governor's race. It truly is where the best leader clearly rises to the top.
If you guys don't, in November we will all be shaking our heads about who to elect as Arkansas' next governor.
And it will be that we didn't see enough separation one from the other.
MAYLON RICE, A FORMER JOURNALIST HAVING WRITTEN BOTH NEWS AND COLUMNS FOR SEVERAL NWA PUBLICATIONS, HAS BEEN WRITING FOR THE ENTERPRISE-LEADER FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
Editorial on 07/16/2014