Let's get something straight right away: Bill Halter, decent fellow that he may be, is not going to win in November. The only Democrat in Arkansas who could possibly hold that seat for us it is named Mike Beebe, and he ain't running.
But let's get something else straight right away: Blanche Lincoln, undependable Dem that she may be, is also not going to win in November. She's toast; down 30-plus to a generic Republican in a state which is a natural home to the revanchists, where the miracle is that we haven't lost both seats already.
And that's why we need to primary her, and kick her out early.
Bear in mind that beating an incumbent in a primary is a dangerous thing. After they lose, they have no reason to be loyal to the party, and, in general, are not. Think of Joe Lieberman, who's had it in for the Dems since he got the boot in the primary in 2006. Running a challenge against an incumbent is not something to take lightly.
In this case, though, we have nothing to lose by getting rid of her, and everything to win. If she had a decent shot at winning, I'd oppose primarying her; indeed, for as long as she had a credible chance, I did. Now that she's a lost cause, though, it's time to turn on her, in order to show that we are still willing to do so.
We need to send the message to the party as a whole that we'll make their lives difficult if their pets don't live up to our needs. This is a chance to do it.
Beat Blanche Lincoln!