Obama widens lead over Clinton in latest Gallup survey

Source: Xinhua | 04-01-2008 08:07

WASHINGTON, March 31 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama widened his lead over his rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, in a latest national poll released on Monday.

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama delivers a speech on the economy at Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York  March 27, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

The Gallup survey conducted from March 28 to 30 showed that Illinois Senator Obama beat the New York Senator in the national Democratic preferences for the nomination by 51 percent to 43 percent.

It is the fourth consecutive Gallup Poll Daily tracking report showing Obama with a significant lead.

It also marks the first time since late February that either Clinton or Obama has sustained a statistically significant lead in the race for more than two consecutive days, according to the polling body.

The two candidates are winding up for the coming primary in the populous state of Pennsylvania on April 22. A CNN poll released on Monday showed Clinton's 14-percent lead over Obama in the blue-collar-riched state.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham  Clinton (L) speaks with a supporter at a town hall meeting in Indianapolis March 29, 2008.  (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Although being left behind in the national polls and demanded by Obama's supporters to drop out the race, the former First Lady insisted that she would continue with the campaign to the Democratic presidential nomination convention late August.

However, Democratic leaders have urged for an earlier end of the presidential race for fear the tie between Obama and Clinton would split the party and compromise its odds-on in the November general elections.

The Gallup's poll also showed a virtue tie between both Democratic hopefuls and the presumptive Republican nominee, John McCain, who led Obama by 46 percent to 45 percent and beat Clinton by 47 percent to 45 percent.

The poll has an error margin of 3 percentage points.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei