A new USA Today/Gallup poll conducted April 18-20 looks like a mirror image of recent polls by the Washington Post/ABC News and Newsweek: a widening lead for Barack Obama and rising negatives for Hillary Clinton. It also matches the results of today’s Gallup daily tracking poll.
Obama leads Clinton by 50 percent to 40 percent, with a 3 point margin of error. About half of Democrats say the race has become too negative, and 43 percent blame Clinton, 3 percent blame Obama and 53 percent blame both equally. Democrats are divided on whether the long sometimes bitter campaign is hurting the party. Gallup says on its website that the split is 48 percent to 48 percent. Obama supporters believe by a 58 percent to 40 percent margin that the campaign is hurting the party now, while Clinton supporters reject that view 59 percent to 36 percent. Fifty-nine percent of Obama supporters say the campaign has become too negative, while 59 percent of Clinton backers disagree.

In general election-matchups, USA Today/Gallup has Obama ahead of McCain 47 percent to 44 percent and Clinton in the lead 50 percent to 44 percent.