Beebe raised the bar

Arkansas’ political heart has recently been beating at the rhythm of Gov.-elect Asa Hutchinson’s appointments of his senior staff and appointments to executive agencies, and at the rhythm of the swearing-in ceremonies taking place in Little Rock.

In the midst of that hoopla that has now seen Hutchinson sworn is as the 46th Arkansas Governor, one might not fully appreciate the dexterity that one particular man has wielded in the halls of the Arkansas state government for the past 32 years.

When Mike Beebe was born on Saturday, Dec. 28, 1946, in a tarpaper shack in the little town of Amagon in Jackson County, Ark., nothing at the time presaged that Beebe would meet with professional success let alone have a stellar career in public service that culminated with his eight years as Arkansas’ governor.

His teenage single mother, Louise Beebe, struggled to provide for her young progeny, and the family had no discernible “connections” in Arkansas’ social, economic, and political circles to guarantee an upward mobility to the young Beebe. Eventually, Beebe got some help along the way and ultimately earned his bachelor’s degree in political science in 1968 from Arkansas State University and his law degree in 1972 from the University of Arkansas.

While practicing law in Searcy, Ark., Beebe started to demonstrate his shrewd maneuvering skills by lining up the support of his politically-connected legal partners to get then Gov. Dale Bumpers to appoint Beebe to the Board of Trustees of Arkansas State University, Beebe’s alma mater. In 1974, Beebe was only 26 and was already serving as one of the youngest, if not the youngest member of a Board of Trustees of a publicly-funded university in the country. Quite impressive. Thus began a storied public service career whose second act occurred in 1982 with Beebe’s election to the Arkansas Senate.

Why would someone like Beebe, with a lucrative and successful career as a lawyer, ever want to embark on a public service path that pays relatively next to nothing and generates a lot of public animosity?

“I became involved in public service in my mid-20s, when I was appointed to the Arkansas State University Board of Trustees. There were many people I worked with professionally who had experience in office, and they encouraged me to run,” Beebe said in an interview with this writer via e-mail. “Plus, I had always been inspired by President Kennedy’s call to serve in any capacity. The State Senate became a good fit for me to do that. If not for legislative term limits, I may have spent my entire political career there.”

For 20 years, between 1982 and 2002, Beebe toiled away, mastering not only the legislative meanders of the Arkansas Senate, but also the deal making skills necessary to be the pragmatic statesman that he’s come to be known as.

“To be a good public servant, you need to be willing to learn and to listen, and you need to pay attention to detail.” Beebe advised. “Remember your constituents who elected you, and be diligent and thorough in the work they elected you to do.”

In 2002, Beebe was elected the 51st Attorney General of Arkansas. Overall, in the span of 20 years, Beebe faced no opposition at all partly due to the dominance of the Democratic Party in Arkansas at the time and partly due to Beebe’s charisma and persuasive skills. When he did face opposition in 2006 and 2010 during his gubernatorial election and reelection, Beebe trounced his respective Republican opponents Asa Hutchinson (55.61% vs. 40.67%) and Jim Keet (64.18% vs. 33.82%) and carried all of Arkansas’s 75 counties in the 2010 elections.

The man who has been compared to former President Bill Clinton mostly due to their respective political success, charisma, and similar impoverished childhood, is certainly a political animal who knows more than a thing or two about what it takes to win over public support and be successful in electoral politics.

“I was once asked if I wanted to be the next Bill Clinton. I said no, I want to be the first Mike Beebe,” Beebe recalls. “But, in the case of either of us or any politician, if the people feel that they know you as a person, trust you as a politician, and believe you have their best interests at heart, then they will support you.”

And the people of Arkansas have certainly supported Beebe. Though a Democrat, Beebe did not suffer the electoral misfortunes Arkansas Democrats have endured during the past four years. During his eight years as Governor, Beebe has consistently been one of the highest-rated Governors – if not the highest-rated Governor – in the country. Per the annual University of Arkansas Poll, over the past eight years as Governor, Beebe has had an average approval rating of 70%. His lowest approval rating, 66%, was in 2013, and his highest approval rating, 74%, was in 2008. As of last October, Beebe’s approval rating stood at 67% among all Arkansans.

When one has this kind of strong and special bond with his/her constituents over a long period of time, it must be emotionally overwhelming to bid adieu to the said constituents.

“Ending my time in public office is bittersweet, but it’s also the right time to retire.” Beebe confesses. “I feel that eight years as Governor is long enough for any one person to serve, regardless of term limits. Arkansas has been very good to me during my 32 years in office, but now it is time for me to let others take the reins.”

Although he is retiring from elective public office, Beebe still professes his strong belief in the power and goodness of public service. Though he understands why many Americans in general and many Arkansans in particular might have, at times, become cynical about the political process due in no small part to the behavior of some unscrupulous politicians, Beebe exhorts young Arkansans to embrace public service.

“Public service has not carried the mantle of pride it once did, and Americans have become more cynical about government and those who work within it. Too often, politicians have given them reason to feel that way.” Beebe said. “I still remain optimistic about the good people can and will do in government service. It will be up to younger Arkansans to pick up that mantle and help restore its nobility through their own dedicated service.”

Being a leader in public service most often means proposing certain public policies and rallying public support for their passage and implementation. In this capacity, Beebe, buoyed by his extensive knowledge of the state policy making process, has proposed his share of public policies. Himself a beneficiary of sound government programs without which he likely would not have received his education and would not have made it in life, Beebe became a champion of policies that could positively impact the lives of many middle-class and poor Arkansans. Thus, Beebe successfully pushed for tax cuts on groceries and put the relationship between education and economic development at the center of his governorship. Now at the end of his governorship, is Beebe satisfied with what has been done in that regard?

