AR-Lt. Gov: Someone Want To Tell Darr What A Lt. Gov. Does?

Mark Darr has graced us with a new television ad. The good news? He’s not a career politician! The bad news? He seems to have zero clue what the role of Lieutenant Governor entails.

First, the obvious: Darr says that Broadway, “just like Barack Obama [has] never created a private-sector job.” Well throw me on the beach, and call me “Sandy!” Seriously?! Broadway has never created a private-sector job?!? Why in the world is he running for Grand High Poobah of Private-Sector Job Creation then?
What’s that? He’s not running for Grand High Poobah? He’s running for lieutenant governor, which really has no power to create private-sector jobs? Well, that certainly changes things. And, by “changes things,” I mean “makes Darr’s position seem silly.”
(As an aside, can we all agree that anyone who is swayed by a Republican’s invocation of the name “Barack Obama” when the Republican is running for a state-wide constitutional office — especially one that is not governor — is a moron? “Well, I weren’t gon’ vote fer Darr, but that Broadway does thangs like that Obammy feller does. Pelosi. Tenth Amendment. Glenn Beck!”)
Anyway, at the end of the commercial, Darr says:

As lieutenant governor, I’ll create jobs by reducing spending and cutting taxes, and I’ll fight the Obama agenda.

Following the dictates of the 2010 Republican Party Playbook, Darr does not explain how he would create jobs or cut spending in his role as part-time, backup governor. Lieutenant governor is, of course, not a legislative position, nor does it have the power to sign or veto bills. At best — and this is giving Darr a huge benefit of the doubt — he might have some influence over some Republican legislators (he certainly won’t have any over Mike Beebe) and might therefore be able to get some kind of legislation passed. Then again, if Darr’s ability to do any of these things is hingent upon his sway over legislators, one would assume that Shane Broadway qua former legislator would have far more pull that area, rendering Darr’s assertions even sillier.
I cannot stress this strongly enough: despite the fact that he has bothered to create a television ad, Mark Darr has not yet articulated ANYTHING that resembles an actual platform. (Granted, neither has Shane Broadway, save for his desire to attract and retain high-paying, high-tech jobs to Arkansas.) If you want to vote for him because you are simply anti-Democrat this year, fine. I find the position foolish, especially as it pertains to this race, but that is your right. However, if you are voting for Darr because you somehow believe that he is going to create jobs or cut spending (and especially if you think he is going to do both), you’re what the French call “les incompentents.”
I keep telling myself that, come election day, “I’m not a Democrat” will bow to name recognition and a track record of actually doing things. Mark Darr (and John Thurston) are banking on me my being wrong.