I attended governor Asa Hutchinson's speech yesterday at nixon library: VERY impressed!

Posted on 3/24/23 at 12:50 am

Posted by HailHailtoMichigan!

Mission Viejo, CA

Member since Mar 2012

71396 posts

Posted on 3/24/23 at 12:50 am

Governor Asa Hutchinson came to Orange County, CA to talk to the GOP branch here. Being an active member of the county apparatus, I could not turn down a chance to hear a former governor give a talk. This was a long held republican bastion that has since been lost since new deal don came onto the scene.

My initial impression is that Arkansas was lucky to have him. Smart, sane, principled, conservative.

His presidential ambitions are deluded of course, but he is a great asset to the party, and my chums in the room had the same impressed reaction I did.

quote:
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a potential GOP 2024 presidential candidate, told Orange County Republicans on Wednesday that the party needs to nominate a proven leader and consistent conservative who can win independent and suburban voters to take back the White House.

“I believe that our country needs leaders who have been governors and who have led in tough circumstances like through a pandemic. We need to have people with experience of how to manage large agencies and ... how to balance a budget,”

Hutchinson, once an ally of former President Trump who now speaks out against him, later added, “Quite frankly, we need a course correction in our party as well.”

quote:

The 72-year-old spent three days in Southern California courting Republican activists, donors and voters in the final weeks before he decides in April whether to run for president next year.

In addition to speaking before the GOP women’s group, Hutchinson spoke at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda as well as at two events for the Republican Party of Orange County. He also met with reporters and the New Majority and the Lincoln Club, two influential, business-minded donor groups.

Hutchinson, who agrees he is a long shot if he decides to run, is one of the few potential GOP contenders with a long list of Republican bona fides who openly criticizes Trump.

quote:
During his visit to Orange County, Hutchinson touted his record as governor of Arkansas, including lowering the state income tax by 2.1%, creating 100,000 private sector jobs, keeping schools and businesses open during the pandemic and creating a business-friendly environment that allowed the state to land a $3-billion steel plant that means Arkansas will outpace Pennsylvania in steel production.

He outlined five priorities he would focus on if he runs for president: ending out-of-control spending, reasserting American international leadership, securing the southern border, increasing domestic energy production and stopping the federal government from promoting what he called “a leftist social agenda.”

“I think we need to win the hearts and minds of Americans again on the Republican side to show our leadership, and that we can win not just the conservative vote in a Republican primary, but that we can win independents and suburban voters in the fall election,” Hutchinson said. “And I challenge everyone here as you evaluate candidates for leadership positions at whatever level, are they consistent conservatives, but then secondly, can they win in November?”

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