US:As Democratic presidential candidates met in South Carolina last night for their fourth debate this year, a new poll showed Hillary Clinton maintaining a clear lead over her rivals, with a majority of Democrats saying she has the best chance of defeating a Republican next year.
The ABC News/ Washington Postpoll gives Mrs Clinton a double-digit lead over Barack Obama, with John Edwards trailing far behind in third place. Some 45 per cent of Democrats support Mrs Clinton, with 30 per cent choosing Mr Obama and 12 per cent supporting Mr Edwards.
Despite her reputation as a polarising figure, 54 per cent of Democrats believe the former first lady is the candidate best placed to win against a Republican in next year's presidential election. Some 22 per cent say Mr Obama has the best chance of winning and just 9 per cent think Mr Edwards would be more likely to succeed.
Mrs Clinton enjoys a lead among both men and women, with lower-income and less educated voters backing her most strongly. Mr Obama is the favourite among the more affluent and well educated and he enjoys a slight lead among African-Americans, 46 per cent of whom support him, compared to Mrs Clinton's 40 per cent.
Mrs Clinton is the overwhelming choice among Democrats who believe that "strength and experience" are the most important characteristics for a president. A majority believes, however, that "new direction and new ideas" are more important and Mrs Clinton ties with Mr Obama among these voters.
Ahead of last night's debate, the first of six sponsored by the Democratic National Committee, Mr Obama and Mr Edwards hoped to make a breakthrough that could dent Mrs Clinton's lead. Until now, each debate has reinforced the New York senator's position as the most formidable candidate in the field.
"As opposed to talking hypothetically, if you talk based on the information that we have, I am winning," Mrs Clinton told the Des Moines Registerin Iowa at the weekend. In fact, Mrs Clinton is not winning in Iowa, where most polls give Mr Edwards the edge and national polls are notoriously unreliable as predictors of which candidate receives a party's nomination.
Mrs Clinton's team are confident she will win in New Hampshire, the first state to hold a primary next year, but South Carolina, which votes on January 29th, is more difficult to predict. The southern state, where African-Americans make up a large proportion of Democratic primary voters, could offer Mr Obama his best chance of an early victory before February 5th, when more than a dozen states, including delegate-rich New York and California, hold their primaries.
Last night's debate was co-hosted by CNN and YouTube and featured questions from YouTube users, reflecting the growing influence of the internet on American politics. Republican candidates will take part in a similar debate in Florida in September, but Democrats have been more energetic in using the internet to recruit supporters and attract donations.
The top three Democratic candidates have raised more than $28 million (€20 million) on the internet since the start of this year, three times as much as the three leading Republicans.
Nearly 3,000 videos had appeared on YouTube by yesterday, with several dozen expected to be selected by CNN producers for broadcast to candidates.
The venue for last night's debate, the Citadel - South Carolina's military academy - offered a conservative contrast to the informality of YouTube.