Obama Remains Ahead of Clinton in Iowa

Barack Obama has inched ahead of Hillary Clinton in Iowa, garnering 30% support in a Washington Post/ABC News poll.

The New York Democrat had 26% and John Edwards had 22%. The results weren't much different than a poll taken in July and underscore the ambivalence many voters have about Clinton and her husband. ``Iowa Democrats obviously have more mixed feelings about Senator Clinton than Democrats nationally do,'' Drake University professor Dennis Goldford told Bloomberg News.

As the Post notes, the poll has some good news for Obama, including an 8 percentage point gain among women 45 and older - two-thirds of Iowa caucus goers in 2004 -- and runs evenly with all women voters. Fifty-five percent of voters now see Obama as their first or second choice, the paper says.

Though this poll does indicate some positive momentum for Obama, it also shows that most Iowans still see Clinton as the most viable candidate. Most Democrats probably feel the same way. Without a strong showing in Iowa, Obama's support will fizzle before Super Tuesday.