State Democrats hopeful on ticket

Joe Hudson (from left), Rob McCorkindale and Sherry Bishop, all of Harrison and representing Boone County, discuss strategy Saturday during the Democratic Party of Arkansas’ state convention at Shorter College in North Little Rock.
Joe Hudson (from left), Rob McCorkindale and Sherry Bishop, all of Harrison and representing Boone County, discuss strategy Saturday during the Democratic Party of Arkansas’ state convention at Shorter College in North Little Rock.

At its state convention, the Democratic Party of Arkansas on Saturday passed a platform, selected a slate of electors and heard pep talks from candidates, fellow activists and a Hollywood celebrity.

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Vincent Insalaco, Democratic Party of Arkansas chairman, with a map of Arkansas counties behind him, applauds a speaker Saturday during the Democratic Party of Arkansas State Convention at Shorter College in North Little Rock.

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Party officials from more than 50 counties gathered at Shorter College in North Little Rock to discuss their strategy for winning in November.

After failing to capture Arkansas' electoral votes in the past four state presidential elections, Democrats are hopeful that they'll fare better in 2016 with the state's former first lady leading the ticket.

They're also counting on Donald Trump to alienate voters who typically would support the Republican Party's presidential nominee.

Former U.S. Attorney Conner Eldridge, who is seeking to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. John Boozman, said his party won't be fighting the same head winds in November.

"Hillary Clinton? That's a wind at our back in Arkansas. She's going to do well. She's going to do better than others think," the Fayetteville Democrat said. "Donald Trump gives us an opportunity to have conversations with voters we would not otherwise be able to talk to who are open to voting for us in a way they haven't been in the last three cycles and probably won't be in the next several cycles. This is new."

Party chairman Vince Insalaco predicted Trump's "flagrant misogynistic, racist and violent comments" would turn off Arkansas voters.

"The worst part about it is that he is pitting good people against each other," he said. "Our side is talking about 'we need to work together, we need to be together, we are stronger together,' and their side is trying to divide us."

Emmy Award-winning actress Debra Messing, co-star of NBC's long-running Will & Grace, also spoke, telling the crowd that "2016 really is the most important election in our lifetime."

Whoever wins will shape the U.S. Supreme Court for generations to come, she said.

"If [Clinton's] opponent has his way, all the progress that has been made over the last 50 years will be erased. We will be a country led by a reckless bigot and misogynist," Messing said. "[Trump] may be a good businessman -- although we don't know for sure because he won't release his taxes -- but he is dangerously unqualified to be our commander in chief."

During Saturday's meeting, Democrats passed a platform advocating "a universally accessible, high quality pre-kindergarten program" in Arkansas.

At a meeting earlier this month, the state Republican Party removed any mention of pre-kindergarten programs from its platform after critics objected to the provision.

The Democratic platform also calls for student-loan recipients to be able to refinance those debts, and it advocates loan forgiveness for those who pursue public service. Democrats voted to oppose voucher programs and said "public schools in the form of charter schools must not be handed over to unaccountable corporations."

Saturday morning, Democrats elected the six people who will cast Arkansas' electoral votes in the event that Clinton carries the state.

They are: Sheila Bronfman of Little Rock, former state Treasurer Jimmie Lou Fisher, state Rep. Vivian Flowers of Pine Bluff, Denise Garner of Fayetteville, Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde and former Little Rock Mayor Lottie Shackelford.

Saturday afternoon, the party's state committee met, re-electing former Attorney General Dustin McDaniel as its Democratic national committeeman. The officials also chose Clark County Assessor Kasey Summerville to serve as the state's Democratic national committeeman.

Metro on 08/28/2016

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