Poll: Clinton holding off Obama nationwide

WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 (UPI) -- A new Gallup Poll showed Sen. Barack Obama making progress in catching up to Sen. Hillary Clinton in the race for the U.S. Democratic presidential nomination.

The poll unveiled Thursday showed the nearly 30-point nationwide lead held by Clinton, D-N.Y., in the fall had slipped to less than 20 points with the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary right around the corner.

Former U.S. Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., was in third place in the survey.

Gallup said in a statement that Obama, D-Ill., still had some fundamental problems among 1,007 Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents polled Nov. 30-Dec. 2 and Dec. 14-16.

The statement noted that while Obama was gaining ground overall, Clinton was entrenched among various key Democratic sub-groups, including women, Southerners and Westerners.

"Obama runs more strongly with some groups than others but Clinton outpaces him among nearly every major demographic and political subgroup," Gallup said.