By Steve Holland
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama's big nationallead over Hillary Clinton has all but evaporated in the U.S.presidential race, and both Democrats trail Republican JohnMcCain, according a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.
The poll showed Obama had only a statisticallyinsignificant lead of 47 percent to 44 percent over Clinton,down sharply from a 14 point edge he held over her in Februarywhen he was riding the tide of 10 straight victories.
Illinois Sen. Obama, who would be America's first blackpresident, has been buffeted by attacks in recent weeks fromNew York Sen. Clinton over his fitness to serve ascommander-in-chief and by a tempest over racially chargedsermons given by his Chicago preacher.
The poll showed Arizona Sen. McCain, who has clinched theRepublican presidential nomination, is benefiting from thelengthy campaign battle between Obama and Clinton, who are nowbattling to win Pennsylvania on April 22.
McCain leads 46 percent to 40 percent in a hypotheticalmatch up against Obama in the November presidential election,according to the poll.
That is a sharp turnaround from the Reuters/Zogby poll fromlast month, which showed in a head-to-head match up that Obamawould beat McCain 47 percent to 40 percent.
"The last couple of weeks have taken a toll on Obama and ina general election match-up, on both Democrats," said pollsterJohn Zogby.
Matched up against Clinton, McCain leads 48 percent to 40percent, narrower than his 50 to 38 percent advantage over herin February.
"It's not surprising to me that McCain's on top becausethere is disarray and confusion on the Democratic side," Zogbysaid
Obama gave a speech on Tuesday rebuking his pastor, theRev. Jeremiah Wright, for sermons sometimes laced withinflammatory tirades but said he could not disown him and itwas time for Americans to bind the country's racial wounds.
The poll showed Obama continues to have strong support fromthe African-American community but that he is experiencing someslippage among moderates and independents.
Among independents, McCain led for the first time in thepoll, 46 percent to 36 percent over Obama.
He was behind McCain by 21 percent among white voters.
Zogby attributed this to a combination of the fallout fromClinton's victory in Ohio earlier this month and thecontroversy over Wright's sermons.
"And, just the closer he gets to the nomination, thetougher questions whites ask about an African-Americancandidate," Zogby said.
The March 13-14 poll surveyed 525 likely Democratic primaryvoters for the match up between Clinton and Obama. It has amargin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.
For the match up between McCain and his Democratic rivals,1004 likely voters were surveyed. It has a margin of error ofplus or minus 3.2 percentage points.
(To read more about the U.S. political campaign, visitReuters "Tales from the Trail: 2008" online athttp://blogs.reuters.com/trail08/
(Editing by Todd Eastham )
