Obama and McCain look to Nov. presidential polls

WASHINGTON - The Democratic Party has yet to nominate its presidential candidate, but advisers for US Senators Barack Obama and John McCain say it's time to look to November. Strategists for both teams say Sen. Hillary Clinton, Democrat of New York, is all but out of the race completely. Advisers for McCain, Republican of Arizona, and Obama, Democrats of Illinois, are working on campaign ads targeting the other and already have teams in key battleground states, The New York Times said Sunday. McCain developed speeches on global warming and other non-partisan topics in an attempt to woo the much-needed independent voters while Obama will spend this week trying to counter negative stereotypes lingering from the racially-tinged Reverand Jeremiah Wright scandal, The Times said. Latino voters play an influential role in this year's presidential cycle, the Times said, with Democrats courting the Hispanic vote in GOP strongholds like Nevada and New Mexico while Republicans work for the same in California. Obama is the clear winner in the race for campaign funds, with about $240 million in his coffers compared to $80 million raised by his presumptive rival McCain. Meanwhile, Obama, an African-American, worked to build up newly-gained momentum Sunday after he surpassed Hillary Clinton in the fight for superdelegates whose votes will be decisive in choosing the Democratic Party's presidential nominee. At least three Democratic superdelegates pledged to back the African-American senator Saturday -- one of them formerly in Mrs. Clinton's column -- marking a new milestone in his quest to represent the party in November's presidential election. With Mrs. Clinton gaining one new endorsement, based on the RealClearPolitics count, Obama's total reached 274 to her 271. It marked a rapid change of fortune for Mrs. Clinton, who though trailing Obama in the committed delegates from the primaries had maintained a solid lead in superdelegates -- a select group of 795 of the party elite who cast votes for whomever they choose in the nominating contest. And while neither candidate was acting overtly as if the race was over -- Obama was pitching for votes Saturday in Oregon ahead of its May 20 primary, while Mrs. Clinton held a Mothers Day fund-raising event in New York -- the writing appeared on the wall for the former first lady. "Despite what some in the media are saying, this race is not over," Mrs. Clinton reportedly told her superdelegate supporters in a conference call Saturday, according to a TalkingPointsMemo reporter who listened in to the call. The new endorsements Saturday marked a clear reversal of fortune for Mrs. Clinton, wife of former president Bill Clinton, who is seeking to become the first woman US president.

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