A good man

The City Wire recently asked me to write something about the person who is the new Arkansas governor – my old boss, Asa Hutchinson. I was asked to write about him as a person, not about his policies or politics, nor to make predictions about his future, but about Asa, the man.

I accepted under two conditions: First, I would not violate any confidences, either personal or professional, and would not talk about his family. Second, readers should understand that my observations were formed almost 20 years ago when I first worked with him. With that caveat, these observations are mine and mine alone. I assume responsibility for them knowing that others may differ, including the man I was privileged to work for when he was in Congress – the object of this article.

WYSIWYG
Unlike so many other public figures I have met through the years, with Asa Hutchinson, What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG). Asa is the same whether he is meeting one-on-one with a constituent, a client, interviewed on national television or standing in front of a room of hundreds of people. He is comfortable in his own skin, as the saying goes. He is confident, without ever conveying a sense of arrogance or elitism. He puts people at ease, not only because he prefers to be called by his first name instead of the title of the office he holds, but because he will look you in the eye and listen to you, no matter who you are or how strange your idea may be.  He has a positive attitude and outlook and his smile is infectious.

We used to joke that the only place he ever changed, and I'm still not sure it was a significant change, was when he was on the basketball court and his competitive side would occasionally outweigh his concern for the other player's physical well-being. He is not a "mean" competitor, in the sense that he had a desire to injure someone, because that was not his intent, nor his actions. Rather, what I mean by this is that his desire to compete and win was stronger than the opposition he had to overcome.

He is one persistent, patient fellow and if the goal was scoring a basket or defending against one, Asa put his whole effort into the task. If his team won, he was humble. If his team lost, he was complimentary of his opponent's efforts and had a "we will get them the next time" attitude.

It is no surprise to anyone who has worked for him that despite not having won some earlier state-wide races, Asa persisted until he won. That is the same way he conducts himself in all aspects of his life. What you see is what you get. Even if you don't agree with his positions, I have yet to meet anyone who didn't respect him for being a genuine person. In this day and time, that is remarkable.

ASA LISTENS
I never asked him whether his ability to listen so well was the result of him being the youngest sibling in his family, and therefore being deferential to his sisters and brother, or whether it was a skill he developed as a lawyer and U.S. Attorney, but whatever the reason, Asa is a good listener.

He sought out the opinions of others. He listens to their ideas, interests and intentions before making a decision. As a lawyer he understood the value of listening carefully to the testimony of witnesses. As a politician, he listened to the views of constituents, colleagues and people whose interests might be affected by his decisions.

As a federal executive branch official, both at DEA and at DHS, Asa listened intently to the men and women on the front lines who would have to implement the policies that his agency promulgated. By listening first, and acting second, Asa was able to build consensus among his team and avoid the kinds of problems that a "ready, fire, aim" approach might have created.

JUST THE FACTS
Asa's decision making is guided almost entirely by the "ev-a-dense," as he would frequently say in his Northwest Arkansas accent. He wanted to know what the facts were. It didn't matter so much what other people thought his position should be, Asa rarely went into any situation with a pre-conceived idea of what position he would take. He waited to analyze the facts and would often push staff to do more research to learn as much as possible so that whatever decision he reached was the best that it could be.
Asa trained in accounting before devoting his career to the practice of law. He understood that facts were like numbers and that good decisions come from facts that have a high fidelity.

Factual analysis also allows you to anticipate your opponent's case. Knowing one’s strengths is important, but understanding one's weaknesses may well be more important. Those judgments can only be made once an objective, factual analysis is completed.

Because his positions are driven by a thorough factual analysis, and because he wants to be comfortable with those facts before taking public positions, he has been in great demand as an advocate and spokesman in high profile situations. His presentation as a House Impeachment Manager was the one Clinton White House staffers said they were most concerned about, since it focused on incontrovertible facts.

Asa's ability dispassionately to explain the voting process during the 2000 Florida election recounts, gained him international press acclaim because he provided a factual analysis that eluded most other commentators. His defense of strong enforcement of drug laws, when he was DEA Administrator, was entirely grounded on the facts of drug abuse impact on people and their communities. His work in helping stand up the Department of Homeland Security was guided by a factual analysis of agency missions which were overlapping and therefore should be consolidated.

During the inaugural festivities, Asa was admonished to "Seek Wisdom" – and there is no doubt in my mind that particular Biblical reference has guided him for almost all of his life. If past is prologue, his decisions as Governor on addressing key problems facing Arkansas will be guided by objective factual analysis and anyone advocating any a position without having first done their homework will likely receive a polite, but clear message that more work is needed.

If someone is to meet with him, either as a lobbyist, staffer or constituent, trust that he is already familiar with the basic facts. Time used to explain the elementary parts of an issue is generally unnecessary, as is using philosophic platitudes. He will be polite, but not persuaded if that is all you have to present. To be persuasive, "Be Prepared!"

WHAT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO?
Finally, but most important of all, Asa is someone who is guided in every decision he makes by what the "right thing to do" might be.

He is a person of strong religious beliefs. He has impeccable moral character. He understands the difference between actions that are legal and ones that are morally and ethically wrong. He will make decisions based upon factual analysis and the application of those facts to whatever decision which needs to be made, as I said above.

But he will also ask himself (and others) whether it is the "right" thing to do. Asa Hutchinson is not naïve, nor is he a blind zealot. He knows and understands, then reflects Arkansas values in all that he does, publicly and privately. It is his greatest strength – and one that will inform everything he does.

I fully expect Asa will be a good governor because he is more than a good leader. He is more than a good politician. He is more than a good thinker, advocate and speaker. Above all else, Asa Hutchinson is a good man. In my book, that is as good a description as any person can have.

It is a "new day" in Arkansas.