Health care and Iraq dominate Democrats' concerns in the three pivotal early voting states of the 2008 presidential race.

Advantage: Hillary Rodham Clinton, a poll shows.

Clinton has clear leads in New Hampshire and South Carolina, building on her ownership of the health-care issue and her broad but more fragile trust among Democrats on Iraq, the survey showed Monday.

Yet she could stumble in Iowa, whose Jan. 3 caucuses will be the first voting and where she is in a scramble with Barack Obama, trailed closely by John Edwards.

An extensive poll in the three states by the Associated Press and the nonpartisan Pew Research Center finds Democrats enthusiastic about their overall presidential field. Most rate it strongly, and they spiritedly back the contenders they prefer.

WHAT THE POLL SHOWS

Clinton's advantages in the early contests stretch beyond the top issues. The New York senator has amassed strong support among crucial groups including female, older, less-educated and lower-income Democrats -- significant because women and older voters in particular have dominated these primaries and caucuses in the past. In Iowa though, she has only a modest lead over Obama among women.

BY THE NUMBERS

• In Iowa: Clinton is essentially tied with Obama, 31 percent to 26 percent, with John Edwards at 19 percent and Bill Richardson at 10 percent.

• In New Hampshire: Clinton has 38 percent, Obama 19 percent, Edwards 15 percent, Richardson 10 percent.

• In South Carolina: Clinton has 45 percent, Obama 31 percent, Edwards 10 percent.

THE PRIMARY VOTERS

Obama and Edwards haven't taken title to any issues with party voters in the three states, the poll shows. The two men have only scattered strength among Democratic blocs, with Obama's strongest backing coming from Democratic-leaning independents, liberal, younger and better-educated voters. That is especially true in Iowa. Edwards has yet to lay claim to any critical group of Democrats.

Even among blacks who comprise about half of Democratic primary voters in South Carolina, Obama does no better than break even with Clinton. She offsets that by leading him by 3-1 among the state's whites. There are few black voters in Iowa or New Hampshire.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

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