The real fireworks in the Arkansas Republican Party began on July 2. Still today, fading embers and potential smoldering cherry bomb explosions threaten the party's unity.
On the heels of the United States Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling on gay marriage, the Arkansas GOP apparently launched into an intense internal war.
Serious GOP in-fighting broke out predicated on a simple assumption: You will be either tolerant for the new "rule of law," as dictated by the high court -- or you will stand against everything taught by "the church." Of course, meaning the white, Christian evangelical teachings of some of the biblical scriptures as defined by local conservative church leaders.
And if one were to personally and publicly disagree with such a powerful state senator as the one and only Jason Rapert of Conway? Well, he (and others like him) will rain down upon you a throwback style of intense public scrutiny the likes of which modern-day politics has rarely seen.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson, an attorney and a strict constitutionalist by training, despite being a noted conservative, tried to quell the grassroots outrage.
His mistake, in trying to do so, was to raise the ire of Rapert and his mob-like followers.
Sen. Rapert has emerged as the biggest bomb thrower in the warfare of words following the high court's ruling. The bombastic, verbose and evangelical nowsecond-term state senator from Conway, sadly, reminds me more each and every press clipping of the late Justice Jim Johnson of bygone days.
Visages of Justice Jim and his unintentional namesake of regional intolerance "Jim Crowism" were indeed some of the saddest days for this state.
Gov. Hutchinson, today, is sadly caught in the middle and being pummeled by Rapert's vitriolic and unreasonable verbiage, while trying to uphold the rule of law.
In a letter sent to other state senators soliciting their support for a caucus stance against Hutchinson's pleas for following the law, Rapert spares no hide on Hutchinson's backside for the governor's measured stance to follow the law.
In the statement Rapert writes: "I want to be on record with my fellow senators ... the Governor of this state does not 'determine' unilaterally what legislative action the state takes...."
Rapert does not stop there, he continues, "Only senators and representatives in the legislative branch file bills in our state. It appears we have a misunderstanding with the separation of powers in Arkansas as well. I mean no disrespect, but I am going to speak the truth as best I can. I am disappointed that he has positioned himself in opposition to the GOP majority in the legislature and the voters in our state."
"I have done all I can do to help Asa on issues. He may not want to personally be dealing with social issues -- but the entire nation is and he is our governor and should be proud to defend the will of the people of Arkansas."
Then Rapert turns the statement back to himself and how his personal trust has been violated by Hutchinson.
"I don't like threats to our values from within my own party any more than I like threats from liberal Democrats. As of today, the executive branch and governor's office must rebuild my ability to trust their resolve on core issues fundamental to being an Arkansas Republican."
Rapert then turns up the heat on Hutchinson with an eye to the 2018 elections.
"This has been one of the hardest messages I have ever drafted and I am saddened that it has come to this. I never dreamed the Republican governor we all worked so hard for would disrespect those of us that fought for his election the way he has today."
It has not reached the epic rants by the late Jim Johnson against those who disagreed with his ideals, but Rapert is certainly researching the future scripts for such exchanges against Hutchison.
It's an internal war, not soon to subside.
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Maylon Rice is a former journalist who worked for several northwest Arkansas publications. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 07/29/2015