There are almost as many Republicans who want to see Hillary Rodham Clinton become Democratic presidential nominee as those who prefer Barack Obama, according to a poll released on Friday.

The poll conducted by Gallup and USA Today from April 18 to April 20 showed that 48 percent of Republicans surveyed said they would rather see New York Senator Clinton win the Democratic nomination while 44 percent favored Illinois Senator Obama.

The results was similar with Democrats' preferences for Obama and Clinton, which was dead even at 47 percent in a Gallup national poll on April 28.

When asked about the motivation behind their choices, 33 percent of Obama's Republican supporters said they are more worried about Clinton being elected, while 26 percent of those who prefer Clinton said they are more worried about Obama being elected, according to the poll.

The poll also found that Republicans seem to like Obama more than Clinton with 34 percent favoring Obama and 24 percent for Clinton.

In a hypothetical matchup between Obama and Republican presumptive presidential nominee, 10 percent of registered Republican voters said they would vote for Obama if the election were held now, compared to 7 percent of those who want to vote for Clinton if they have to choose between her and McCain, it suggested.

The poll has surveyed 418 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents at 18 or above through phones.

(Xinhua News Agency May 3, 2008)