Barack Obama wiped out White House foe Hillary Clinton's large nation-wide poll leads and chased her in key states, on the frenzied eve of "Super Tuesday," a unique countrywide nominating showdown.
The cliff-hanger Democratic race contrasted with signs that Senator John McCain would all but settle the Republican nominating fight Tuesday, and complete one of the most staggering comebacks in recent political history.
The former first lady clung to a 45-44 point lead in a USA Today/Gallup national poll after the Illinois senator ignited a wave of momentum with his landslide primary victory in South Carolina last month.
A CNN/Opinion Research national poll out Monday had Clinton narrowly leading Obama 49 percent to 46 percent, within the poll's 4.5 percent margin of error, suggesting tightening contests countrywide.
A CBS/New York Times poll had the national race deadlocked at 41 percent. In early January, Clinton had led by 15 percent. Targeted surveys in Clinton strongholds which hold contests on Tuesday, like California, New York and New Jersey also suggested Obama's campaign was the one with most energy and momentum. Though Obama was making most of the headlines with a string of endorsements and a mammoth 32 million dollar fundraising push in January, Clinton was banking on under-the-radar core support among women and blue collar workers.
Clinton led Obama 53 to 39 percent in her home state of New York in a new Quinnipiac University poll, but the same survey had the race narrowing in neighbouring New Jersey with the former first lady leading 48 to 43 percent.
In the biggest prize California, Obama led Clinton by 46 to 40 percent in a Zogby poll, though other surveys still had her just ahead in the key state. "Super Tuesday" states account for more than half the delegates at party conventions in August and September, which formally appoint nominees for the presidential election in November.
There are 22 Democratic contests and 21 on the Republican side, with 19 states hosting nominating clashes for both parties. While McCain is tipped to pull out a decisive lead, the Democratic Party's system of proportionally allocating delegates means the Clinton-Obama race could drag on until at least March.
McCain was set for a whirlwind three-state tour of Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York on Monday, while Clinton and Obama were to campaign in closely contested north-eastern states Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Clinton also planned to hold a unique live question and answer meeting with linkups to every state in Tuesday's contest, which was to be broadcast live on the Internet and the Hallmark television channel. Obama spent the night in Chicago, after watching on television as Clinton's home team New York Giants beat the New England Patriots in American football's Super Bowl showpiece.
On Sunday, Clinton pressed home her message that only she could be trusted to stand up to withering Republican attacks in November's general election. "We want somebody with a few battle scars, who's been tested, who's ready to go the distance against whatever the Republicans decide to do," former first lady Clinton told cheering supporters at a rally in Minnesota.
"They've been after me for 16 years and much to their dismay, I am still here," declared Clinton, who is seeking to become America's first woman president. Obama argued that Clinton's reputation meant he was a better candidate to take on the Republicans. "I don't think there's any doubt that the Republicans consider her a polarising figure," he said on CBS television.
McCain, on the verge of one of the great political comebacks after his campaign almost fell apart last year, was confident of sealing victory against Romney. "We're very proud of the progress we've made and we think we'll be able to finish this thing up by Tuesday," the Arizona senator and Vietnam war hero declared in Boston.
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