Gallup Daily: Obama Numbers Holding Strong

Maintains a 10-point lead over Clinton for Democratic nomination

PRINCETON, NJ -- Barack Obama, who has come under attack by his presidential rivals for describing small-town voters as "bitter," seems to be weathering the storm to this point as far as voters are concerned. He maintains a 10 percentage point lead over Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination, 50% to 40%, according to the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking.

That 10-point lead matches Obama's best of the campaign, and even as the controversy has dominated the political airwaves, Obama's support remained strong in tracking interviews conducted on Saturday and Sunday. It is likely Clinton and Republican John McCain will continue to remind voters of the remarks, and the possibility remains that it could affect voters in the coming days, but so far they seem unaffected by the controversy.

Obama has now held a significant lead over Clinton in Democratic voters' nomination preferences for the last eight days, averaging roughly an 8-point lead, compared with the current 10-point spread. During this time, 50% of Democratic voters have supported him on average, matching the latest figure for interviewing conducted April 11-13.

In the general election trial heat match up versus McCain, 46% of registered voters prefer Obama, the same as in the past four days' releases and equal to Obama's high-water mark since Gallup began tracking general election preferences in March. McCain is the choice of 44% of registered voters, which is a percentage point better than in the prior three days' releases.

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