A week ago, I linked to a Baxter Bulletin article about the April 10, 2010 AR-01 Democratic debate that bemoaned the lack of distinguishing features among the six candidates. In that article, Bulletin writer Frank Wallis stated:
A so-called debate here Saturday between six Democrats vying for their party’s nomination to run for the U.S. House of Representatives Dist. 1 seat in November created few lines of distinction between the candidates.
Well, it seems that Mr. Wallis, hell-bent on finding some way to differentiate between the candidates, found that David Cook’s background fit the bill. Wallis’s lede:
David Cook doesn’t struggle much with questions regarding what makes his candidacy distinctive among a field of six Democrats seeking election to the U.S. House of Representatives Dist. 1 seat.
I have to agree with Mr. Wallis; today’s article paints a pretty fascinating picture of Mr. Cook’s background that I doubt many other candidates in AR-01 or any other race could match. While most of it is not the type of stuff that wins or loses a vote, I think the diverse background (shoe last factory owner, Navy, educator) only adds to what I wrote in the post last week:
[f]rom my perspective, the candidate who emerged looking the best was David Cook. Cook said he would have voted for the health care bill; that he feels Washington should function under the same type of required balanced budget as Arkansas does; and that he favors another round of stimulus spending, as he believes that highway improvements and new fiber optics for nationwide broadband access will deliver more economic stimulus than any other projects. Compared with the positions taken by everyone else in the race, Cook might represent the best (only?) chance the people of AR-01 have to upgrade from Marion Berry.
For more on Cook, Blue Arkansas Blog has a video of an interview they did with the candidate.