Politico article describes Asa’s quiet campaign

By STEVE BRAWNER | For The Arkadelphian

Asa Hutchinson’s campaign for president continues in a quest ignored by many in the media but not in a recent article on Politico’s website.

The article is headlined, “‘You’re asking me about risk of embarrassment?’ Why Asa Hutchinson is still running for president.” It describes the efforts of a candidate who has dropped off the radar screen but not out of the race. 

The media is now focused on three Republicans – former President Trump, as always; former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley; and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who’s been fading for a while. 

Hutchinson stopped getting much attention months ago after he failed to qualify for the second Republican debate. His campaign manager later left and was replaced by Hutchinson’s former gubernatorial chief of staff, Alison Williams. 

But Hutchinson has not quit. He is running a shoestring campaign visiting diners and appearing at events in New Hampshire and Iowa where he’s typically not the main attraction. He’s been flying alone.

In one exchange described in the article, he approached a New Hampshire restaurant table where two men sipped coffee and asked, “Have y’all made up your mind on the race yet?” One told him he’s voting for Haley. The other didn’t know Hutchinson was running. He was also photographed standing in his usual blue suit talking to two seated women who were giving him their attention over their finished breakfasts. 

Politico reporter Natalie Allison offered a sympathetic perspective on the former governor, congressman, head of the Drug Enforcement Agency, and undersecretary of the Department of Homeland Security who is subjecting himself to a humbling process and a lot of rejection.

She recounted asking him in November how this campaign would affect his legacy. 

“You’re asking me about risk of embarrassment? People have risked their lives for the country,” Hutchinson told her then. “Am I supposed to worry about whether I’m going to be embarrassed in a contest, politically? I think our country is more important. I don’t want to turn our country or party over to Donald Trump or Joe Biden. That’s what I’m saying, and it actually reflects what the polls say in America.”

Hutchinson told a couple of New Hampshire customers that he was hoping to finish fourth in Iowa Jan. 15. That would beat expectations and put him ahead of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who isn’t campaigning in Iowa, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy. 

Candidates who fail to meet expectations in Iowa and New Hampshire will probably drop out just as former Vice President Mike Pence, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and others have already done.

Trump is favored to win those early states, just as he is favored to win the nomination. In fact, it’s hardly a race right now. In the RealClearPolitics average of national polls of Republicans, Trump is leading with 62.5%. Haley and DeSantis are tied for second with 11.2%. 

How long will those two stay in the race if they don’t meet expectations? Haley is 51 while DeSantis is 45, so they both have multiple chances to try again. Moreover, DeSantis has his current duties as governor to keep him busy. 

In contrast, this is the 73-year-old Hutchinson’s last chance. He believes he is fighting for the soul of a party he helped build in Arkansas that has veered in the wrong direction across the country. His party was the party of Reagan. It’s now the party of Trump. He’s trying to steer it back. 

As noted by the Politico article, Hutchinson, a former prosecutor, believes Trump will be convicted of a crime this year. He also has said that Trump could be disqualified from running under the Constitution’s 14th Amendment because he engaged in insurrection. The U.S. Supreme Court may rule on that issue after Colorado’s Supreme Court and Maine’s secretary of state ruled Trump ineligible. 

If Trump’s legal issues keep growing and most everyone’s dropped out, then Hutchinson could be the one remaining candidate who has been a consistently anti-Trump Reagan Republican, the article said.

It’s a debatable strategy. A Trump conviction would not necessarily sink his candidacy, and if it somehow did, Haley’s and DeSantis’ candidacies could revive, or new candidates could emerge. Things could get interesting at the Republican National Convention.

Still, you cannot win if you don’t play. Hutchinson apparently has the money, time and patience to run this type of campaign, and he has a supportive wife. 

A man can endure a lot if he has those things, including the risk of embarrassment. 

Steve Brawner is a syndicated columnist published in 15 outlets in Arkansas. Email him at brawnersteve@mac.com. Follow him on Twitter at @stevebrawner.