The Think Tank had to take care of some stuff this weekend thus the blogging absence. But I’m back now. Lucky you.
The big political news of the weekend is that 71-year-old state Sen. Kim Hendren, a Republican from Gravette and an extended member of the Asa/Tim Hutchinson family, will challenge Sen. Blanche Lincoln in 2010. He issued a press release indicating that a formal announcement would come in late summer or early fall.
Max Brantley of the Arkansas Times predicts this ends the candidacy of state Sen. Gilbert Baker, French Hill and Scott Ford. What about Tim Griffin? He’s playing it coy and will let us all know sometime in June. Doug Thompson of The Morning News predicted this in a column on Friday. David Kinkade of The Arkansas Project and Jason Tolbert of The Tolbert Report have more. Senate Guru’s on the race, too.
The Think Tank’s reaction? Bleh. Sen. Hendren will get out of the primary assuming he draws a challenger (well funded, NW Arkansas base = Republican primary winner every time), but there’s nothing about him that will encourage Democrats to abandon Sen. Lincoln. Barring a change of heart by Sen. Baker, it looks like the Republicans have anointed their contender. (Mr. Brantley is right: It’s an uphill battle for him. Mr. Tolbert’s also right: Sen. Baker is a better general election candidate for Republicans. I still say Mr. Griffin gets in this race, if he has time between all his dirt bikin,’ that is.)
Overall, good news for the Lincoln campaign.
[...] Blake Rutherford of Blake’s Think Tank, who chest-thumpingly declared Lincoln “unbeatable” last month, is unimpressed: “Bleh.” [...]