Poll: Obama Wipes Out Clinton's Lead

[WillyT]

By Jill Lawrence, USA TODAY

<snip>

WASHINGTON — Barack Obama has surged to a statistical tie with Hillary Rodham Clinton in a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, erasing a double-digit national lead she held just two weeks ago and turning the Democratic nomination race into a nail-biter.

The pair stood at Clinton 45%, Obama 44% in a snapshot of voter intent just two days before 22 states hold primaries and caucuses on Super Tuesday.

On the Republican side, Arizona Sen. John McCain gained 11 percentage points for a decisive 42%-24% lead over former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.

McCain, who has drawn strength in past contests from independents and moderates, beat Romney 41%-26% among Republicans or independents leaning Republican in the poll and 38%-28% among conservatives.

"I'm guardedly optimistic," McCain said Sunday in Nashville. "I think we're doing well. I think I sense a feeling of momentum, but we're not taking anything for granted. That's why we're campaigning literally 24/7 between now and Tuesday."

Seven in 10 people in the poll said they were paying "quite a lot" of attention to the campaign — up 7 percentage points from two weeks ago. That's higher than the 58% who said that four years ago, at a similar point in an election that drew high interest because of the Iraq war.

The poll of adults nationwide was conducted Thursday through Saturday.

Obama gained 11 percentage points to erase Clinton's lead. The Illinois senator has been riding a wave of momentum since a landslide victoryin South Carolina's Jan. 26 primary. He's been collecting endorsements from Sen. Edward Kennedy and other prominent Democrats, and in January alone raised $32 million.

Clinton, the New York senator, won the Nevada caucuses two weeks ago but has seen her lead fade. Obama has gotten more national media attention in that time, and former president Bill Clinton attacked Obama in earlier contests. The former first lady is counting on good showings Tuesday in California, New York and other states.

"We have a strong and broad coalition that I think will give us significant delegates and victories on Feb. 5," Clinton strategist Mark Penn told USA TODAY.

The poll showed Obama had the highest favorable rating of the major candidates still in the race — 59% favorable to 32% unfavorable. McCain was close behind with 56% favorable, 32% unfavorable.

Clinton was even at 48% favorable, 48% unfavorable. The favorability rating for her husband, Bill Clinton, dropped to 50% from 56% last fall. The former president was widely criticized by fellow Democrats in the past month for his role in the Nevada and South Carolina contests.

Romney was the only candidate with a net negative rating: 37% favorable, 39% unfavorable.

<snip>

Link: http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-02-03-candidatesspoll_N.htm

:bounce::woohoo::bounce:

[Dogmudgeon]

1. So they're even?

Guess what happens after Super Tuesday?

(Clue: the press wants a dead-heat match-up to keep the ad revenue coming in.)

--p!

[Mz Pip]

2. And Joan Baez endorsed Obama

Leader on a new journey

Editor - I have attempted throughout my life to give a voice to the voiceless, hope to the hopeless, encouragement to the discouraged, and options to the cynical and complacent. From Northern Ireland to Sarajevo to Latin America, I have sung and marched, engaged in civil disobedience, visited war zones, and broken bread with those who had little bread to break.



more here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/03/ED50UO8QM.DTL&hw=Joan+Baez&sn=001&sc=1000

Mz Pip
:dem:

[Avalux]

3. I guess I'm shocked McCain's favorability rating is so high. He's a nutcase.

Warmonger, tantrum-thrower - he'd be even worse than Bush if elected, if that's possible. :scared:

[suston96]

4. Not quite......It's C 46 and O 44. We got to be precise about these things....

http://www.gallup.com/poll/104110/Gallup-Daily-Tracking-Election-2008.aspx

[RedEarth]

5. Obama had the highest favorable rating