US poll: Clinton leads McCain by nine points

{image-Hillary+Clinton0wins01_3207032008_29042008.jpg news.oneindia.in}Washington, Apr 29: Democratic Party presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton now leads Republican presidential nominee John McCain by nine points in a head-to-head presidential match-up, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll.

The survey released Monday gives the New York senator and former US First Lady a fresh talking point as she works to raise much-needed campaign cash and persuade pivotal undecided super delegates to side with her in the drawn-out Democratic primary fight. Helped by independents, young people and seniors, Clinton gained ground this month in a hypothetical match with Senator McCain, the GOP nominee-in-waiting.

She now leads McCain, 50 percent to 41 percent, while Obama remains virtually tied with McCain, 46 percent to 44 percent, reports the New York Post. Both Democrats were roughly even with McCain in the previous poll about three weeks ago.

Since then, Clinton won the Pennsylvania primary, raising questions anew about whether Obama can attract broad swaths of voters needed to triumph in such big states come the fall when the Democratic nominee will go up against McCain.

The AP-Ipsos poll also found Clinton and Obama about even in the race for the Democratic nomination.

Underscoring deep divisions within the Democratic Party - and a potentially negative longer-term impact - 30 percent of Clinton supporters and 21 percent of Obama supporters said they would vote for McCain in November if their preferred candidate didn't win the nomination.

Obama leads Clinton in pledged delegates, but she has the advantage among super delegates with about a third yet to make up their minds.

Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean said Monday that one of the two must drop out of the race after the primary season wraps up in June so Democrats can unite before the late-summer convention and the fall campaign.

Nearly half the people in the AP-Ipsos poll said the protracted Democratic primary will hurt their party's chances in November, and more Obama supporters than Clinton backers said they had that fear. The poll, taken April 23-27, questioned 1,001 adults nationally, with a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.

ANI