Clinton leads among women

WASHINGTON, June 12 (UPI) -- A new poll suggests presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., holds a 2-to-1 lead over Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., among female voters.

The Washington Post-ABC News poll taken May 29-June 1 found that 51 percent of women polled expressed their support for Clinton, compared to 24 percent for Obama and 11 percent for former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., The Washington Post reported Tuesday.

The Post said Clinton's strongest support came from lower-income, lesser-educated women, while Obama put in a stronger showing among highly educated women.

Strategists said Clinton's lead among women could translate into an advantage in the Democratic primary, as women made up a majority of voters in the 2004 Democratic race and between 54 and 59 percent in the early voting states of New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina.

However, she may not feel as strong a benefit in the general election, as 43 percent of female independents said during an April poll that they would definitely not vote Clinton for president, compared to 29 percent who made the same statement about Obama, the Post said.