The evolution of Rick Crawford

I first met Rick Crawford in 2010 when he was running for Congress. He was part of a seven-person political forum in Cabot where five Democrats and two Republicans were answering questions from journalists like me about why they should succeed the retiring U.S. Rep. Marion Berry.

I thought Crawford held his own as a rookie politician, but it was a crowded stage, and it was difficult for anyone to truly stand out.

That summer, after Crawford won the GOP nomination and Chad Causey won the Democratic nomination, our media group ran a poll to test the general election matchup. It showed that Crawford was up about 16 points over Causey, and I was incredulous that a Republican could be leading a Democrat in the 1st District at that juncture and by that margin. The 1st District had not elected a Republican to Congress since Reconstruction. 

I tossed the poll results out and pulled a new sample and ran the poll again. Crawford was still up by 16 points, and I decided then and there that the 2010 election cycle was going to be revolutionary for Arkansas. I was right. That lead shrunk to about eight percentage points for Crawford by Election Day, and he won by eight points in 2010.

Over the years, Crawford has always been available and willing to share his views on just about any topic. I’m appreciative for his accessibility and value his candor. 

As we all know, Rep. Crawford is now Chairman Crawford. In a surprise move, he was tabbed early in this session of Congress by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to lead the House Select Committee on Intelligence. It’s not a slacker committee. It is delegated with protecting the nation. Any member, much less the chairman, is entrusted with a lot of confidential and sensitive information that guards the country’s security.

Crawford and I visited in a recent interview to discuss this new role, and I was impressed with the seriousness and study he’s given to his position of responsibility. He is a U.S. Army veteran and served as an explosive ordnance disposal technician — basically, one of the guys that defuses bombs. This takes a person with nerves of steel, and I have to think that training has prepared him for the task at hand.

He’s particularly concerned about China’s rising influence in parts of the world, particularly developing nations, where its influence can have immediate effects. That Chinese influence is also drifting much closer to America’s shores in the Western Hemisphere.

“Every leader I talk to in our hemisphere, without exception, will tell me, ‘You’re our preferred partner,’ and then they’ll jump into an agreement with China,” he said. “And here’s the simple reason why: We’re not giving them alternatives; we’re not giving them options. … We have to change that.”

China is pursuing mineral wealth as it strikes deals with emerging countries. It needs resources — like cobalt and lithium — to feed its manufacturing appetite. It also needs to feed its 1.4 billion people, and that is another reason for its global ascension. In short, China’s pursuit of influence around the world is partially tied to agriculture.

When President Donald Trump slapped tariffs on China in his first administration, it stopped Arkansas soybeans from going to that country. In retaliation, China began purchasing large quantities of Brazilian soybeans, and that hasn’t ever reversed. As a matter of fact, China has invested greatly in ramping up soybean production in Brazil to further develop that crop source.

Crawford understands this angle to the threat of China and what he calls its “belligerence” on the world stage.

“I also consider agriculture to be mineral wealth,” he said. “So we talk about mineral wealth extraction to include agriculture, whether they’re actually engaged in cultivation or whether they’re incentivizing countries like Brazil and Argentina to do business with them by making more infrastructure investments. This is all tied up together and does present a national security challenge to us here at home.”

Crawford may be the right guy in the right role for this time in history. He has a deep understanding of agriculture and its role in the national and international arena and his military experience and Congressional studies have given him a gravitas for his new role as Intelligence Committee chairman.

It’s not a bad combination of skills to have and we can be hopeful that his bigger picture thinking can influence American policy to protect the country and safeguard our best interests in Arkansas, the U.S. and around the world.

Editor’s note: Roby Brock is the editor-in-chief of Talk Business & Politics. He hosts Talk Business & Politics and Capitol View and a radio program three times a week on KASU.