Barack Obama leads Hillary Clinton in Iowa by seven points among Democrats, a new poll said just two days of campaigning before the state opens the White House nominating race.
The Des Moines Register poll of people likely to attend caucuses tomorrow, put Obama on 32 percent, with the former first lady on 25 percent, a point ahead of former Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards.
The poll is highly respected in Iowa, which is notoriously difficult to survey and where voters traditionally make up their minds late.
Among Republicans, the paper had former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee holding his lead on 32 percent over former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney on 26 percent.
Arizona Representative John McCain, expected to make his first major stand of the race in the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 8, was third in the Republican field with 13 percent.
The poll came out as candidates made last-ditch forays across the state, ahead of the caucuses, which open a month-long blizzard of nominating contests which could produce presidential nominees by early next month.
Clinton appeared at a late night New Year's Eve rally in Des Moines with Democratic champion and former president Bill Clinton and her daughter Chelsea.
"We have got two full days until Thursday comes and then Iowans are going to pick the next president," the former first lady told cheering supporters.
"I, with your help, am going to run a winning campaign in 2008 and take back the White House," she said.
Edwards, who earlier polls suggested may be putting on a spurt just three days from the caucuses, told voters they could choose to give the US a new future starting this year.
"Let's resolve, tonight, to make this the year that we stood up, took on the corporate greed that has taken over our government, and fought for the better America our children deserve," the former representative said.
Clinton mocked Edwards' rising anger on the stump. Taking on corporate domination of politics was not "something you have to do by yelling and screaming. Save your energy. Get the job done," she said.
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