A new Rasmussen poll of Arkansas shows John McCain taking the lead over Hillary Clinton for the general election, after Hillary had been in the lead in most polls throughout this cycle for the state where she had previously served as first lady.

McCain leads Hillary 50%-43%, with 50% of likely voters saying they view Hillary favorably to 47% unfavorable, compared to McCain's 66%-30% rating. McCain does even better against Barack Obama, trouncing him 59%-30%, with Obama having a 35%-62% favorable rating.

A new poll from the University of Central Arkansas shows that Hillary Clinton would have a far better shot than Barack Obama at carrying this red state:

Clinton (D) 51%, McCain (R) 36%
McCain (R) 43%, Obama (D) 27%

Arkansas has six electoral votes — not many, but potentially enough to make the difference in a very close race. President Bush carried the state twice, but it's also where Bill Clinton was governor and Hillary the first lady for 12 years.

It turns out that Hillary Clinton is polling well in at least one Southern state — and extraordinarily well, at that.

According to a new Rasmussen poll of Arkansas, where Bill Clinton formerly served as governor and Hillary as first lady, Hillary holds a 55%-37% lead over Giuliani and a 55%-36% lead over Fred Thompson, a Southerner.

You frequently hear from the pundits that Hillary is too polarizing a figure to play well in the South. But it appears that in Arkansas, at least, there are enough fond memories of her and enough of a lingering nostalgia for the Clinton name, that she might just be able to count on those six electoral votes.