The latest round of political announcements suggests questions that should be asked of every political candidate, particularly those seeking election or re-election to the Arkansas legislature.

Have you been vaccinated for COVID-19?

If not, why not?

What passes for Republican bravery these days seems to be encouragement to talk to a doctor about making the decision. Candidates willing to openly state they’ve been vaccinated and encourage others are rare. I spotted Joe Jett, for one, responding to a suggestion that Republican endorsements of vaccinations might be a productive way to increase the vaccination rate in Arkansas.

(As rare, I should say, as Republicans willing to decry the violent coup attempt Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol. Notable this morning was new U.S. Senate candidate Jake Bequette’s belated decision, after repeatedly dodging the question, to finally tell the Democrat-Gazette that those responsible for violence Jan. 6 should be prosecuted.)

For pure nuttery, though, you’d have to look hard to top this announced Republican opponent to Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Womack. Neil Kumar is a law student and, brother, what a law student. A sampling from a D-G account of his campaign website:

The campaign website also states that Kumar wants to protect American and Confederate flags, graves and monuments; remove anti-American and anti-Southern materials from public lands and monuments; and deny federal funding to education institutions that teach “anti-American values” and tax their endowments.

Kumar’s platform includes plans on charging politicians and corporations supportive of abortion or Planned Parenthood with accessory to murder, repealing the Civil Rights Act, freeing those arrested during the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, ending all absentee and electronic voting, and reversing drug decriminalization.

Kumar also supports anti-LGBTQ measures. His platform states that he supports only heterosexual marriage, restricting adoption to heterosexual married couples and criminalizing transgender pharmaceuticals and surgical procedures.

Makes Womack look like a lefty. There is a fine Democratic candidate, Lauren Mallet-Hays of Farmington in the 3rd District race.

UPDATE: Nuts is too kind. Get a load of Kumar’s Confederate Memorial Day speech.

Maybe the Democratic Party could circulate a round-robin for its legislators to sign on vaccinations and then ask the Republican Party of Arkansas to do the same.

Governor Hutchinson is on board. So is gubernatorial candidate Leslie Rutledge.  Anybody else?

Retired senior editor of the Arkansas Times.