More Arkansas blame Democrats for the government shutdown than Republicans, according to a new poll.
The 15th Annual University of Arkansas poll released Wednesday found that more Arkansans blame Democrats and President Barack Obama for the shutdown than Republicans, with 37 percent of respondents and 39 percent over all saying the shutdown was Obama’s fault. Meanwhile, 26 percent of respondents and 27 percent of likely voters blame Congressional Republicans.
A previous Talk Business poll in Arkansas also found more respondents blamed Democrats for the shutdown than Republicans.
The poll also found that the approval ratings of both Arkansas senators has dropped. According to the poll, 34 percent of likely voters approve of Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR)’s job performance, down from 53 percent a year earlier. Pryor’s disapproval rating has increased as well. The poll found that 44 percent of likely voters disapprove of Pryor, an increase of 23 percentage points from a year earlier.
The numbers are particularly important for Pryor who is in a tough reelection battle against Rep. Tom Cotton (R-AR).
Sen. John Boozman (R-AR) has a record low approval rating, the poll also found. Just 34 percent of likely voters approve of Boozman, a decrease of 11 percent from a year ago. Like Pryor, Boozman’s disapproval ratings have increased from 18 percent a year earlier to 29 percent.
The poll was conducted Oct. 10 to the 17. The shutdown ended on Oct. 16. For the survey the University of Arkansas interviewed 800 Arkansans over live telephone interviews. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
