Changes

==Gubernatorial bid==

==Gubernatorial bid==

​

​

In 1978, Lowe, midway in his tenure as state party chairman, ran unopposed for the party's gubernatorial nomination. No other prominent figure stepped forward for the task of challenging Bill Clinton, who had been unopposed in the general election of 1976 for the office of state attorney general. Many seemed to have thought that Clinton had won the governorship merely by winning the Democratic nomination. Clinton supported the [[Equal Rights Amendment]] to the [[United States Constitution]], which was never ratified by the Arkansas legislature or the required number of states. He declared the matter a "dead issue" in Arkansas though ratification]] s still being sought on the national level by the administration of President [[Jimmy Carter]].<ref>''Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report,'' May 20, 1978, p. 1233.</ref>​

In 1978, Lowe, midway in his tenure as state party chairman, ran unopposed for the party's gubernatorial nomination. No other prominent figure stepped forward for the task of challenging Bill Clinton, who had been unopposed in the general election of 1976 for the office of state attorney general. Many seemed to have thought that Clinton had won the governorship merely by winning the Democratic nomination. Clinton supported the [[Equal Rights Amendment]] to the [[United States Constitution]], which was never ratified by the Arkansas legislature or the required number of states. He declared the matter a "dead issue" in Arkansas though ratification]] s still being sought on the national level by the administration of President [[Jimmy Carter]].<ref>''Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report,'' May 20, 1978, p. 1233.</ref>

 

Lowe found few issues on which to challenge Clinton until the Democrat announced his opposition to a [[referendum]] to remove the state [[sales tax]] on groceries and prescription drugs. Clinton determined that the state could not afford to lose the $60 million then procured from the sales tax. Lowe noted a $40 million state surplus and urged repeal of the taxes.<ref name="Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report 1978">''Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report,'' October 14, 1978, p. 2804.</ref> Not only did Clinton defeat Lowe, but the removal of the sales taxes failed, 55-45 percent. Arkansans were more in tune with higher taxes than Lowe had judged.<ref>State of Arkansas, Secretary of State, Election returns, November 7, 1978.</ref>​

Lowe found few issues on which to challenge Clinton until the Democrat announced his opposition to a [[referendum]] to remove the state [[sales tax]] on groceries and prescription drugs. Clinton determined that the state could not afford to lose the $60 million then procured from the sales tax. Lowe noted a $40 million state surplus and urged repeal of the taxes.<ref name="Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report 1978">''Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report,'' October 14, 1978, p. 2804.</ref> Not only did Clinton defeat Lowe, but the removal of the sales taxes failed, 55-45 percent. Arkansans were more in tune with higher taxes than Lowe had judged.<ref>State of Arkansas, Secretary of State, Election returns, November 7, 1978.</ref>​

 

With his election a foregone conclusion, Clinton called the campaign against Lowe "uneventful except for the press conference on the steps of the Capitol in which his campaign accused me of being a draft dodger."<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=0p3UPxm0lrIC&pg=PA258&lpg=PA258&dq=Lynn+Lowe+of+Arkansas&source=bl&ots=WJmqIZwYzP&sig=hkn5fjQItM14ImlaAHusI_TzE_0&hl=en&ei=vLI3S__TLJGQtgeq88GFCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CB0Q6AEwBjgU#v=onepage&q=Lynn%20Lowe%20of%20Arkansas&f=false|author=[[Bill Clinton]]|title= My Life|page= 258|publisher=[[Google]] Books|accessdate=December 27, 2009 | isbn=978-1-4000-3003-3}}</ref> Lowe's charge would be raised again nearly fourteen years later in the 1992 presidential primary campaign. The ''Arkadelphia Southern Standard'' newspaper in Arkadelphia claimed that Clinton could hardly lose "unless he stumbles badly or is caught molesting a nun in the process of robbing the church widows’ and orphans’ funds."<ref>Quoted from ''Arkadelphia Southern Standard'' in ''Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report,'' October 14, 1978, p. 2804.</ref>

