Zogby Poll: Obama Leads by 8 Points in NC; Race Still Very Tight in Indiana

Undecideds in both states remain high, as likely voters wait for last minute to commit to Clinton or Obama

BBSNews 2008-05-05 -- (Zogby) UTICA, New York - The Democratic Party presidential contests in Indiana and North Carolina remained remarkably stable on Sunday, with Illinois' Barack Obama holding an 8-point lead in North Carolina and a statistically insignificant two-point lead in Indiana, the latest Zogby daily tracking telephone poll shows.

The survey of likely Democratic Party primary voters shows that in North Carolina, Obama leads with 48% support, compared to 40% for Clinton and 13% either undecided or preferring someone else. In Indiana, Obama is nursing a tiny lead of two points, winning 44% support, compared to 42% for Clinton and 15% unsure or wanting someone else.

Both candidates stumped for votes in Indiana Sunday, as the state's voters prepare to cast ballots in Tuesday's elections. Actually, early voting has been underway in both states for awhile (longer in North Carolina than in Indiana), and this latest Zogby polling shows one-quarter of North Carolina voters - 26% - have already voted, and 13% in Indiana have already cast ballots.

While Obama holds a small edge in Indiana, Clinton appears to hold at least a small advantage among those who are yet undecided. Among those undecided Indiana voters who said they were leaning toward one candidate or the other, Clinton held an edge. It also remains unclear what impact, if any, the new Indiana requirement that voters show identification before casting ballots will have on the contest.

More evidence of turmoil in Indiana: among those Hoosier voters who said they have changed their support in the last two weeks, one-third of them - 33% - said the recent statements of Barack Obama's former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, made them less likely to support him.