Surging Obama leaves California race on knife-edge

picture: Barack Obama in his campaign mode, carrying baby of his supporters.

Surging support for Barack Obama has left California’s Super Tuesday Democratic primary on a knife-edge, with one-time runaway leader Hillary Clinton now nervously looking over her shoulder.
Less than a week ago, Clinton had opened up a 17-point lead over Illinois senator Obama in Los Angeles Times/CNN opinion polls carried out amongst Democratic voters ahead of the contest.
Both Obama and Clinton have campaigned aggressively in California in the final days before the vote, anxious to secure the hundreds of delegates on offer in the America’s most populous state.
A total of 370 delegates of the 2,025 needed to secure the Democratic nomination are up for grabs on Tuesday, making California a cornerstone of any successful nominating contest.
Unlike the Republican contest on Tuesday, independent voters may participate in the Democratic primary.
Obama now appears to have made huge inroads into Clinton’s once-impregnable lead as election day looms, with a new California Field Poll released on Sunday showing the two candidates neck-and-neck.
Clinton now leads Obama by 36 to 34 per cent. But with 18 per cent still undecided the race is now too close to call according to pollsters.
“Obama’s support has been increasing steadily, while support for Clinton has been relatively stagnant,” the Field Poll concluded.
Obama’s campaign was buoyed over the weekend by the high-profile endorsement of state first lady Maria Shriver, a member of the influential Kennedy clan, just days after her husband, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, had backed Republican John McCain.
“The more I thought about it, I thought, you know, if Barack Obama was a state, he’d be California,” Shriver said to cheers at a rally held at the University of California for the Democratic presidential contender.
“I mean, think about it - diverse, open, smart, independent, bucks tradition, innovative, inspiring, dreamer, leader!” said Shriver, a member of America’s most famous political dynasty.
Shriver was speaking at a celebrity-packed rally headlined by chat-show queen Oprah Winfrey, Caroline Kennedy, Obama’s wife Michelle and pop music legend Stevie Wonder.
Both the Clinton and Obama campaigns have sought to generate headlines with high-profile celebrity endorsements.
Obama’s strong support among younger voters was given another shot of street cred over the weekend when rapper will.i.am of group The Black Eyed Peas posted an unofficial campaign video on Youtube.
The video features celebrities including Scarlett Johansson and Herbie Hancock singing along to excerpts from an Obama speech.
“I’m blown away by how many people wanted to come and be a part of it in a short amount of time,” said will.i.am.
A day before Shriver’s appearance at the Obama rally, Clinton had addressed several thousand supporters in Los Angeles with basketball star Magic Johnson, Oscar-winning actress Sally Field and Ugly Betty star America Ferrera.
“We need Senator Clinton in the White House tomorrow,” said Field, drawing cheers from the audience.
Yesterday, former president Bill Clinton was engaged in campaigning at African American churches across Los Angeles.
“I waited my whole life to vote for an African American for president, I waited my whole life to vote for a woman for president, and sometimes I look up to the sky and say ’God, you’re playing with my mind again’,” Clinton said.
While Clinton and Obama campaigned elsewhere today, Bill Clinton was to continue last-ditch California campaigning, attending a town hall forum in San Francisco in an attempt to shore up support.
LOS ANGELES