Defiant Hillary rides West Virginia poll lead

FAIRMONT, West Virginia (AFP) - Hillary Clinton looked set to win West Virginia's presidential primary by a landslide Tuesday but unlikely to break Barack Obama's stranglehold on the Democratic nomination.

The former first lady, vowing to battle on even as Obama turns his sights on Republican presumptive nominee Senator John McCain, led her foe by 36 points in the latest poll out of the mountainous state. Polling stations opened at 6:30 am (1030 GMT) in the rural, mountainous state that carries the prize of 28 delegates distributed proportionally based on the results of the vote.

"West Virginia has a record of picking presidents," Clinton said at a campaign stop here late Monday, as she pressed home her claim that she, and not Obama, was the best Democratic White House pick. "A Democrat doesn't win the White House without winning West Virginia. So tomorrow it's going to be your turn."

Clinton said some wanted to call the nomination race over, but "they don't understand politics, because West Virginia really matters." The New York senator was also fairing well in Kentucky, which votes on May 20, where the latest poll said she was up 58pc to 31pc for Obama.