http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/conten ... 7poll.html

WASHINGTON — Ohio voters overwhelmingly back stricter enforcement of U.S. immigration laws, according to a new poll of Ohio voters, providing yet another indication that immigration will become the decisive factor in next year's presidential race.

Twenty-two percent of Ohio voters polled in the Quinnipiac University poll say even if they agreed with a candidate on every other issue, they would vote against that candidate if he or she disagreed with them on the immigration issue.

"You wouldn't think of Ohio being a hotbed of opposition to illegal immigration," said Quinnipiac University Polling Institute Assistant Director Peter Brown, noting the state is not near the Mexican border and doesn't hold a high percentage of undocumented workers. "But Ohioans are very concerned."

The poll of 1,178 Ohio voters, taken between Nov. 26 and Dec. 3, found that 18 percent of voters thought Democrat Hillary Clinton — who faced criticism after a confusing debate answer on whether she supported a New York plan to give drivers' licenses to undocumented immigrants — would nonetheless do the best job on the issue of illegal immigration.

Nine percent thought Republican Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City would do the best, and nine percent said they thought Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill, would best handle the issue. Brown, however, said Clinton fared the best on that question in part because she has the highest name recognition.

Clinton continued to lead both Republicans and Democrats in the poll, topping Giuliani 45 to 41 percent and Obama 45 to 19 percent.