NEIL: EDWARD LAWRENCE, SPEAK
ENGLISH.
THERE WE GO.
AND I GET A DISCOUNT?
LET’S GO TO GOVERNOR ASA
HUTCHINSON, HE’S KIND ENOUGH TO
JOIN US.
I WAS MENTIONING THE TONE
DEAFNESS HERE AND I’M SURE
REPUBLICANS ARE TRYING NOT TO
SUFFER THE SAME FATE BUT WHEN
YOU HEAR WHAT IS HAPPENING ON
THE PRICE FRONT, WHAT WOULD BE
YOUR MESSAGE REPUBLICANS HAVE
NOW TO WHAT THEY ARGUE THE
PRESIDENT ISN’T DOING NOW?
>> YOU CHARACTERIZE IT QUICKLY,
TONE DEAFNESS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT
THE ISSUE OF VIOLENCE IN OUR
STREETS, THERE IS NOT ANY
SPECIFIC ADDRESSING OF THAT
ISSUE, REPUBLICANS ARE MAKING
IT AN ISSUE AND IT IS ON THE
HEARTS AND MINDS OF THE PEOPLE
OF AMERICA.
YOU LOOK AT THE INFLATION ABOUT
PRESIDENT IS TRYING TO ADDRESS
UNSUCCESSFULLY AND CONSUMERS
HAD TWO BIG LOWS.
OPEC MADE CLEAR PRICES WILL GO
UP IN THE LONG-TERM AND WE HAD
PROOF INFLATION IS GOING UP. I TALKED TO PEOPLE IN ARKANSAS
I TALKED TO PEOPLE IN ARKANSAS
AND THIS HITS THEM HARD, FROM
THEIR FARM AND THEY GOT HIT AND
THERE IS SOME TONE DEAFNESS AND
INEFFECTIVENESS ON THIS AND
MINIMAL SHIFTS BECAUSE AS YOU
GO INTO THE ELECTION THOSE ARE
THE ISSUES ON EVERYONE’S MIND
AND THIS ADMINISTRATION IS NOT
EFFECTIVELY ADDRESSING IT.
NEIL: THIS IS THE FINAL MEETING OF THE JANUARY 6TH COMMITTEE
OF THE JANUARY 6TH COMMITTEE
GOING ON LIVE AS WE SPEAK, I
DON’T KNOW WHAT WILL CHANGE
HERE, DON’T KNOW IF REPUBLICANS
TAKE THE HOUSE, WHAT HAPPENS IN
THE FINAL REPORT.
IT ALL COMES OUT AT THE END OF
THIS YEAR BUT DEMOCRATS SAY THE
POLITICAL NEEDLE IS MOVING AT
THIS IS RESONATING.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT?
>> I THINK EARLY ON IN THE HEARINGS, 3 OR 4 MONTHS AGO IT
HEARINGS, 3 OR 4 MONTHS AGO IT
HAD AN IMPACT AND I THINK
CAPTURING THE MINDS OF
AMERICANS, BUT SINCE THEN YOU
HAD HURRICANES IN FLORIDA, YOU
HAD HIGH INFLATION, VIOLENCE
HAS INCREASED.
TODAY IT IS A NONFACTOR.
AND MIGHT BE IMPORTANT
SUBSTANTIVELY AND THE WHOLE ISSUE IS IMPORTANT BUT IN TERMS
ISSUE IS IMPORTANT BUT IN TERMS
OF THE ELECTION, AND MOVING
POPULAR THINKING IT IS WAY PAST
TIME FOR THAT AND I DON’T
BELIEVE IT WILL HAVE ANY
IMPACT.
NEIL: DO YOU THINK THIS IS
DONALD TRUMP’S PARTY?
HE IS STILL POPULAR?
IT IS HIS FOR THE TAKING?
>> I DO NOT.
I THINK HE IS A POWERFUL VOICE
IN THE PARTY.
