Recent polls show the Arkansas GOP may have an opportunity to wrest
the seat held by Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas out of Democratic
hands. A Rasmussen poll in late September showed Lincoln trailing
Arkansas state Senator Gilbert Baker 47% - 39%, and running behind
state Senate Minority Leader Kim Hendren 44% - 41%. Other more recent
polls show the race against each of these opponents neck and neck,
with Lincoln either slightly ahead or slightly behind. Whichever poll
you choose to believe, they are not what you would expect for a second
term Senator seeking re-election.

University of Arkansas Political Science professor Art English tells
Fox News he expects Lincoln to survive. "I actually think she'll win
re-election, but it may be a bit of a struggle."

But Republicans smell blood in the water. "This seat will change hands
next year, Arkansans are ready for a change." State Republican Party
Chair Doyle Webb believes Lincoln's biggest problems are the
healthcare proposals of her own party, and the administration of Barak
Obama. The President did not campaign here in his run for the White
House which is after all Hillary Clinton's home state, and lost the
state to John McCain by a whopping 20 percent.

Arkansas voters are used to going their own way and according to
English, value the same kind of independence in their mostly
democratic congressional delegation. "This is a conservative state to
a large extent. It is a state that is a little on the center-right of
things, and we have a large number of independents."

Senator Lincoln tells Fox News she knows the coming campaign will not
be an easy one. "2010 is going to be a tough election year. It always
is when you run midterm of a new administration." But she adds, "I
have confidence in the people of Arkansas, I have given them 150% and
will continue to always give them 150% and to keep Arkansas first."

The Senator from "The Natural State" also tells Fox News she will
continue to oppose efforts by many in her own party to include a
government run option in healthcare reform. That position has put her
at odds with her own party's leadership, but if it helps her convince
Arkansans to let her keep her Democratic senate seat, perhaps they
will forgive her in the end.