News from new Quinnipiac poll: Ohio Democrats favor Hillary Clinton. Here's the release:

New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has commanding leads, especially among women, over Illinois Sen. Barack Obama among likely Democratic primary voters in the critical swing states of Ohio and Pennsylvania, according to Quinnipiac University's Swing State Poll, three simultaneous surveys of voters in states that have been pivotal in presidential elections since 1964.

In these two states and Florida, a swing state that already conducted a primary, Arizona Sen. John McCain, the Republican front-runner, is running neck and neck with either Sen. Clinton or Sen. Obama.

Results are:

Florida: McCain 44 percent - Clinton 42 percent; McCain 41 percent - Obama 39 percent.

Ohio: McCain 44 percent - Clinton 43 percent; McCain 42 percent - Obama 40 percent

Pennsylvania: Clinton 46 percent - McCain 40 percent; Obama 42 percent - McCain 41 percent.



Clinton leads Obama 55 - 34 percent among likely Democratic primary voters in Ohio and 52 - 36 percent among likely Democratic primary voters in Pennsylvania. These are the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll's first surveys in this election cycle of Ohio and Pennsylvania likely voters, a more select group than the wider range of registered voters surveyed in prior polls.

In each state, voters see the economy, not the war in Iraq, as the most important issue.

"Despite her losing streak, Sen. Clinton remains far ahead of Sen. Obama among likely Democratic primary voters in Ohio and Pennsylvania," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

"But in some of the earlier contests Obama has closed similar gaps and gone on to win. With Ohio the next big state, along with Texas, voting on March 4, Clinton must fend off another last-minute Obama surge in the Buckeye State," Brown added.

"Ohio is as good a demographic fit for Sen. Clinton as she will find. It is blue-collar America, with a smaller percentage of both Democrats with college educations and African- Americans than in many other states where Sen. Obama has carried the day," said Brown. "If Clinton can't win the primary there, it is very difficult to see how she stops Obama."

Among Ohio Democrats, women back Clinton 56 - 30 percent while men back her 52 - 42 percent. Clinton leads 64 - 28 percent among white Democrats, while Obama leads 64 - 17 percent among black voters.

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