March 5, 2008

Obama Beats McCain; Hillary Loses

New York Post

O SACKS MAC BUT MAC WHACKS HILLARY

By CHARLES HURT Bureau Chief

March 5, 2008 -- WASHINGTON - Barack Obama would handily beat John McCain in a head-to-head match-up, according to a compilation of poll results, while Hillary Rodham Clinton would lose to the likely GOP nominee.

Obama would collect 252 Electoral College votes to McCain's 216 if the general election were held today, according to the analysis based on recent polls.

Obama leads McCain in 20 states, many of them large enough to offset McCain victories in states with smaller populations.

Five states are too close to call, according to current polls, and McCain would have to win all of them to overtake Obama.

To win, a candidate needs 270 Electoral College votes.

Against Clinton, McCain would go on a 39-state romp and hold 282 Electoral College votes to Clinton's 172. Six states are too close to call in that match-up.

Even if she managed to win all of those close states, she could not make up her 110-vote deficit.

At least two of those toss-ups are in crucial components of the Democratic base: Pennsylvania and Michigan.

Both Democrats lead in New York and New Jersey. Connecticut is projected for the Democrats based on the 2004 results.

In terms of the popular vote, McCain holds a 6-point edge over Clinton in a nationwide poll conducted by the Los Angeles Times and Bloomberg News.

That same poll found McCain with a smaller edge against Obama, while other polls show Obama with a significant lead.

churt@nypost.com

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