New poll puts Clinton ahead of Obama

WASHINGTON -- Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton has moved into a significant lead over Barack Obama among Democratic voters, according to a new national Gallup poll.

The March 14-18 survey of 1,209 Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters gave Clinton a 49 percent to 42 percent edge over Obama. The poll has an error margin of 3 percentage points.

The polling period included the days in which comments by Obama pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright's fiery comments widely circulated on the Internet and also included Obama's speech addressing race on Tuesday.

The poll was a snapshot of popular feeling, but Clinton trails Obama in the state-by-state contest which began in January to select a nominee.

Gallup said the poll lead was the first statistically significant one for Clinton since a tracking poll conducted Feb. 7-9, just after the Super Tuesday primaries. The two candidates had largely been locked in a statistical tie since then, with Obama last holding a lead over Clinton in a March 11-13 poll.

Gallup said polling data also showed McCain leading Obama 47 percent to 43 percent in 4,367 registered voters' preferences for the general election. The general election survey has an error margin of 2 percentage points.

The Arizona senator also edged Clinton 48 percent to 45 percent but Gallup said the lead was not statistically significant.