With his election a foregone conclusion, Clinton called the campaign against Lowe "uneventful except for the press conference on the steps of the Capitol in which his campaign accused me of being a draft dodger."<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=0p3UPxm0lrIC&pg=PA258&lpg=PA258&dq=Lynn+Lowe+of+Arkansas&source=bl&ots=WJmqIZwYzP&sig=hkn5fjQItM14ImlaAHusI_TzE_0&hl=en&ei=vLI3S__TLJGQtgeq88GFCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CB0Q6AEwBjgU#v=onepage&q=Lynn%20Lowe%20of%20Arkansas&f=false|author=[[Bill Clinton]]|title= My Life|page= 258|publisher=[[Google]] Books|accessdate=December 27, 2009 | isbn=978-1-4000-3003-3}}</ref> Lowe's charge would be raised again nearly fourteen years later in the 1992 presidential primary campaign. The ''Arkadelphia Southern Standard'' newspaper in Arkadelphia claimed that Clinton could hardly lose "unless he stumbles badly or is caught molesting a nun in the process of robbing the church widows’ and orphans’ funds."<ref>Quoted from ''Arkadelphia Southern Standard'' in ''Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report,'' October 14, 1978, p. 2804.</ref>

''[[U.S. News and World Report]]'' said that no state in the U.S. South in 1978 was "tougher to crack for the Republicans than Arkansas, and it's going to stay that way."<ref name=usnews>''[[U.S. News and World Report]],'' October 16, 1978, p. 32.</ref> Clinton hence became at thirty-two the youngest person elected governor in the United States since [[Harold Stassen]] won in [[Minnesota]] in 1938 at the age of thirty-one. He was termed "a living monument to the god, 'Charisma'"<ref name=usnews/>​

''[[U.S. News and World Report]]'' said that no state in the U.S. South in 1978 was "tougher to crack for the Republicans than Arkansas, and it's going to stay that way."<ref name=usnews>''[[U.S. News and World Report]],'' October 16, 1978, p. 32.</ref> Clinton hence became at thirty-two the youngest person elected governor in the United States since [[Harold Stassen]] won in [[Minnesota]] in 1938 at the age of thirty-one. He was termed "a living monument to the god, 'Charisma'"<ref name=usnews/>​

 

Lowe received 195,550 votes (36.6 percent) and won six counties: Sebastian ([[Fort Smith, Arkansas|Fort Smith]]), with 62.5 percent),Crawford (adjoining Sebastian),  with 55 percent, Boone (Harrison), with 54.9 percent), Polk, with 54.4 percent, Van Buren, with 54.1 percent, and his own Miller, 53.6 percent. He won 49.8 percent in Franklin County,  also near Fort Smith and the home base of then U.S. Senator [[Dale Bumpers]]. Clinton prevailed with 338,684 votees (63.4 percent) and won the remaining sixty-nine counties. It was the best showing by a GOP nominee for governor since [[Winthrop Rockefeller]]'s 1970 loss to Bumpers. While Lowe lost to Clinton, Lowe's former congressional rival, outgoing Governor David Pryor, won all seventy-five counties in the U.S. Senate race over the Little Rock [[Moderate Republican]] William Thomas "Tom" Kelly, Jr. (1942-2011).<ref>Arkansas election returns, 1978.</ref>​

Lowe received 195,550 votes (36.6 percent) and won six counties: Sebastian ([[Fort Smith, Arkansas|Fort Smith]]), with 62.5 percent),Crawford (adjoining Sebastian),  with 55 percent, Boone (Harrison), with 54.9 percent), Polk, with 54.4 percent, Van Buren, with 54.1 percent, and his own Miller, 53.6 percent. He won 49.8 percent in Franklin County,  also near Fort Smith and the home base of then U.S. Senator [[Dale Bumpers]]. Clinton prevailed with 338,684 votees (63.4 percent) and won the remaining sixty-nine counties. It was the best showing by a GOP nominee for governor since [[Winthrop Rockefeller]]'s 1970 loss to Bumpers. While Lowe lost to Clinton, Lowe's former congressional rival, outgoing Governor David Pryor, won all seventy-five counties in the U.S. Senate race over the Little Rock [[Moderate Republican]] William Thomas "Tom" Kelly, Jr. (1942-2011).<ref>Arkansas election returns, 1978.</ref>​

​

​