Clinton poised for belated victory in West Virginia

Hillary Clinton appeared headed to a big West Virginia victory over front-runner Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential race yesterday, although it could be too late to turn around her faltering White House bid.

Clinton has an advantage of at least 20 points in most opinion polls in West Virginia, a bastion of the white working-class voters who have become her strongest supporters in the grueling battle for the Democratic nomination.

But Obama retains a nearly insurmountable advantage in delegates who will select the nominee at the party convention in August. A big win in West Virginia for the cash-strapped Clinton will make barely a dent in Obama's advantage.