Cook: Asa Hutchinson’s Farm Bureau Flub

by Michael Cook ([email protected]) 170 views 

Asa Hutchinson looked a little foolish and out of touch with Arkansas’s agricultural industry today. In just one 37-second YouTube clip of today’s fiasco, Asa Hutchinson reminded voters why they voted against him in the three times he’s run for statewide office.

Hutchinson and Mike Ross made a joint appearance at a State Farm Bureau meeting in Springdale today. The forum moderator, Larry Henry, threw a softball question to Hutchinson and Ross by asking them if they were members of the Arkansas Farm Bureau.

Hutchinson literally had no clue if he was a member of Arkansas largest agricultural organization or even how to even become a member.

The 37-second video, embedded below, shows Hutchinson’s bumbling response. It boggles the mind just how out of touch Asa Hutchinson is with Arkansas’s largest industry.

Oddly enough, Hutchinson has a new TV ad up proclaiming his support for Arkansas’s agricultural industry. Ross’s campaign should just cut an ad with Hutchinson’s bumbling answer to show Hutchinson is out of touch of Arkansas’s farmers.

Looking closely at the video, I noticed Mike Ross’s body language while Hutchinson fumbled and bumbled his answer.

Ross looked like a baseball player who just knew the next pitch would result in him hitting a home run. Which Ross did by simply saying he was an Arkansas Farm Bureau dues-paying member and how he even got a free dinner every year at the Prescott-Nevada County Fair, to which the crowd laughed in appreciation and clapped.

Here’s a transcript of today’s exchange:

Larry Henry: Let me ask both of you guys this: Are you a Farm Bureau Member and if so how long have you been a member?

Asa Hutchinson: I didn’t pay any money.

[Pause. Audience Reactions.]

I don’t know whether I’m a member of the Farm Bureau. I haven’t – I’ve been in Congress, I worked with the Farm Bureau, uh, I’ve been to your meetings. I’m not sure what it takes to be an official member.

Larry Henry: Same thing to you.

Mike Ross:  I am a member of Arkansas Farm Bureau. I pay my – what is it – thirty-five dollar annual fee. And I always get that free dinner at the Prescott-Nevada County Fair.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkruwKuY5OU]