Hillary Hangs Tough

Although her chief rival and her husband stole the headlines the last few days, Hillary Clinton is still the favorite heading into the Feb. 5 primaries, mostly because of her leads in key big states. Most polls, however, are out of date at this point and probably won’t catch up until it’s time to vote.

Wall Street Journal:

Mr. Obama’s 55% to 26% victory Saturday over Mrs. Clinton was far wider than predicted, and showed off the best assets of his campaign: a powerful ground organization, the perception that he is an agent of change in a party longing for it, and an ability to attract both white and black voters in a state where the electorate remains racially polarized.

Today, Mr. Obama is likely to get a fresh boost. One of the Democratic Party’s icons, senior Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, is expected to offer his endorsement, joining his niece — Caroline Kennedy, daughter of slain President John F. Kennedy — and adding to the JFK aura that has lifted Mr. Obama’s presidential bid.

But for all of the attention Mr. Obama has garnered since his Iowa caucus victory at the beginning of the month, Mrs. Clinton has maintained her big lead in national polls — and in polls in the big states with delegate prizes far greater than any state that has voted so far.

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