Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor is facing an arduous battle in 2014 against Republican Rep. Tom Cotton, and a new statewide ad released by Pryor’s campaign shows him tightening his Bible belt. Watch:
“I’m not ashamed to say that I believe in God, and I believe in His word,” Pryor tells the camera. “The Bible teaches us no one has all the answers—only God does—and neither political party is always right. This is my compass, my North Star. It gives me comfort and guidance to do what’s best for Arkansas.”
Compare that to this ad released by Tom Cotton’s campaign last week showing Cotton’s (objectively delightful) mother extolling her son’s military service in Afghanistan. The University of Arkansas puts Pryor’s approval rating at 33 percent, down from 51 percent in 2012.
Arkansans are socially conservative, yes, but they aren’t totally dogmatic either: Forty-six percent of those polled say there should be no legal recognition of same-sex relationships, but 78 percent said gay people shouldn’t face workplace discrimination.
