We’re going all the way with Jim Guy Tucker, strong leadership for lieutenant governor
We’re going all the way with Jim Guy Tucker, he’ll get the job done as lieutenant governor
The James Guy Tucker, Jr., Papers contain approximately 38 audio and 120 video items. In Jim Guy Tucker’s 1990 campaign for lieutenant governor, this catchy jingle was created.
While organizing and digitizing these materials, the Center encountered a dozen or so political ads, both for and against Tucker and from different time in Tucker's political career. Listening to this jingle brought three questions to mind: What is the story behind the funny tune? What exactly was the role of lieutenant governor at this time? And who was Jim Guy Tucker campaigning against?
Though short in content and length, this jingle has a longer story than one might guess, much like Jim Guy Tucker's bid for lieutenant governor.
The Song
The tune of this jingle is based on a remix of the folk song "Old Dan Tucker." The original "Old Dan Tucker" song predates the Civil War and was written by the same Daniel Decatur Emmett who wrote "Dixie"—the anthem of the South. Emmett first publicly performed "Old Dan Tucker" in approximately 1830, when he was just 15 years old. It was a popular black-faced minstrel song and was performed often by its composer and his troupe after its introduction in 1844. (“Daniel Decateur Emmett”)
This isn't the first time this song has been used in a political campaign. Supporters of Republican John C. Freemont in the 1858 presidential campaign pushed two versions of Old Dan Tucker- one of which sang "Get out the way, Old Buchanan." (May 74) The same tune was used again for a political campaign nearly a half-century later in support of William Jennings Bryan at the 1900 National Democratic Convention. (Welsh 78)
The Job and Opponents
Established in 1914 by Amendment Six to the Arkansas Constitution, the role of Arkansas lieutenant governor is to offer, if necessary, the tie-breaking vote in Senate; to serve as acting governor while the governor is out of state; and to take over as governor if the governor is removed for office, dies, or is in other ways unable to fulfill the office’s duties.
The position of Arkansas lieutenant governor was a particularly desirable role at this time as there were rumors that incumbent and re-running Governor Clinton would also run for president, and, if elected to both positions, would vacate the governorship.
After a roughly eight year political retirement- during which he focused primarily on private business- Jim Guy Tucker once again began looking at political office, deciding on the role of lieutenant governor. With the aid of advertisements such as television ads and the radio jingle featured in this post, Tucker campaigned against nine other candidates in the 1990 election for lieutenant governor. Tucker was one of seven Democratic candidates in the primary election. His greatest opponent of these was Hampton Roy, an ophthalmologist by profession with interests in history and historic preservation. Roy had little political experience prior to this campaign. Tucker, on the other hand, had carried out more than one political campaign and had eight years of experience in public office. (Uytterbrouck)
The Results
Jim Guy Tucker won this 1990 race for Arkansas Lieutenant Governor. In October 1991, as customary in Arkansas law, Lieutenant Governor Jim Guy Tucker began standing in as active governor while Bill Clinton was out of state campaigning for the presidency. When Clinton resigned as governor to become president, Jim Guy Tucker took over. Arkansas, indeed, went all the way with Jim Guy Tucker.
To view more of Tucker's campaign materials, please visit the Media Gallery.
"Daniel Decatur Emmett" Song Writers Hall of Fame http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/exhibits/C196
"M86-11- Hampton Roy Collection" University of Central Arkansas Archives http://uca.edu/archives/m86-11-hampton-roy-collection/
Robert E. May’s 2002 book Manifest Destiny's Underworld: Filibustering in Antebellum America
"Jim Guy Tucker" National Governors Association http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_arkansas/col2-content/main-content-list/title_tucker_jim.html
"Office of Lieutenant Governor" The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture
http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=5722
Robert Welsch’s 1966 book A Treasury of Nebraska Pioneer Folklore
Olivier Uytterbrouck’s May 31, 1990 article “Runoff Pits Ex-KKK Leader, Black” in the Arkansas Democrat