Asa Hutchinson's Folksy Far Right Political Signaling

David Axelrod's discussion with Asa Hutchinson was frustrating to listen to, but we can learn something from it.

David Axelrod conducted a fascinating interview the other day with Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson who is running for the Republican nomination for president. The interview can be found on Axelrod’s podcast “The Axe Files” and was notable for a few reasons.

Axelrod’s foibles on the podcast were, as always, very frustrating. His fetishization of civility sometimes gets the better of him; and he seems just a little too self-congraluatory about how civil he is. Additionally, Axelrod’s enduring inability to distinguish between refugees and immigrants suggests he has chosen to see those words as synonyms. While Axelrod is not the kind of interviewer who asks tough questions or probes very deeply, he is able to get a good range of guests and lets them talk enough to reveal who they are.