Democratic presidential candidate Senator Hillary Clinton applauds during the inauguration of New York State Governor David Paterson as the 55th state governor at the state capitol building in Albany, New York March 17, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Either Barack Obama or Hillary Rodham Clinton would face a neck-and-neck race with John McCain in the November national presidential elections, according to a poll released on Tuesday.

The poll by CNN and Opinion Research Corporation indicated that if Illinois Senator Obama were nominated as the Democratic presidential candidate, he would get 47 percent of the vote compared to 46 percent for Republican presumptive nominee McCain.  

Should New York Senator Clinton win the Democratic party's nomination, she would get 49 percent compared to McCain's 47 percent.