Clinton and McCain lose ground in poll

Published on Saturday 5 January 2008 19:28

DEMOCRAT Hillary Clinton and Republican John McCain have seen their poll leads shrink in New Hampshire three days before the state's presidential nominating contest.

Most of the polling in the survey was taken before the Iowa caucuses last Thursday, when Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mike Huckabee sailed to wins in the opening test of the US presidential campaign.

In New Hampshire, Clinton's lead over Obama in the Democratic race shrunk to four points, 32% to 28%. John Edwards, a former North Carolina senator who finished second in Iowa, was in third place with 20%.

Among Republicans, McCain's lead over rival Mitt Romney fell by two points to 32% against 30%. Huckabee, a Baptist minister and former Arkansas governor, gained two points to 12%.

"Overall the numbers have not moved that much but there was the beginning of a post-Iowa bounce for Obama and Huckabee," pollster John Zogby said. "We will see more tomorrow but I think we will clearly see them make gains."

New Hampshire's primary on Tuesday is the next battleground in the state-by-state process of choosing Republican and Democratic candidates for November's election to replace George W Bush.

The state is vital to efforts by Clinton and Romney to revitalise their campaigns after disappointing showings in Iowa.

Clinton, who just a few months ago was the dominant Democratic front-runner, finished third in Iowa behind Obama, an Illinois senator who would be the first black president, and Edwards.