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(s)Elections See other (s)Elections Articles Title: Debate crucial for Clinton as poll numbers slump CLEVELAND, Ohio (AFP) — Beset by slumping poll numbers, Hillary Clinton has a last chance in a one-on-one debate Tuesday to slow Barack Obama's roaring momentum before two pivotal nominating clashes next week. The besieged former front-runner, her hopes hanging by a thread ahead of must-win contests in Ohio and Texas on March 4, hopes to halt an Obama surge which has seen the Illinois senator snap up 11 straight electoral victories. The streak has seen Clinton's campaign, which offers the historic prospect of America's first woman president, contemplating the possibility of defeat. Obama, carving out wide leads in national Democratic polls, landed Tuesday's first morale-sapping blow, capturing the endorsement of former party White House hopeful and liberal champion Senator Chris Dodd. "I am sure we will have a vigorous debate," Obama said as he accepted the Connecticut senator's backing here Tuesday. "I would expect her to argue vigorously her case for why she should be president and I am sure she will point out differences that she has with me." Obama, 46, said he expected the clash to be conducted in a "civil fashion" but knows Clinton may try to snare him with the same searing tone seen in her recent barrage of attacks on his presidential credentials. Dodd said either Clinton, 60, or Obama would make a good commander in chief, but said he believed the Illinois senator could be a unifying force. "He has drawn millions of voters into politics for the first time in their lives and shown us that we are united by so much more than that which divides us." "More than ever, we need a President who will inspire us to take part in the political process and change our country's path," he said in a message to supporters. Obama headed into the televised debate in Cleveland as new polls suggesting Clinton's support was collapsing and amid lurid newspaper stories of internal conflict battering her campaign. A CBS News/New York Times survey gave Obama a 54 percent to 38 percent lead among Democrats nationwide. A USA Today poll had him up 51 percent to 39 percent nationally among Democratic voters. There was more alarming news for Clinton, a day after a poll showed Obama leading in Texas for the first time, as a Rasmussen Reports survey Tuesday showed Obama cut her lead among Ohio Democrats to just five points, as she led 48 percent to 43 percent. Last week, Obama had 40 percent, and the week before 38 percent. Clinton's tone will be closely watched. In a debate last week in Texas, she had been expected to go on the offensive, but only unleashed a few poorly received attacks before ending on a valedictory note. One of the New York Senator's supporters, Massachusetts congressman Jim McGovern, told MSNBC Clinton would zero in on issues, and not be distracted by polls of the Democratic "horse race." "She needs to talk to the American people and forget about all this other stuff that the media and the chattering class seem to be obsessed with." The debate takes place a day after a photograph emerged of Obama dressed in a Somali robe and turban, a reminder of his African heritage in a campaign where the issues of race and religion have always lurked in the background. Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe accused the Clinton team of "shameful, offensive fear-mongering," but Wolfson angrily denied that her aides had passed the photo on to the Drudge Report website. The Republicans could only look on amused as the Democrats stepped up their bickering, with Senator John McCain on the verge of knocking former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee out of the party's presidential race next week. According to independent political website RealClearPolitics, McCain is just 178 delegates short of the total 1,191 needed to win the Republican presidential nomination. Clinton needs blowout wins in Ohio and Texas to erase Obama's lead in the delegate hunt. The RealClearPolitics website put Obama in the driving seat with 1,374 delegates to Clinton's 1,275. A total of 436 Democratic delegates are in play in next Tuesday's primaries in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island and Vermont.
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#1. To: robin (#0)
It does, but the convention might look like '68.
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