Poll: Obama Speech Doesn\'t Slow Clinton Momentum
The Gallup Daily Tracking poll shows that for the first time in a month, Sen. Hillary Clinton has opened up a statistically significant lead over Sen. Barack Obama in the contest for the Democratic presidential nomination. Today\'s poll shows Clinton with a 49% to 42% lead over Obama in national Democratic voters\' presidential nomination preference.

This is the first time Clinton has held a statistically significant lead in over a month. She last led Obama in Feb. 7-9 polling, just after the Super Tuesday primaries. Since then, the two candidates have usually been in a statistical tie, but Obama has held a lead in several of the polls, most recently in March 11-13 polling.

Obama\'s campaign has been plagued by controversial remarks made by his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Obama delivered a major speech on race Tuesday to try to move beyond the controversy. The initial indications are that the speech has not halted Clinton\'s gaining momentum, as she led by a similar margin in Tuesday night\'s polling as compared to Monday night\'s polling.

In a conference call today, the Clinton campaign made much of the new Gallup poll, as well as a new poll from Reuters-Zogby that also shows her doing well. Campaign spokesman Howard Wolfson said that a significant case of buyers\' remorse was setting in among Democratic voters about Sen. Obama.

And chief strategist Mark Penn said that these polls show a strong swing in Clinton\'s favor after her victories in the Ohio and Texas primaries. When asked if Obama\'s troubles were specifically related to his relationship with Wright, Penn fudged a bit and said he felt there were a number of issues and questions raised over the past few weeks that contributed to the situation.

But one thing about polls ... you can always find one to prove the opposite. The Washington Times reports that an ambitious 50-state poll of 30,000 registered voters by media pollster SurveyUSA shows both Clinton and Obama defeating Republican Representative Sen. John McCain. although Obama would have an easier time of it.

...Mr. McCain would lose to both of them at this point in the election year, though by a closer electoral margin against Mrs. Clinton (276-262) than against Mr. Obama (280-258) in the race for the 270 votes needed to win the presidency. In both matchups, the poll shows the Democrats winning red states that Republicans have usually carried in past elections, though in some cases by razor-thin margins.