September 24, 2008	Wednesday	Ramazan 23, 1429

WASHINGTON, Sept 23: Americans are divided along racial lines, but agree that the United States is on the wrong track and the economy is the top priority, according to an opinion poll conducted by USA Today, ABC News and Columbia University released on Tuesday.

Eighty per cent of blacks and Hispanics and 76 per cent of whites surveyed said the economy should be the next president’s highest priority.

Seventy-eight per cent of all respondents said the country was on the wrong track. Broken down along racial lines, 77 per cent of whites held that view, 91 per cent of blacks and 74 per cent of Hispanics.

The survey, which largely explored the crosscurrents of race and politics, finds a sharp racial divide over who the next president will be.

Seven in 10 blacks expect Barack Obama, the first African American to be nominated for president by a major party, to defeat Sen. John McCain in the Nov 4 election, the poll found.

Among registered voters, blacks support Democratic presidential nominee Obama by 92 per cent to 4 per cent.

Hispanics back the Illinois senator by 57 per cent to 33 per cent.

Whites support Republican nominee McCain by 56 per cent to 36 per cent, the poll found.

Among the 13 per cent of blacks who predict McCain will prevail, racism was the reason most often cited, USA Today reported.

The 50 per cent of whites who expect the Arizona senator to win were more likely to cite the candidates’ levels of experience as the reason.—Reuters