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==Academic and political career==​

==Academic and political career==​

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At Ouachita Baptist University, at which he joined the faculty in 1965,<ref name="obu-bulletin"/> his teaching colleagues included two other Arkansas political figures, Bob Cowell Riley, the lieutenant governo] from 1971 to 1975, and the Clinton friend and [[Whitewater]] associate [[Jim McDougal|James B. Dougal]], who subsequently ran unsuccessfully for the [[United States House of Representatives]] in 1982 against the late Republican [[John Paul Hammerschmidt]] in Arkansas' 3rd congressional district. Coincidentally, Clinton himself had lost the 1974 congressional race to Hammerschmidt. A Ranchino student recalls that the professor demanded original thinking by his students and sometimes gave false information in a lecture to test the alertness and preparation of the class.<ref name=rmoore/> Ranchino was the director of the OBU Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) program, the first of its kind established in 1968 in Arkansas. Forty-eight students signed up initially as volunteers. In 1969, the program was co-sponsored by OBU and the Arkansas Council on Human Relations and described at the time as the largest of its kind in the nation.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=4257|title=Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA)|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Arkansas|accessdate=September 1, 2013}}</ref>​

At Ouachita Baptist University, at which he joined the faculty in 1965,<ref name="obu-bulletin"/> his teaching colleagues included two other Arkansas political figures, Bob Cowell Riley, the lieutenant governor from 1971 to 1975, and the Clinton friend and [[Whitewater]] associate [[Jim McDougal|James B. Dougal]], who subsequently ran unsuccessfully for the [[United States House of Representatives]] in 1982 against the late Republican [[John Paul Hammerschmidt]] in Arkansas' 3rd congressional district. Coincidentally, Clinton himself had lost the 1974 congressional race to Hammerschmidt. A Ranchino student recalls that the professor demanded original thinking by his students and sometimes gave false information in a lecture to test the alertness and preparation of the class.<ref name=rmoore/> Ranchino was the director of the OBU Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) program, the first of its kind established in 1968 in Arkansas. Forty-eight students signed up initially as volunteers. In 1969, the program was co-sponsored by OBU and the Arkansas Council on Human Relations and described at the time as the largest of its kind in the nation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=4257|title=Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA)|publisher=Encyclopedia of Arkansas|accessdate=September 1, 2013}}</ref>​

L. T. Simes, II, an [[African-American]] student at OBU who in 1970 was elected vice president of the student body, recalls Ranchino as a:​

L. T. Simes, II, an [[African-American]] student at OBU who in 1970 was elected vice president of the student body, recalls Ranchino as a:​

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visionary.  I will never forget the conversation we had about political polling. He could foresee the art of polling as early as 1970. He allowed me to challenge him on this point. I didn’t believe that it was possible to predict voter behavior in that there were so many variables. Dr. Ranchino was right. Now polling is a basic component of our electoral process. Most memorable was the time he invited me to come to his office the following day to meet ... this man dressed like a [[hippie]], long hair, etc. Dr. Ranchino said to me, L. T., I want to introduce you to Bill Clinton. He became governor of Arkansas and later President of the United States]]. Times passes on ... While in the [[University of Arkansas]] School of Law, I again met Bill Clinton as my law professor. ...<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.holyspirit777.com/testimony.aspx |title=L. T. Simes, Jr., The Testimony of the Holy Spirit |publisher=holyspirit777.com |accessdate=September 1, 2013 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927021021/http://holyspirit777.com/testimony.aspx |archivedate=September 27, 2013 |df= }}</ref></blockquote>​

visionary.  I will never forget the conversation we had about political polling. He could foresee the art of polling as early as 1970. He allowed me to challenge him on this point. I didn’t believe that it was possible to predict voter behavior in that there were so many variables. Dr. Ranchino was right. Now polling is a basic component of our electoral process. Most memorable was the time he invited me to come to his office the following day to meet ... this man dressed like a [[hippie]], long hair, etc. Dr. Ranchino said to me, L. T., I want to introduce you to Bill Clinton. He became governor of Arkansas and later [[President of the United States]]. Times passes on ... While in the [[University of Arkansas]] School of Law, I again met Bill Clinton as my law professor. ...<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.holyspirit777.com/testimony.aspx |title=L. T. Simes, Jr., The Testimony of the Holy Spirit |publisher=holyspirit777.com |accessdate=September 1, 2013 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927021021/http://holyspirit777.com/testimony.aspx |archivedate=September 27, 2013 |df= }}</ref></blockquote>​

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In the 1968 general election, Arkansas was declared "schizophrenic" by political observers for having cast its [[electoral vote]]s for [[George Wallace]], its gubernatorial majority for [[Moderate Republican]] [[Winthrop Rockefeller]], and its [[U.S. Senate]] ballots for [[J. William Fulbright]]. As a result, Ranchino in 1972 published the book ''From Faubus to Bumpers: Arkansas Votes, 1960-1970,''<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.amazon.com/Faubus-Bumpers-Arkansas-votes-1960-1970/dp/B0006C6GYG|title=Jim Ranchino,  Faubus to Bumpers;: Arkansas votes, 1960-1970|publisher=[[Arkadelphia, Arkansas]]: Action Research, 1972|accessdate=September 1, 2013}}</ref>  a political analysis of state election during the preceding decade. In the study he concludes that Arkansas voters are flexible and independent and can make consistent ballot choices even if they appear inconsistent.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pu2s11eTlf4C&pg=PA251 |title=Janine A. Parry et al, Readings in Arkansas Politics and Government, |publisher=[[University of Arkansas]] Press at Fayetteville]]|year= 2009|pages=251–252|ISBN=1-55728-902-6|accessdate=September 1, 2013}}</ref>​

In the 1968 general election, Arkansas was declared "schizophrenic" by political observers for having cast its [[electoral vote]]s for [[George Wallace]], its gubernatorial majority for [[Moderate Republican]] [[Winthrop Rockefeller]], and its [[U.S. Senate]] ballots for [[J. William Fulbright]]. As a result, Ranchino in 1972 published the book ''From Faubus to Bumpers: Arkansas Votes, 1960-1970,''<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.amazon.com/Faubus-Bumpers-Arkansas-votes-1960-1970/dp/B0006C6GYG|title=Jim Ranchino,  Faubus to Bumpers;: Arkansas votes, 1960-1970|publisher=[[Arkadelphia, Arkansas]]: Action Research, 1972|accessdate=September 1, 2013}}</ref>  a political analysis of state election during the preceding decade. In the study he concludes that Arkansas voters are flexible and independent and can make consistent ballot choices even if they appear inconsistent.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pu2s11eTlf4C&pg=PA251 |title=Janine A. Parry et al, Readings in Arkansas Politics and Government, |publisher=[[University of Arkansas]] Press at Fayetteville]]|year= 2009|pages=251–252|ISBN=1-55728-902-6|accessdate=September 1, 2013}}</ref>​