Poll shows Obama slightly ahead of McCain

WASHINGTON: US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has a narrow lead over Republican rival John McCain ahead of the Democratic National Convention, which opens on Monday, a new poll showed.

The Washington Post-ABC News survey released Sunday indicated the four-point lead was almost within the margin of error.

Among those most likely to vote, 49 per cent support Obama and 45 per cent back McCain, according to the poll that was completed before the Illinois senator announced Senator Joseph Biden as his vice presidential running mate.

The survey showed Obama continued to lead on the economy, and at a better than two to one margin, voters saw him as the more optimistic candidate.

But McCain leads two to one as the candidate with better knowledge of world affairs and the one who would make a better head of the military.

The poll also confirmed a shift in the nation's perceived priorities, with about 40 per cent now citing the economy and jobs as their top issue.

The war in Iraq, which had been the preeminent concern in the 2006 midterm elections, is now mentioned by only 14 per cent of respondents, the poll indicated.

Fifty-two per cent of those surveyed said they now believe the United States is making significant progress in Iraq, a shift that favors the Republican candidate.

But Obama's charges that McCain's presidency would in effect mean President George W Bush's "third term" appeared to stick.

Nearly six in 10 polled said that if elected president, McCain would mainly continue Bush policies.

Bush's approval rating remained at just 30 per cent, according to the survey, and nearly half of all voters viewed the Republican Party unfavorably.

The poll of 1,108 adults was conducted on August 19-22 and had a margin of error of three percentage points.