Democrats were ecstatic Sunday when the Louisville Courier-Journal released its poll showing the race between Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Democratic businessman Bruce Lunsford a statistical dead heat.
According to the survey conducted by Mason Dixon (September 22-25 of 717 likely voters), McConnell had a one-point lead over Lunsford, 45 percent to 44 percent. The incumbent’s favorable/unfavorable ratings were 40 percent to 31 percent and his job numbers were 48-percent approve to 39-percent disapprove. Lunsford’s favorable/unfavorable ratings were 26 percent to 29 percent.
These results are quite different from two other surveys taken in September. A Research 2000 poll for Daily Kos taken a week before the Courier-Journal survey (September 15-17 of 600 likely voters) gave McConnell a 13-point advantage, 50 percent to 37 percent. And, a Voter/Consumer Research survey for the McConnell campaign taken two weeks before the Courier-Journal poll (September 7-9 of 900 likely voters) had the incumbent leading Lunsford, 52 percent to 35 percent.
One could argue that the polls show that the race is simply in the process of closing. Democrats contend that they have
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