Arkansas Senate Race Taking Shape

Bill Smith, Editor, ARRA News Service : A Rasmussen Reports statewide survey details that Tom Cotton has taken a strong lead in the U.S. Senate race.Republican challenger Tom Cotton has pulled to his largest lead yet over Democratic incumbent Mark Pryor in Arkansas' race for U.S. Senate.

Cotton now picks up 47% of the vote to Pryor's 40% in the latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Arkansas Voters. Five percent (5%) like some other candidate in the race, while eight percent (8%) are undecided.

Among the 85% of voters who say they are certain to vote in this year's election, Cotton leads Pryor 49% to 40%.

The candidates were tied in late August. Cotton, a U.S. congressman, held a slight 47% to 43% lead in late May and was ahead by five points - 45% to 40% - in our first look at the race in early February.

Arkansas moves from a Toss-Up to Leans Republican in the Rasmussen Reports' 2014 Senate Balance of Power. Republicans need a net gain of six Senate seats to take control of the Senate.An earlier Marist Poll also reported: Tom Cotton also was leading in the U.S Senate race. Among likely voters in Arkansas including those who are undecided yet leaning toward a candidate, Republican Tom Cotton, 45%, is ahead of Democratic incumbent Mark Pryor, 40%, in the race for U.S. Senate in the state. While allegiances fall along party lines, Cotton leads Pryor among independents, 43% to 34%.

Among registered voters statewide including those who are undecided yet leaning toward a candidate, the double-digit lead Pryor had over Cotton in an NBC News/Marist Poll conducted in May is gone. Cotton, 41%, and Pryor, 41%, are neck and neck among registered voters. This compares with 51% of registered voters for Pryor and 40% for Cotton in that earlier survey.Based on the increased negative Pryor Campaign ads like Linda and Courtney, the Pryor campaign's internal polling must have revealed this shift earlier. The Pryor campaign ads show extreme desperation by shifting from facts to using false innuendos and false questions in an attempt to cast doubt on voting for on Tom Cotton. And these negative ads are clearly endorsed by Mark Pryor.  Sen Pryor and the democrat power brokers have turned to falsehood in attempt to save a needed vote in the Senate to protect the Democrat control of Sen. Harry Reid over the U.S. Senate. The same Harry Read who has refused to advance critical jobs bills passed by the U.S. House and who has implemented the so called "nuclear option" in the Senate to pack the U.S. Courts with liberal extremists using only democrat votes.

Back in March of this year, Pryor opted to criticize Cotton's military record and claimed that there was nothing about military service that qualifies a person for elected office.  Interesting our first President George Washington was elected almost solely for this reason and not for his farming ability.  And our present President and Senator Pryor, both with no military leadership experience, have led America into the present vulnerability from our enemies, terrorists, illegals' invasion,  and pandemic threats.  Pryor apparently doesn't think a politician should have the qualities of integrity, discipline and sacrifice that one learns in the military.As a 22 year veteran, I, and &most other veterans in Arkansas, take umbrage at Sen. Pryor's direct attacks on Rep. Tom Cotton's military service to our country.  With his Law Degree from Harvard, Cotton could have served as a JAG officer in a non-combat role, but instead he chose to serve 5 years in the Infantry on the front lines. Cotton's deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan with the 101st Airborne Division. With an intervening service between combat assignments, he also served as officer in charge at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

In Iraq. Cotton conducted daily combat patrols, one of the most dangerous jobs. In Afghanistan he was in charge of Provincial Reconstruction Teams, another perilous job,  working with locals and always with the danger of IEDs or a Taliban ambush.

Sen. Mark Pryor critical problems are two fold.  First is Pryor's  absolute disregard for Arkansas voters who clearly identified that they were opposed to the Obama  agenda.  Arkansans in the past, traditionally voted democrat, aka Southern Democrat.  However, Arkansas voters made it clear in the two previous presidential elections that did not support the espoused agenda of the Obama agenda.  In 2012, only 36.88% of the voters cast their votes for President Obama.  In 2008, only 38.86% voted for then Sen. Obama.

Senator Mark Pryor received a bye in the 2008 election because voters perceived him as a "blue dog" democrat willing to stand with the interests of the voters of Arkansas. After Obama was elected president, the Arkansas voters faced the nightmare of both their U.S Senators and their democrat congressional U.S. Representatives jumping aboard the progressive Obama train.
In response, TEA Parties and Patriot groups and new non-partisan conservative organizations became a reality in Arkansas and were destined to impact on elections.  In addition, independent online voices and news sources, like the ARRA News Service, reached into the homes of Arkansans via their computers, phones, tablets and other Internet devices.

By the 2010 election, Arkansas voters had had enough and revolted at the polls tossing out then democrat U.S Senator Blanche Lincoln.  They voted overwhelmingly for then Rep. John Boozman who, at that time, was the only Republican in the Arkansas delegation to Washington. Lincoln only garnered 37% of the vote after she became an advocate for the Affordable care Act, aka, Obamacare.  Both her and Pryor had cast deciding votes for Obamacare. If either Pryor or Lincoln had voted no, the bill would not have passed. After losing the election, former Sen. Blanche Lincoln did not return to Arkansas but remained in Virginia.

Now Sen. Mark Pryor is facing the same awakened electorate that Lincoln faced.  The voters former trust in Pryor has been deflated by his votes against the values of the majority of Arkansans and his deciding vote passing Obamacare.    Some have pondered why Pryor is not down as far down in the polls as Senator Lincoln was in 2008.  There are several reasons including  Barack Obama having been on the ballot with Lincoln, the recent passage of Obamacare at that time, and the long experience that Arkansans had with then Rep. John Boozman, aka "the gentle giant" who was very popular.

It is now Mark Pryor time to face the voters and as the polls are showing, to be retired.  His failures to support the majority interests of Arkansans.  He did not stand for Arkansans but has stood in lockstep with Senate majority leader Harry Reid.  He supported all actions that have hurt or delayed jobs and non-government growth in Arkansas.  He has not stood strong against the EPA and other agencies attacks on Arkansas property and business owners.

Pryor is fully associated with the former "plantation politics" faction that lorded itself over the people of Arkansas. While Arkansas voters are not all clamoring to be Republican, in the majority, they remain heartland southern conservatives. And, the Arkansas Democrat party has left the people and is either becoming or pandering with the progressive radical democrat party lead by President Obama, Sen. Harry Reid, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, and Democratic National Party Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz. None of these people represent the interests of Arkansans.

Thus, Senator Pryor is in trouble and we can expect more negative ads by his campaign.  He can no longer rely on the name of his father who previously served and represented Arkansans.  Mark Pryor must now face his own demons whom a majority of Arkansans appear ready to purge.

Overall, all  Arkansans would be better served by voting against Mark Pryor by voting for Tom Cotton in the 2014 election.  Cotton is a candidate who has already shown his commitment to America by his willingness to lay his life on the line in defense of America in combat and who has as U.S. Representative voted for the values of  Arkansas even when voting against bills advanced by his own party members.
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Dr. Bill Smith is editor, ARRA News Service. He is a national conservative activist and award winning blogger. He is a small business owner, retired Air Force officer, and graduate professor. He previously was a national political director serving 23 candidates for Congress and has advised numerous other candidates. He resides in Arkansas and can be followed on Facebook and Twitter.

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