Obama Surges Ahead, Clinton Cries

With only a few hours to go before Super Tuesday, Democrat Barack Obama's poll rankings soared, while Hillary Clinton came close to tears. For most voters, used to seeing Clinton as quite tough, even cold, it was a surprise to see a very different side to her.

It happened as Clinton was visiting the Yale University, where she had been a student in the 1970s. Tired from having campaigned relentlessly over days and nights, Clinton was actually seen wiping a tear from her eye.

Questions were asked: Were the tears for real? Were they a clever—and maybe, desperate—ploy to win her the votes? Or did Hillary for once really let down her guard to allow a glimpse into her emotional side? "Well I said I would not tear up, already we are not exactly on the path," said an emotional Clinton, even as news of Obama's surge came through.

Obama, meanwhile, addressed a rally in New Jersey. Increasingly popular in the state that is considered a stronghold of the Clintons, Obama drew applause and even pointed to Clinton's derisive comments aimed at his call for change, "If you will stand with me New Jersey, tomorrow, if you will vote for me, if you will cast off the fear and the doubt and the cynicism ... we will not just win in New Jersey, we will win all across this nation on Tuesday." He said, addressing a 4,500 strong crowd. Former President, Bill Clinton, standing firmly behind his wife, responded to a question about Obama with, "Give me a break. This is the biggest fairytale I have ever seen."

Recent polls predict a close neck-to-neck finish between Obama and Clinton. Clinton retained a 45 to 44 percent in a USA Today/Gallup national poll, while a CNN/Opinion Research national survey had her leading Obama 49 percent to 46 percent.

Clinton's campaign, Doug Hattaway, said, ""During this whole election the polls have been all over the map. There are battlegrounds stretching from Massachusetts to California, so it could be a real nail-biter." Obama's campaign, David Plouffe, too underplayed his position. "We fully expect Senator Clinton to earn more delegates on February 5, and also to win more states," said Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe in a memo.

Unlike the democrats who are locked in a close fight, amongst Republicans, Senator John McCain may be on the brink of an overwhelming victory for the Republican nomination. The senior senator from Arizona, speaking to reporters in Massachusetts said, "I'm guardedly optimistic."

Romney, however, was not ready to consider defeat. Speaking at a campaign stop in Nashville, Tennessee, he said, "This is going to come down to a real battle and I think I'm going to win it."

However, Romney may have reason to worry. A recent poll showed that McCain was up and ahead at 42 percent, with his closest contender, Mitt Romney, following behind at 24 percent, trailed by Mike Huckabee at a dismal 18 percent.

Find more on the 55th quadrennial US presidential election 2008, will be held on November 4, 2008.