David Pryor Reflects On Career With NEA Political Animals

In a political career that has spanned more than six decades, former Senator and Governor David Pryor said there have been many changes.

Pryor, who started his political career in 1952 as a driver for Gov. Francis Cherry, spoke Friday to the NEA Political Animals club meeting about his life and career.

Pryor, who was in college at the time, said he first thought someone was playing a joke on him when he got a call from Cherry, a Jonesboro native and circuit judge.

“They said, ‘Gov. Cherry is on the phone, Ha, Ha’,” Pryor said. “I said, ‘Yeah, right.'”

Pryor then drove Cherry around the state during the 1952 campaign. Two years later, Cherry lost to Orval Faubus.

The work with the campaign led to a win in the state House, serving in the U.S. House, and eventually becoming Arkansas Governor and U.S. Senator.

VOTER CONTACT
Pryor said there has been a change in the communication with voters from the time he first ran for office until now.

“When I started, there were three television stations in the entire state. There were two papers, the Democrat and the Gazette. There were no computers and the fax machine was in its infancy,” Pryor said. “And Facebook, are you kidding me?”

In spite of the technological changes, Pryor said the changes have not stopped politicians from asking for votes “the old-fashioned way” by actually asking individuals for their trust.

He said the campaign between his son, Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Arkansas and Rep. Tom Cotton, R-Dardanelle has been a “slug fest” with voters caught in the proverbial middle.

“More importantly, I think historians will say it will be the most expensive Senate race in our state’s history,” Pryor said.

David Pryor said the Citizens United case in the U.S. Supreme Court helped expand the financial playing field for candidates.

“I think we should repeal Citizens United. We need transparency and campaign limits. And I wish we would limit the time of a campaign,” David Pryor said.

David Pryor said he and his 1984 Republican opponent, Rep. Ed Bethune, spent about $1 million each in their race. Early estimates suggest that the current Senate campaign will spend much more than $50 million.

MAJOR MEMORIES
David Pryor also took questions about his political career.

He said he was reminded Thursday of the most difficult decision he made as governor – a 1975 decision to allow 55,000 Vietnamese refugees to stay at Fort Chafee.

“I got a call from the White House,” Pryor said.

He said he flew up to Northwest Arkansas, met with the refugees who “had no idea where they were.”

“I thought it was going to be catastrophic until I heard a church choir from Fort Smith singing ‘God Bless America.’”

Pryor said his wife, Barbara, had a chance to recently talk to one of the refugees, who now runs a beauty parlor.

Pryor also spoke about his relationship with Faubus, who was known mainly for the battle to integrate Little Rock Central High School in the 1950s.

The relationship was “very complicated” in part due to the Cherry gubernatorial loss, Pryor said.

“The relationship festered. I was in the state legislature and was in a group of six legislators, who were the Young Turks,” David Pryor said.

A 1972 Senate race, where Pryor challenged Sen. John McClellan, led to Faubus endorsing the incumbent. Two years later, Pryor ran for Governor against Faubus and won.

The relationship began to thaw when Pryor went to a veterans’ cemetery dedication in Cabot many years ago. Faubus was the state’s veterans director at the time and Pryor called him, asking if he wanted to ride to the ceremony.

Faubus then sent a get-well letter to Pryor after he underwent open heart surgery.

“He said he tried to get into the Intensive Care unit, but they would not let him. He left me a letter and the letter still sits in my home to this day,” Pryor said.