Politico’s Josh Gerstein examines the influence of Barack Obama and Bill Clinton on the election in Arkansas this year

Unless you live in a cave, you know that the Republican strategy, from Tom Cotton and Asa Hutchinson on down, is to label Democrats as Obama-lovers. 

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Mike Ross isn’t having it.

“I don’t have a relationship with him,” Ross said. “I’m a conservative, pro-business, pro-gun, God-fearing Arkansas Democrat.”

Some irony in the article in quoting Bill Walker, a Beebe political appointee but previously a Mike Huckabee supporter, as saying that a Democratic politician who distances himself from Obama could distance himself from black voters. Not all voters are as ready to sell core beliefs as Bill Walker.

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The article also fails to note a recent Rasmussen poll with a Ross lead, focusing on another poll that has him trailing 46-41. Ross responds:

“All these national folks who couldn’t find Arkansas with a road map were writing stories saying Arkansas has gone red and Ross can’t win,” Ross said. But, “a year ago Asa was at 46 percent and he’s still at 46 percent… People are still getting to know me. Asa hasn’t moved. He’s still stuck.”

If there’s a ceiling on Hutchinson’s support, part of the reason could be his role in the effort to bring down Clinton during his second term in the White House.

Clinton is still revered by many in the state.

Pains me to say it, but the 60-per-cent-plus hatred of Obama is better than the 53 percent support Bill Clinton typically enjoyed here as a vote mover, particularly given that Obama is still in office and Clinton, however favorably he’s viewed through the rear-view mirror, is a historic figure.

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Still, you won’t find Asa bragging much about his leadership of impeachment of Bill Clinton.

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