News flash: Arkansans don’t like Congress

The two Democrats who recently announced they will not seek reelection to Arkansas Congressional districts appear to be getting out before they are voted out.

New polling results from the Talk Business Quarterly Poll show that many Arkansans are unhappy with the U.S. Congress.

U.S. Reps. Marion Berry, D-Gillett (First District), and Vic Snyder, D-Little Rock (Second District), recently cited health and family reasons, respectively, in not seeking reelection. U.S. Rep. John Boozman, R-Rogers, is considering a GOP primary run to challenge U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark.

Arkansas voters are reflective of the frustration with Congress held by the national electorate — think Scott Brown, a Republican, winning the Massachusetts Senate seat long held by the late Ted Kennedy.

The Talk Business Quarterly Poll recently asked likely Arkansas voters, “Do you approve of the job the U.S. Congress is doing in Washington, D.C.?”
4%    Strongly Approve
16%  Somewhat Approve
12%  Somewhat Disapprove
63%  Strongly Disapprove
5%    Don’t Know

“A 20% job approval and 75% disapproval rating is hard to imagine and it certainly explains much of the negativity towards the Democratic federal officials from Arkansas who have been tied to votes regarding their party’s leadership in Congress (health care, cap-and-trade, bank bailouts, etc.),” Roby Brock, with TalkBusiness.net, noted in his analysis. “What is more telling is the level of voter intensity displayed in this polling result. Only 4% ‘strongly approve’ of Congress, while 63% ‘strongly disapprove.’”

Link here for more polling insight from Brock.