Cook: NBC Poll Shows Mark Pryor Leading By 11 Points

A new poll conducted by NBC News-Marist Poll shows Senator Mark Pryor with a commanding 11-point lead over Congressman Tom Cotton.

The new NBC News-Marist Poll has Mark Pryor with 51% to Tom Cotton with 40% of the vote.

Pryor remains personally popular, he has a 50% favorable and 35% unfavorable ratings. Tom Cotton, on the other hand, has a 38% favorable rating and a 39% unfavorable rating. Pryor also leads among independents with 48% to Cotton’s 41%.

Arkansans just don’t like Tom Cotton. Polling shows more folks don’t like him than do at this point. In my opinion, Cotton comes across as a pre-programmed technocrat with rigid talking points and lacking in warmth. That’s not the type of candidate that achieves success on the statewide level in Arkansas.

I’ve said and written this countless times: Tom Cotton is the most overrated Senate candidate in the country and Mark Pryor is much stronger than he’s given credit for.

Outside groups have spent about $6 million attacking Mark Pryor on television, radio and the web this cycle and President Obama literally has a 65% job disapproval rating, but Tom Cotton can’t get above 45% or so in any legitimate poll. To me, this proves that as a candidate, Tom Cotton is weak iced tea.

The Senate race remains a toss-up, but this latest poll gives Mark Pryor some very good news.