It looks like the end may be in sight for this one Republican hopeful. After not being able to meet the requirements to attend the second Republican presidential debate, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson says it may be time to pack things up if he is unable to make the next debate.
One of the requirements for qualifying for the third debate is achieving at least 4 percent support in polls. Unfortunately a survey of recent polling results posted on Real Clear Politics showed Hutchinson varying between 1 percent support and 0 – not very promising numbers.
Despite this setback, Hutchinson still remains hopeful that he can achieve his goal of 4 percent by Thanksgiving through campaigning efforts in Iowa and New Hampshire – two states which are traditionally key players come Caucus Day and Primary Day.
STAGE FRIGHT: Despite failing to qualify for the second debate, Asa Hutchinson isn't losing hope just yet… He explains what could make him reconsider his 2024 bid. https://t.co/oq5A99cFng pic.twitter.com/gqBk4uXjmG
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 27, 2023
“I understand that the RNC and the media are trying to reduce the number of candidates,” said Hutchinson, “but I measure success based on the response I receive in early primary states like Iowa and New Hampshire.” With an optimistic attitude, he then added “My goal is to increase my polling numbers to 4 percent in an early state before Thanksgiving.”
In an effort to boost his campaign even further, Hutchinson launched a chatbot called Ask Asa AI on Wednesday, September 27, which allows people to ask questions about his views on issues such as healthcare and taxes.
When asked recently what his favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle was however, it politely declined answering saying “Rather than discussing my favorite member of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I would love to hear your thoughts on the challenges our country is currently facing” – proving that no question is off limits.
Andrew Dowdle from University of Arkansas said while this idea was innovative it may not have much impact unless there’s a huge amount of interest generated around it.
