Looking ahead to tomorrow’s two primaries, Hillary Clinton is maintaining her big lead in Kentucky and while Barack Obama leads in Oregon, the race looks closer. A Suffolk University poll conducted May 17-18 has Clinton ahead in Oklahoma by 51 percent to 26 percent with John Edwards (still in the sample) at 6 percent, uncommitted at 5 percent and 11 percent undecided. In Oregon, Obama leads 45 percent to 41 percent with 8 percent undecided and 6 percent not making a choice. The margin of error is 4 percent. Obama’s favorability-unfavorability reflects the same sentiments as West Virginia, 43 percent positive, 43 percent negative. But send him cross-country to the Northwest and, in Oregon, 73 percent view him favorably compared to 15 percent.

In Kentucky, when voters were asked what they would do in November if their choice for the nomination didn’t win, 41 percent said they’d vote for the Democrat, 28 percent would vote for John McCain, 4 percent for Ralph Nader, and 24 percent were undecided. In Oregon, 59 percent would stick with the Democratic nominee, 19 percent would vote for McCain, 5 percent for Nader and 13 percent were undecided.

See the Boston Globe’s piece today on the divide between oregon’s rural east and urban west.