Hillary Clinton appeared yesterday to be gaining on Barack Obama in two key primary states, after her Democratic foe tried to quell another damaging uproar sparked by his fiery former pastor.
The White House rivals fought another day of fierce turf battles in midwestern Indiana and North Carolina on the east coast, which hold Democratic primaries on Tuesday in a crucial phase of the end-game in their gripping race.
Though Obama leads in nominating contests, elected delegates and the all-important fundraising stakes, Clinton's message seems to be hitting home after her campaign-saving victory in Pennsylvania last week.
But she needs to capitalize on Obama's recent struggles, as she tries to convince "superdelegates" -- the professional Democratic politicians who effectively hold the nomination in their hands -- that Obama is unelectable.
A Howey-Gauge poll in Indiana released Tuesday had Obama up by just 47 to 45 percentage points, well within the margin of error, with eight percent of likely primary voters undecided.