Marc Ambinder has an analysis of the Lincoln/Halter race and the role of the parties involved. He has this to say about the union role: "The unions MADE this race about the unions. They made a statewide Arkansas race into a race about something outside the orbit of the state's concerns. Arkansas is not a high density labor state. It may be true that a lot of voters did not appreciate being used as proxies for labor's war against moderates, a war that started with Lincoln's vote on a (seemingly) obscure part of labor law ... a campaign issue which never really surfaced."

He also notes that "There wasn't much ideological room between Halter and Lincoln." He can't tell what the race was really about. Everybody wanted to send Washington a message, but it's not clear what the message was.

Absolutely agree with that.