Arkansas News Bureau
LITTLE ROCK — Arkansans favor a government-run health insurance option, according to a new poll.
The poll, commissioned by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Democracy for America, showed that 56 percent of Arkansans favor a public option, while 37 percent do not.
The poll also asked Democrats if they would support Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., if she joined Republicans in filibustering a public option. Forty-nine percent responded they would be less likely to vote for her. Seven percent said they would be more likely to vote for her.
Lincoln said earlier this week she opposes a public option and declined to rule out joining a Republican filibuster against a proposed Senate bill containing one. House Democrats this week also unveiled a bill that includes a public option.
Lincoln’s campaign manager, Steve Patterson, downplayed today’s poll, saying he has seen others lately — including one Thursday by Talk Business — that indicate Arkansans oppose a public option. The Talk Business poll showed 68 percent of Arkansas voters prefer private insurance over a public option.
“There are various polls out there, and the senator is being guided by her direct interaction with the people of Arkansas and her concerns for coming up with a way to address health insurance reform without exposing taxpayers to risk.” Patterson said.
Chase Dugger, spokesman for the Republican Party of Arkansas, also dismissed the poll, saying the group that commissioned it is a liberal organization.
“If anything, this poll shows us that Sen. Lincoln is vulnerable from all sides,” he said.
Research 2000 conducted telephone interviews with 600 likely Arkansas voters Oct. 27-28. The margin of error was plus or minus 4 percent. For the question involving just Democrats, the margin of error was plus or minus 5 percent.
