Polls show voters favor ouster of Rick Crawford, Tim Griffin
October 27, 2011
Can Democrats regain ground lost in the U.S. House in the 2010 tidal wave?
Polling offers some hopeful signs, but, yes, the polling was done for a Democratic PAC. It also was done by Public Policy Polling, known as a Democratic outfit. But it had a pretty good year predicting Democratic losses in 2010, for what it’s worth.
Multiple polls now show a generic Democratic preference in congressional races, reversing earlier preferences. (Supporting tax cuts for the rich, tax increases for the poor, wreckage of Medicare and easing pollution controls will do that to you in a rational world.)
More specifically, PPP polling tested 12 districts currently held by Republicans and found voters in all 12 would like to see the incumbents replaced. Two were in Arkansas.
* FIRST DISTRICT: Poll showed voters favored replacing Rep. Rick Crawford 48-43 with someone else. State Rep. Clark Hall has emerged as a Democratic candidate. Only 38 percent in the district have a favorable view of Republicans in Congress.
* SECOND DISTRICT: Poll showed voters favored replacing Rep. Tim Griffin 49-44. Just 36 percent have a favorable opinion of Republicans in Congress. A stout 53 percent are unfavorably disposed to Republicans. Doesn’t much matter if no one runs against Griffin, who so far has no oppostion.
UPDATE: For Republican cynics, a document with questions leading up to the question on retention of members of congress, illustrated by the 2nd district questions: