2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: "Why is the DNC trying to screw over Bernie Sanders?" [View all]Art_from_Ark
(27,247 posts)Arkansas in 2000 was not "Nowheresville". It was actually home to the one of the largest investment firms outside of the Northeast (Stephens, Inc), the country's wealthiest family, as well as the world's largest retailer (Walmart). The newly-opened airport at Fayetteville-Bentonville was offering non-stop flights to many major US cities (not just local hubs). And Arkansas had also just had two outstanding Democratic Senators (Dale Bumpers and David Pryor, who had both recently retired).
But in 2000, there was no US Senate election in the state, and for the 2002 election, the son of the Democrat who had occupied the seat (Mark Pryor; father David Pryor had held the seat from 1979 until he retired in 1997) was in all likelihood being groomed to challenge the Republican incumbent, Tim Hutchinson. It would have been poetic justice, actually, if Hillary had challenged and defeated Hutchinson, as Hutchinson had helped to lead the impeachment charge against Bill (and was later found to have had an affair himself). But I do believe the state establishment wanted the son to regain the father's seat. And it wouldn't have mattered what state Hillary was representing-- she would have automatically stood out because she was the wife of the outgoing President.