IN POLL: Obama 41, Hillary 38. Obama beats McCain by eight points. Hillary and McCain even.

[jefferson_dem]

Illinois Senator ahead by 3 points

Officials in both camps agree: The race is a toss-up that will remain hotly competitive

By Mary Beth Schneider
[e-mail]

Sen. Barack Obama holds a narrow lead over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in Indiana, with the outcome of the May 6 primary likely in the hands of a large number of undecided voters, according to a new Indianapolis Star-WTHR poll.

The poll showed that Obama -- helped in particular by strong backing from black voters -- is leading Clinton 41 percent to 38 percent among likely Democratic primary voters. But given the poll's margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points, this race is either candidate's to win or lose.

That's especially true because 21 percent of the respondents remain unsure of how they'll vote -- a high number of undecided voters for an election less than two weeks away.

The poll, taken Sunday through Wednesday by Selzer & Co. of Des Moines, Iowa, showed that Obama has one big additional edge over Clinton: He does better against the presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., than she does.

Among Hoosiers who said they would vote in the general election -- a statewide sample of voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points -- Obama beat McCain 49 percent to 41 percent. Clinton broke even with McCain, with both backed by 46 percent of those polled.

And, by 49 percent to 35 percent, Democratic primary voters said Obama is the candidate best able to win in the general election.

Robert Gibbs, national communications director for the Obama campaign, said the poll "points to a primary that we believe will be very close and very competitive."

But, he said, "the numbers in the general election show Barack Obama's unique ability to change the political map and bring people participating for the first time, or for the first time in a long time, into the election this year."

Joe Hogsett, co-chairman of Clinton's campaign in Indiana, said this and other polls show "this is a toss-up race that is going to be very hotly contested and hard-fought."

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http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080425/NEWS0502/804250437

[Alhena]

1. Obama leads McCain by 8 points? We haven't taken Indiana in many years have we?

Someone correct me if I'm wrong- I thought Indiana was a perennial red state in presidential elections.

[democrattotheend]

2. I said a while ago that it ought to be on our radar screen

That maybe we could at least force McCain to spend money there, if not win it outright. The state has been hit hard by job losses just like Ohio, and we had some success there in 2006. Still, I find it hard to believe that Obama has an 8 point lead over McCain in Indiana.

[Jawja]

4. But, but, but....

Indiana is not a "big" State. Just like Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Washington, and Virginia, it's not a "big" State. :shrug:

[book_worm]

8. he will make McCain have to fight for states that the GOP took for granted for years

It's not necessrily about winning those states (tho Obama could win some) it's about spreading McCain's limited resources into places that McCain should not have to fight for.

[datopbanana]

3. IN goes HRC. GOPers come out en masse in no registration open IN primary.

[info being]

5. Is the focus on Indiana because voting there is also corrupted?

Who's choosing these "focus states" and why?

[Robbins]

6. Indiana

The big news Is first 2 new polls have Obama with a lead very narrow here.And second Obama puts
Indinia In play.The last Democrat to win there was Lyndon Johnson.If a Democrat can win In Indinia this throws out the usual playbook.Indiana Is better for Obama than PA.The political machine that
Rendell had Isn't available here and It Is tougher to morph Hillary Into a Indiana girl.Evan
Bayh may not be able to help her too much.

[PBS Poll-435]

7. I thought the INDY STAR was a right-wing rag...

Gee...Who do the Republicans REALLY want to run against?