Our lame duck governor has been going around the news and talk circuit shows on his "swan song' tour of late.
These scheduled receptions, most all with favorable press partners, are prefaced well with Hutchinson firmly sticking his 'toe' in the 2024 politics for a possible White House run.
How many guys, facing forced retirement from state political office, don't get a welcomed and softball interview on a retro-glance backwards as Arkansas' chief executive. This governor is heading out the door and a new day – is fast approaching.
Also, it is a decennial change in state government – all new districts being redrawn – and many new faces coming into new state offices. But back to our current, lame and still politically active governor, Asa Hutchinson, he is leaving.
What will Asa do in 2024? That was an often-asked question, one in part that has been answered amid all the uproar of Donald J. Trump, the one-term president, wanting to be a viable candidate in this election cycle.
Perhaps the biggest question to be asked of Hutchinson and others seeking the Grand Old Party's federal nomination, is, can this new crop of candidates field a candidate to capture the Trumpers fading influence, votes and money.
Looking back on the last eight years, Gov. Hutchinson in this humble opinion needs a B-minus grade on performance.
Certainly, the B--minus not the best grade available nor it is the worst that could be said from a consensus poll from both major in-state political parties.
Just ask those who have been around on the fringes of the state capital these last eight years and the B minus works about correctly.
To set the record correctly, Hutchinson followed Democrat Mike Beebe, a veteran state Senator and two-term Attorney General. History, also, seems graded Beebe out to that same B-minus status.
One long-time observer at the capitol gave this comparison of the two:
"Under Beebe, there was a feeling of oppression. Legislators knew they could be called to his office at any point and chewed out (or worse). Under Asa, it is felt more relaxed when summoned to the chief executive's suite."
And coming in with Asa winning the governor's seat, also came significant numbers of the GOP on both the House and state Senate floors, leading for a more conservative legislative agenda,
While one tends to remember only so far back (even in an eight-year cycle), the governor and First Lady Susan Hutchinson fought for children and brought a lot of attention and reform to Arkansas's foster care system.
Perhaps from the GOP point of view, Asa's biggest disappointment was a couple of vetoes, (one especially, of state Rep. Robin Lundstrom's bill in halting minors from taking gender altering drugs under the age of 18), both in the closing days of a session.
Another nagging disappointment was of Asa's economic adviser, Mike Preston, who always was at loggerheads with the legislature.
We all found out about the "Congressional carry-over" from Hutchinson to the state Capital. His budget was always – first and very inflexible each session. Once the budget was set, he did little to interact with the General Assembly – even for good sound items coming from legislators.
Hutchinson pressed a little too hard, at times, on lowering only one set of state income taxes. And sadly, he and Attorney General Rutledge were never on the same page regarding state executions or interoffice ethics foibles.
The handling of the covid crisis was well above the national standard, until the field trips to far flung sites drew extreme protests of shouting and finger pointing from the anti-vaccine crowd. Never one to be quick on his feet with a comeback, the state's traveling covid show shut down only to be replaced with favorable media in the closed conference room and the public relegated to Zoom or some out-distance viewing criteria.
Asa's two biggest victories – the certification of public school teachers as computer science instructors – from less than 30 to more than 800 as certified.
And his deep seeded love and tremendous support of the Jewish community.
Not bad for the B-minus grade. Not bad at all.