Texas All Tied Up, Says New Poll
The ABC News/Washington Post poll of likely Democratic voters in Texas shows Clinton at 48 percent support, with Obama at 47 percent – a gap well within the survey's 4 percent margin of error. The poll was conducted from Feb. 16-20, meaning most of its data comes from before Obama's big win in Wisconsin's Feb. 19 primary.
Ohio voters were also polled – here, Clinton's lead is shrinking but still significant. In the Buckeye State, she leads Obama, 50 percent to 43 percent.
Both polls reflect the trend previously seen in other states: Clinton starts out with double-digit leads, sometimes more than 20 percentage points, only to see her advantage evaporate as the Obama campaign becomes active. Only a few days ago, polls in Texas showed her with an 8 percentage point lead over Obama. In Ohio, her lead was even bigger.
Early in the Democratic race, it appeared momentum wasn't much of a factor, with Clinton and Obama virtually trading wins and fighting to a draw on Super Tuesday. But after a series of wins in states where Obama out-organized and out-spent Clinton, it appears the Illinois senator has become strong enough to eat into her leads even in states where, on paper, she should have a clear advantage.