WASHINGTON — Barack Obama has surged to a statistical tie with Hillary Rodham Clinton in a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, erasing a double-digit national lead she held just two weeks ago and turning the Democratic nomination race into a nail-biter.
The pair stood at Clinton 45%, Obama 44% in a snapshot of voter intent just two days before 22 states hold primaries and caucuses on Super Tuesday.
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The poll of adults nationwide was conducted Thursday through Saturday.
Obama gained 11 percentage points to erase Clinton's lead. The Illinois senator has been riding a wave of momentum since a landslide victoryin South Carolina's Jan. 26 primary. He's been collecting endorsements from Sen. Edward Kennedy and other prominent Democrats, and in January alone raised $32 million.
Clinton, the New York senator, won the Nevada caucuses two weeks ago but has seen her lead fade. Obama has gotten more national media attention in that time, and former president Bill Clinton attacked Obama in earlier contests. The former first lady is counting on good showings Tuesday in California, New York and other states.
"We have a strong and broad coalition that I think will give us significant delegates and victories on Feb. 5," Clinton strategist Mark Penn told USA TODAY.
The poll showed Obama had the highest favorable rating of the major candidates still in the race — 59% favorable to 32% unfavorable. McCain was close behind with 56% favorable, 32% unfavorable.
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