HE HAS A LARGE FOLLOWING, BUT I
BELIEVE HIS PROBLEMS AS WELL AS
THE WAY HE HANDLED JANUARY 6TH,
YOU SEE A MOVEMENT AWAY FROM
HIM, LOOKING FOR DIFFERENT
LEADERSHIP FOR OUR COUNTRY.
HE’S A POWERFUL VOICE, A FACTOR
IN MANY DIFFERENT ELECTIONS,
MUCH MORE TO THE REPUBLICAN
STORY THAN FOCUSING ON HIM.
PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR
DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR 2024, AND
TO PUT OUR PARTY IN A
COMMONSENSE PATH.
NEIL: PART OF THAT IS TO SEIZE
ON BAD ECONOMIC NEWS,
TAILOR-MADE FOR REPUBLICANS TO PICK UP, DEMOCRATS ARE POINTING
PICK UP, DEMOCRATS ARE POINTING
TO ANGER AMONG SOME GROUPS.
THOSE WHO ARE UPSET ABOUT THAT,
MIGHT SHOW UP IN DROVES, TO
OFFSET SOME OF THE THINGS
REPUBLICANS WOULD EXPERIENCE
OTHERWISE.
>> THERE’S A LOT OF
UNPREDICTABILITY TO THE
ELECTION AND THAT IS ONE
ELEMENT.
I THINK IT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO
SEE WHAT SUBURBAN WOMEN, HOW
THEY ARE VOTING AND IF THERE IS
A CHANGE, AND THE FRUSTRATIONS
MANIFESTS ITSELF AT THE VOTING
BOOTH.
IN BOTH SIDES OF THIS ELECTION,
DIMINISHED ON OTHER HOT BUTTON
ISSUES TO TABLETOP ISSUES OF
INFLATION, COST OF GOODS AND
GAS AND VIOLENCE THAT IMPACTS
EVERY PARENT WHOSE CHILD IS
GOING TO SCHOOL AND WORRY ABOUT
THEM GOING TO THE GROCERY
STORE.
THESE ARE REAL ISSUES AND THAT
IS GOING TO BE DRIVING THIS
ELECTION.
EVERYTHING ELSE IS TAKING
SECOND PLACE TO THAT.
NEIL: I THINK YOU ARE RIGHT ON
THAT.
YOU WERE AHEAD OF THE CURVE
EVEN GOVERNOR YOUNGERCAN
LOOKING AT EDUCATION AS AN
ISSUE, NOW IN THAT CHAIRMAN
ROLE OF NATIONAL EDUCATION
POLICY AND WHAT WOULD BE THE
KEY THRUST FOR YOU?
>> THERE’S NOT A MORE IMPORTANT
TIME TAKING ON THAT
CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE EDUCATION
COMMISSION, 50 STATES LOOK AT
BEST PRACTICES AND EDUCATION
AND HELP DEVELOP BETTER
APPROACH, BUT IT IS NOT A MORE
IMPORTANT TIME, YOU SEE
NATURALLY OUR TEST SCORES ARE
DOWN, RESULT OF COMING OUT OF
THE PANDEMIC.
I FOCUS IN ARKANSAS ON COMPUTER
SCIENCE EDUCATION, NOW I TAKE
THAT TO TO THE NATION AND AM
ROLE AS CHAIR AND WE HAVE MANY
GOVERNORS FOCUSING ON NATIONAL
SECURITY ISSUE THAT WE’VE GOT
TO COMPETE, PRODUCE THE
TALENTS, DON’T WANT TO SHIP IT
OVERSEAS, DON’T WANT TO RECRUIT
TALENT OVERSEAS, PRODUCE IT
RIGHT HERE IN AMERICA.
THAT’S A MAJOR FOCUS BUT BEYOND
THAT PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT, ALSO
ABOUT THE READING SKILLS THAT
ARE SO CRITICAL.
VERY IMPORTANT TIME FOR THAT