Considering the reliability of the pollster, this is the best result of the cycle for Democrat Bruce Lunsford's campaign, and it could not have come at a better time; Mason-Dixon shows Lunsford trailing his Goliath, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, by one single point.
Mason-Dixon. 9/22-25. Likely voters. MoE 3.7%
McConnell (R) 45
Lunsford (D) 44
Mason-Dixon is one of the best in the business, as far as polling in the South is concerned. Their poll largely confirms a SurveyUSA poll from last week which shows McConnell up just three points, 49% to 46%.
McConnell may be taking damage from the current economic crisis; as the Senate Minority Leader, the most powerful Republican in Congress, and a longtime Bush loyalist, he would be the biggest and most obvious target for angry Kentuckians.
If the SUSA and Mason-Dixon polls do indicate real movement in the race, McConnell should be seriously concerned. He's such a formidable fundraiser, and such a ruthless campaigner, that it would be dangerous to get too optimistic about Lunsford's chances. This race should be considered "Likely Republican" as of now.
Still, the odds of knocking off the top Republican in the Senate have never looked better than they do at this moment.