America heads to the polls

By Sima Kotecha
Newsbeat reporter, El Paso

The pressure is on Hillary Clinton after suffering 11 defeats in a row

Four US states will be heading to the polls on Tuesday to vote for their favourite candidate to become their party's choice for president.

All eyes are on the democratic contest where rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will be battling it out.

The pressure is on Hillary Clinton though. She has had eleven defeats in a row and experts say she needs to win in Ohio and Texas to stay in the presidential race.

Newsbeat has been talking to voters in El Paso, Texas, to find out who they want living in the White House come January 2009.

Cooling down

El Paso is on the border of Mexico and lies in the desert. From almost anywhere in the city, you can see big sandy mountains.

It is rare to have a day where the sun is not shining. Steve Martin is cooling down with an ice frappucino, but he has got a dilemma. He is unsure about the differences between the Democrats and therefore may vote for a Republican.

He said: "I honestly wouldn't know who to pick because Obama and Hillary are so similar'.

To help him out, friends Nicole and Dorian have offered some advice.

Nicole, 23, claims to be the biggest Barack Obama fan in America. She even has a 'Vote for Obama sticker' on her laptop.

"He has a voice for change and idealism," said Nicole. "And he's gorgeous and has sex appeal!"

Dorian on the other hand supports Mrs Clinton. "I think she has definite ideas and plans which she can list specifics for, and I like that," she added.

Hillary Clinton seems popular in El Paso. Houses and small shops have 'Vote for Hillary' signs up in their windows.

But the 60-year-old has not won a contest since Super Tuesday on 5 February.

Experts say after a series of losses, she has been boxed into a 'must-win' position.

Now she has got to come out top in the big states or it is likely she will be pushed by her party to bow out of the race. She has been assuring her supporters that the nomination is not slipping away from her.

Black rockstar

Her husband and former president, Bill Clinton, told people at a rally in Beaumont, Texas: "If she wins Texas and Ohio, I think she will be the nominee. If you don't deliver for her, then I don't think she can. Its all on you."

Nicole Cannon claims to be a big Obama fan

Nicole says she misses Bill Clinton and added: "I love Bill Clinton. When he was president, America was liked around the world. Now Barack Obama can have the same effect. He's like a young, black rockstar and reminds me of John F Kennedy and that's just fabulous."

At the moment, the polls are tight and show Obama leading in Texas but only by a few percent while Clinton is ahead in Ohio. Anything could happen. For example, a bad voter turnout could swing the results either way.

As for the Republicans, frontrunner John McCain, who is predicted to win in Texas and Ohio, has been enjoying time out of the spotlight while the media has been concentrating on the Democrats. He is already way ahead of his rivals and it is likely he will get the party nomination.

After listening to Nicole and Dorian, Steve still has not quite made up his mind. "At this point in time, I would not vote for Obama. I think I'm going to go for McCain or Hillary," he added.