Will Democrats Rally for Obama in Arkansas? (UPDATE – Not Many Do)

With the latest Talk Business poll numbers on the same day that Arkansas Democrats are opening up the Arkansas for Obama headquarters, you have to wonder how many Democrats will rally for the President’s re-election.

According to the poll conducted yesterday by Talk Business and Hendrix College, Arkansans disapprove of President Obama by a two-to-one margin.  Although Obama is able to hold about 3 out of 4 Democrats in the state, he is losing with independents by about the same 3 out of 4 margin.

Check out the full report from editor Roby Brock here, but it ain’t pretty and shows Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney winning by 23 points.

Regardless, the Obama faithful will rally around their new office space in downtown North Little Rock today at 5:00 pm to plot their comeback.  The guest will not be President Obama – who has not visited the state since 2006 when he campaigned for Gov. Mike Beebe.

Today, his campaign manager Jim Messina will be speaking instead.  Although you have to wonder why even Messina is in Arkansas.

Recently, Messina laid out his strategy for holding the White House.  He set out different paths including a Florida Path, a West Path, a Midwest Path, an Expansion Path, and even a South Path.  But none of these scenarios involves winning Arkansas. By the way, the colorful Messina drops some of his colorful language during the video so be warned.

One interesting note, it looks like some Tea Party folks are organizing a counter-rally this afternoon for when the office opens.  I am not sure who all will show up, but Democratic  Congressional Candidate D.C. Morrison indicated he plans to stop by. Morrison is running in the Democratic Primary in the Fourth Congressional District to win the seat opened by Congressman Mike Ross, who is not seeking re-election.

UPDATE – The office opened with a small but spirited crowd of around 40 or 50 supporters.  Only a handful of “protesters” were there, but they appeared to be part of the Occupy Little Rock group protesting corporate influence on elections.

Noticeably absent were most all Arkansas Democratic elected officials. I saw former Gov. Jim Guy Tucker and Second District Congressional candidate Herb Rule. I was told Sen. Linda Chesterfield and Rep. Tracy Steele were also there.

Messina gave some brief comments to the supporters gathered, but declined to speak to the press.

Messina began by reminding everyone how broken the Obama Administration found things after the Bush Administration before listing what he says are the President’s accomplishments.

“One historian said he had more notches on his belt then any President in a very long time. Think about all the things he got done,” said Messina. “And don’t think about what we got done; think about why he did it. He did health care because it is a fundamental right of all of us to have health care reform in this country. He passed a bill to allow people to serve in the armed forces no matter who they loved because America is a tolerant place. He doubled renewable energy because he knew America had to stop depending on foreign places for oil and build our own energy in the United States of America.”

So the re-election message – ObamaCare, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal, and Environmental Policy.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wMxWj6PEzM]