Surprising Challenges

Something I never thought I’d say: Progressive challengers to the two-party system have a better chance of success in Arkansas than they do in California.

In Arkansas, there were no major party challengers for any seat in the U.S. Congress – House or Senate. Arkansas Republicans and Democrats seem to have made a dirty little deal to divide the state between them and keep things as they are. No Republican challenged a Democrat, and no Democrat challenged a Republican. In Arkansas, both the Democrats and the Republicans embrace right wing ideology, so it doesn’t matter much which political party gains a seat anyway.

However, Rebekah Kennedy challenged this nasty little set up when she ran against Democratic Senator Mark Pryor. Pryor has gained a pathetic 6 out of 100 progressive legislative score over the last two years. Kennedy came at Pryor from the left with a Green Party candidacy – and without much external support she got 20.7 percent of the vote.

Compare that with Cindy Sheehan, who got support from progressives all over the country, and had a large number of interviews by big broadcast media outlet during her candidacy. As an independent, she challenged Nancy Pelosi, who is nationally unpopular on the left due to her repeated assistance to George W. Bush, and refusal to even consider impeachment.

Even with all her support, Sheehan only just 17 percent of the vote. It seems that San Francisco Democratic voters prefer access to the powerful Speaker of the House seat more than they prefer actual progressive ideals.