Bill Smith, Editor, ARRA News Service: Repeatedly, polls show Arkansans ready to dump Arkansas Blanche Lincoln. The question early in this race, is who will be the final nominee for the GOP to run against Lincoln. The GOP race is still wide open with some tightening but most likely their will be run-off after the Republican primary. The number of Republican candidates splitting the vote in the primary will most likely assure that no one will have 51% of the vote.

The present considerations between the Republican candidates are:
1) Vote for the person who raises the most money to oppose Lincoln's war chest.
2) Vote or don't vote to send another politician to Washington D.C.? If a politician, concerns over their voting record and deals made in the past will be evaluated by the voters.
3) Vote for person with experienced business experience needed to help balance the budget and protect small business.
4) Vote for person commitmented to ethics and accountability.
5) Vote for an person who indeed understands the global threat by other countries and terrorism.
6) Most people are looking for those committed to conservative principles both in their former and present life before entrusting them with the future of the people's seat.
7) Who is best expected to communicate after winning the election with Arkansans and not avoid them as Sen. Lincoln has done including moving her family to Virginia.

There have been several polls and in each case there has been slight variation. However, in most polls, Lincoln looses to a solid conservative Republican. The independents, many of them disenfranchised conservative who are seen the Democratic Party's slide into socialism, will have a great deal to say in the final decision beyond the old time Republicans who follow a usual path to decision making. This was proven recently with the election of Sen. Scott Brown in Massachusetts. If the opportunity is not wasted by the Republican candidates in bitter partisan politics, Arkansas should be sending a conservative to Washington as it's second Senator after the November election. If this doesn't happen, Arkansas will have failed both itself and the rest of the country.

Most years, we would expect potential Republican candidates to have potentially double digit negative numbers polling against long term incumbent Democratic Senator Blanche Lincoln. But this has not been the situation. In a poll conducted earlier this week for the Arkansas News Bureau/Stephens Media by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc., Republicann are polling favorably against incumbent Democrat Blanche Lincoln who has only a favorable rating of only 39% and unfavorable 41%. Polling numbers in early head to head races were:
Holt 43% Lincoln 37% [Jim Holt - Fav: 19% Unfav: 7% Unknown: 38%]
Baker 43% Lincoln 39% [Gilbert Baker - Fav: 11% Unfav: 5% Unknown: 38%]
Coleman 39% Lincoln 40% [Curtis Coleman - Fav: 7% Unfav: 3% Unknown: 77%]
Reynolds 38% Lincoln 41% [Conrad Renynols - Fav: 8% Unfav: 3% Unknown: 76%]
Cox 38% Lincoln 41% [Tom Cox - Fav: 7% Unfav: 2% Unknown: 70%]
Hendren 38% Lincoln 43% [Kim Hendren - Fav: 10% Unfav: 4% Unknown: 63%]