WASHINGTON: Bolstered by the critical Pennsylvania results, Hillary Clinton has now turned the momentum further up, emerging decisively ahead of presumptive Republican nominee John McCain in a new poll before upcoming contests in Indiana and North Carolina.
The Democratic Senator from New York led McCain by nine points in what is perhaps the best news her campaign has seen or heard in the last several weeks, AP-Ipsos poll said.
Equally importantly perhaps, her rival and Democrat front-runner Barack Obama, 47, remained virtually tied with McCain in the poll, giving credence to Clinton's contention that she is more "electable" than the Illinois Senator.
The former first lady was leading McCain, 50 per cent to 41 per cent, while Obama remains virtually tied with McCain, 46 per cent to 44 percent.
Both Democrats were roughly even with 71-year-old McCain in the previous poll about three weeks ago.
However, the downside to the new national numbers is for the Democratic Party with 30 per cent of Clinton backers and 21 per cent of Obama's maintaining that they will vote for McCain if their preferred candidate did not get nominated.
Obama leads Clinton in pledged delegates, but she hasthe advantage among superdelegates with about a third yet to make up their minds; and the Chair of the Democratic National Convention.
Some sections within the Democrats have lately said that either Clinton or Obama must drop out of the race after the primary season wraps up in June, so that the party can unite before the August convention.
Meanwhile, yet another shot in the arm for the 60-year old New York Democrat came yesterday, when the Governor of North Carolina Mike Easley, a superdelegate, announced his support to her.
