Obama speech turns the tide

Barack Obama has climbed back to virtual level-pegging with Hillary Clinton in US opinion polls following his mainly well-received speech on race. Last week, a national Gallup poll taken when the contentious comments of the Rev Jeremiah Wright were in the headlines, gave Clinton a seven-point advantage. On Sunday, the Rasmussen daily tracking poll showed Clinton with only a one-point advantage over Obama, at 45 per cent to Obama's 44 per cent.

Looking ahead to the November presidential election, Rasmussen showed the Republican John McCain continuing to lead both potential Democratic opponents. McCain leads Obama 49 per cent to 41 per cent and Clinton 50 per cent to 42 per cent.

On the specific issue of Obama's keynote speech on the need for racial healing, a Rasmussen poll found 51 per cent of voters thought Obama's speech was excellent or good. But 56 per cent said they remained concerned about his links to the Rev Wright.

The polls follow the decision by the Governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson, to endorse Obama [see report below]. Richardson's Hispanic background is expected to deliver Obama a boost in support from the all-important Latino community.

James Carville, Bill Clinton's political stategist in the 1992 presidential election and a long-time Clinton family loyalist, lived up to his nickname 'the Rajin' Cajun' when he angrily accused Richardson of 'betrayal' for not backing Hillary Clinton when her husband had given him two cabinet posts.

FIRST POSTED MARCH 24, 2008