Sen. Barack Obama's advantage over Sen. Hillary Clinton in a national tracking poll has held firm since the controversy over Obama's retired pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, "began to die down,'' Gallup is reporting.
"Obama's current margin, based on Gallup Poll Daily tracking interviews conducted April 1-3, is a slight improvement over the 3-point edge he held in the prior two releases,'' Gallup's Jeff Jones reports. "Obama has held at least a slight edge over Clinton since Mar. 19-21 polling, once the Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy began to die down.
"Obama trailed Clinton throughout January and did not inch ahead of her until Feb. 10-12 polling, just after the Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses.
"Since that time, the typical pattern has been for Obama to hold a slight edge over Clinton. However, he has yet to open up and maintain a consistently large lead over Clinton.
Gallup's tracking also finds this: Voter preferences in a general election matchup "are the same regardless of whether the matchup is between John McCain and Obama (46 percent for Republican Sen. John McCain to 45 percent for Obama) or McCain and Clinton (46 percent for McCain to 45 percent for Clinton)."Both trial heats have shown a close race since the tracking program began on March 7, though McCain has held a slight edge or been tied with the Democrats in all but the first two releases.'
The Swamp: Obama's pastor problem fades: Poll 
