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CNN Poll Says Obama And Clinton In Texas Dead-Heat

Read the CNN/Opinion Research poll

(And check out our earlier posting on hypothetical general election match-ups in Florida, Minnesota and Wisconsin. There’s a surprise in the Florida poll).

Last week, we reported on conflicting polls about whether Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton was ahead in Texas, but CNN’s new poll, conducted Feb.15-17, has some worrisome news for Clinton if she is counting on the state as a firewall after a string of primary losses. Clinton leads Obama by 50 percent to 48 percent, well within the 4.5 percent margin of error. CNN polling director Keating Holland says one reason the race is so close is that “Likely Democratic primary voters would be equally happy if either candidate won the nomination, and they don’t see a lot of difference between them on several top issues.” He adds that roughly 25 percent of voters said they might change their minds before the March 4 vote.

Today’s Washington Post has a long piece exploring the deep ties both Clintons have in Texas.

On the Republican side, John McCain leads Mike Huckabee 55 percent to 32 percent with 11 percent for home state Rep. Ron Paul. In Houston today, former President George H.W. Bush endorsed McCain.

Equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans agreed that the economy was the most important issue in the campaign but they differed on which ones ranked highest after that. The Democrats said health care, Iraq and terrorism, while Republican voters singled out illegal immigration, Iraq and terrorism and health care in that order. On the issue of Iraq, the Austin Herald-Statesman did a piece on voters in Killeen, Texas, home of Fort Hood, saying that Iraq has not turned out to be a clear cut issue in terms of supporting any of the candidates.

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