Hillary facing second defeat?

2008-01-07 21:02

New Hampshire - Barack Obama on Monday rode a double-digit opinion poll lead on the eve of the crucial New Hampshire primary, threatening another ominous blow to Hillary Clinton's White House hopes.

The rivals set out on slushy roads for a punishing day of rallies in a last ditch campaign blitz, with the former first lady searching for an opening to halt the blazing momentum Obama has enjoyed since winning the Iowa caucuses.

Republican John McCain meanwhile looked to lock in his advantage over rival Mitt Romney, who needs a strong showing after a grim second last week in Iowa.

As Clinton asked sharp questions about Obama's experience, and suggested his soaring rhetoric masked a paucity of achievement, her rival settled into the role of front-runner, pouring scorn on her tactics.

"I find the manner in which they've been running their campaign, sort of, depressing lately," Obama said in an interview with ABC television, chiding Clinton for warning he was offering American's "false hopes".

Clinton thrust home her new theme that Obama's explosive rhetorical style reflected a "a talker" rather than "a doer".

"I'm saying it's maybe talk versus action, rhetoric versus reality," she told NBC, arguing she had "a history of making change, and against some pretty tough odds".

Lead stretched

Latest polls showed Obama had stretched his advantage in New Hampshire, making him the favourite going into Tuesday's crucial nominating clash.

A USA Today/Gallup survey gave the 46-year-old senator a 13-point lead over Clinton, while a CNN/WMUR tracking poll showed Obama leading her by 10 points.

The two polls had previously had the two tied.

For the first time also, more New Hampshire voters saw Obama as the Democrat most able to beat a Republican rival in the race for the White House, according to the CNN/WMUR poll, which gave Obama an edge of 42% to 31% over Clinton on "electability".

"The Iowa caucus results have convinced growing numbers of Granite State voters that Obama can really go all the way," CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said.

Bad feelings simmered on Sunday in the latest debate between Republicans as Mike Huckabee, who won the Iowa caucuses, clashed with Mitt Romney, the man he vanquished.

'Makes up facts'

"You know, Mike, you make up facts, faster than you talk and that's saying something," the former Massachussetts governor quipped as Huckabee rejected an attack on tax hikes when he was Arkansas governor.

Romney launched a withering assault on the credentials of McCain, a Vietnam War hero, who is leading in state polls, saying he's been in Washington for so long he's got "lobbyists at each elbow".

McCain, who has also taken a drubbing in Romney's ad blitz, appeared to remain above the fray, striking a more conciliatory tone and extolling his past military record.

Lead well protected

The USA Today/Gallup poll of 778 New Hampshire Democrats, conducted on Friday to Sunday, showed Obama with 41% support and Clinton with 28%, with Obama's lead well protected from the poll's 4% margin of error.

A new CNN/WMUR New Hampshire Primary Tracking Poll showed Obama leading Clinton 39% to 29%. The poll of 268 Democrats, taken Saturday and Sunday, had a 5% margin of error.

The new USA Today/GALLUP poll showed McCain in the lead over Romney, 34% to 30%. The mid-December previous poll had Romney ahead of McCain, 34% to 27%.

The CNN/WMUR poll showed McCain holding on to a six point-lead over Romney, 32% to 26%.

Huckabee, despite his victory in Iowa, based largely on support for evangelical voters for the former Baptist minister, trailed in third place in both polls.

- AFP