A victory by Mandel would be more than just a new Senator, but a rising star on the national secene. That’s why the media has been bashing him non-stop since he announced.
On the plus side, if Romney does pull out a bit of a landslide nationally, it could boost Mandel over the line. But then again, Brown wouldn’t exactly be the first Senator to win despite polling under 50%. And this is the state that kept sending back the vile Metzenbaum.