“We’ve made great strides in education, but we can always do more.” Beebe acknowledged. He emphasized the necessity for higher education and industries to work hand-in-hand.

Another major policy that Beebe had to deal with is the aftermath of the passage of the Affordable Care Act (A.C.A.) a.k.a. Obamacare, and the subsequent passage of Arkansas’s Private Option, which under the A.C.A. takes federal Medicaid dollars to purchase private insurance for low-income Arkansans. Hypothetical question: Had he been in the U.S. Congress at the time, would Beebe have voted for the A.C.A.?

“Our current model of providing health-care is financially unsustainable, and I’ve always said that Congress should have tackled costs before expanding the health-care rolls.” Beebe said. “We’ve done that separately in Arkansas through our Payment Improvement Initiative, moving away from a fee-for-service model to a system that incentivizes both efficiency and outcomes. The Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, and Arkansas has made the best of our situation through the innovation of the Private Option.”

Speaking of the Private Option, why did Beebe feel the need to convince Arkansans to support the Private Option and why should it be maintained?

“Working Arkansans now have access to health care where it often did not exist before…” Beebe pleaded. “…and by collaborating in a bipartisan way from the outset, we are making our people healthier using the federal funds made available to us.”

A sitting Governor is the de facto leader of his political party. Over the past 8 years, Beebe has been the de facto leader of the Democratic Party of Arkansas. And for all his leadership skills and personal political success, it is on Beebe’s watch that Arkansas Democrats lost their grip on state power. Fair or not, could this be a blot on Beebe’s legacy?

“Politics is cyclical,” Beebe demurred.

This is certainly true. However, Arkansas Democrats’ failure to get Sens. Lincoln and Pryor to either fully address their vote for the A.C.A. or step aside likely contributed to usher in this new cycle in Arkansas politics.

Beebe then offered an assessment of what it could take for Arkansas Democrats to get back to power. “… The next phase of that cycle will depend on how well Republicans govern now that they are in power. While that happens, Democrats will continue to develop our next generation of leaders to serve this state and this country in the future.”

Being a public servant is one thing; getting at the top of a state’s political food chain as a governor is quite another. Including Hutchinson, only 46 individuals have ever reached the apex of Arkansas politics as governor. This means that it takes a combination of extraordinary ambition, charisma, rare talents, and some luck to become a state governor. So, what drove Beebe to want to become Arkansas’ governor and did he accomplish what he set out to do?

“I’ve often said that being a Governor is the best political job in America. You can accomplish a lot to help people while still working and living in the state you love.” Beebe stated. “I don’t think you can ever accomplish everything you would want to do, but I am proud of the strides we’ve made as a state in education, economic development, and health care.”

For those who don’t know the joys and tribulations of being a Governor, what has Beebe enjoyed the most and the least while on the job?

“There are so many things to enjoy about this job, and most of them involve the interactions with people, be they everyday Arkansans or visiting dignitaries from around the world.” Beebe said. “The less enjoyable parts are easier to identify: Making calls to widows and family members of soldiers killed in action overseas; and the personal responsibility to sign execution warrants for death penalty cases.”

Beebe said there are often situations that encompass the good and bad emotions that a Governor experiences.

“I’ve been to too many tragic scenes of destruction following natural disasters, where people have lost loved ones and property, and have seen their communities torn apart.” Beebe recalls. “At those same scenes, you see amazing examples of compassion and empathy, people traveling from across Arkansas and beyond to help storm victims recover and rebuild.”

As Governor, Beebe has been successful not only because he got most of his policies passed and implemented, but also because he consistently enjoyed the overwhelming support of Arkansans. What is the secret to being at least as successful a Governor as Beebe has been?

“If you tell people the truth, and do your best to listen to them and help them, I think that’s what makes a successful public servant.” Beebe advised. “It sounds simple, but too often these days, politicians are willing to tell people what they want to hear, even if it’s not possible to achieve.”

Despite his success as Governor, Beebe has had his share of shortcomings. Asked what his biggest shortcoming in office has been, Beebe did not mince words and took a shot at the dysfunctional U.S. Congress that Beebe blames for the loss of some jobs in the alternative fuels industry in Arkansas.

“I had hoped we would see greater strides in alternative fuels in Arkansas, particularly in cellulosic fuels and wind energy.” Beebe regrets. “However, cellulosic gasoline hasn’t yet found its market, and the ineptitude of Congress to come up with a consistent policy on wind energy has driven jobs out of Arkansas and set back the industry overall.”

Once Beebe leaves office, he effectively loses control over events and could no longer influence how posterity would view his governorship. If he were to write his political epitaph right now, how would he want (future) Arkansans to remember him?

“Mike Beebe, the man who left Arkansas better than he found her,” Beebe said.

Though Beebe has publicly stated that upon leaving office, he would serve on a board or two, play a lot of golf, and may teach a course, it is my hope Beebe would be gracious enough to impart his vast experience in public service to anyone, not just the connected ones, who would seek it. Speaking of that, when asked what piece of advice he would give Governor-elect Hutchison, Beebe became coy.

“Governors are a small group, and have a lot of shared experiences that no one else has,” Beebe said. “I have given Governor-elect Hutchinson advice privately, and told him I will be available to offer more whenever he requests it.”

Mike Beebe – savvy and classy until the end. He has raised the bar for public servants and he will certainly be missed.

Happy retirement, Governor.