(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-01-15 12:15

WASHINGTON -- Early contests of the US presidential race have swayed public opinion nationwide, with John McCain now leading the Republican field and Barack Obama erasing Hillary Clinton's advantage among Democrats, a new poll found.

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama addresses supporters in Nashua, New Hampshire January 9, 2008. Hillary Clinton escaped with a much-needed upset win in New Hampshire's key Democratic presidential nominating contest, beating Obama and righting her listing campaign. [Agencies]

Among the new findings of the Washington Post-ABC News poll released Monday, the early nomination contests in both parties have captured the public's attention.

Four in five are closely tuned in, and a third are "very closely" following the races, a sharp increase from a month ago, and well higher than the proportions saying so at this stage in 2000 or 2004.

Clinton had dominated in national polls from the outset, holding a 30-point advantage as recently as a month ago, but the competitiveness of the first two contests appears to have reverberated among Democrats across the country.

In the new poll, 42 percent of likely Democratic voters support Clinton, and 37 percent back Obama.

Clinton's support is down 11 percentage points from a month ago, with Obama's up 14. Former senator John Edwards held third place with 11 percent, followed by Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich at 2 percent.

On the Republican side, the big gains by McCain, which come after his victory in the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 8, mark the first time he has topped the Republican field.

His rise mirrors a dramatic tumble for former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, who led most national polls throughout 2007.

Giuliani ranks fourth in the new poll at 15 percent. McCain, meanwhile, has more than double the support he had a month ago and now stands at 28 percent among likely GOP voters.

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who scored a big victory in the Iowa caucuses, and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, the runner-up in both early contests, sit just above Giuliani, at 20 and 19 percent, respectively.

And this week's primaries may further unsettle the race. Victories by McCain over Romney in Michigan Tuesday and in Saturday's South Carolina GOP primary, where his main rival appears to be Huckabee, would stamp McCain as the front-runner, but stumbles in either contest could further disrupt the GOP nomination battle.

In the Democratic race, opinions shifted decisively after Obama's big win in Iowa and Clinton's narrow victory in New Hampshire.

The poll was conducted on Jan. 9-12 among a random national sample of 1,130 adults.