Primary loss, Wright furor hurt Obama in poll

The weakening economy showed up in the poll in personal ways: As food and gas prices soar, more Americans say they are having a hard time saving or buying extras. Thirty-eight percent said they could do so in February, while just 27 percent said so in the latest poll.

President Bush continues to get low marks on his overall job performance, with just 21 percent approving of his handling of the economy. Given those ratings, Mr. McCain faces a political challenge in establishing his own identity: about half of all voters say they expect him to continue Mr. Bush’s policies if elected, while 1 in 5 say his policies will be even more conservative.

The challenge facing Mr. McCain also shows up on foreign policy: a majority of voters said they preferred that the next president try to end the war in Iraq within the next few years; they overwhelmingly said it was more important to have a nominee who was flexible about withdrawing the troops than someone committed to staying in Iraq until the United States succeeds.

For the Democrats, supporters of Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton are digging in, with two-thirds in each camp saying they “strongly support” their candidate. But Democrats are open to the idea of a Clinton-Obama or an Obama-Clinton ticket. About 6 in 10 Democrats said they would like to see the winner take the other candidate as a running mate.

Clear strengths, weaknesses
Each of the three presidential candidates has clear strengths and weaknesses. More voters have confidence in Mrs. Clinton’s and Mr. McCain’s ability to “wisely” handle an international crisis than feel that way about Mr. Obama. Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain, on the other hand, get higher ratings than Mrs. Clinton when it comes to “having more honesty and integrity than most people in public life.”

And the two Democrats edge out Mr. McCain when it comes to caring about the needs and problems of average Americans.

More from NYTimes.com One Town’s Rare Ray of Hope: New Auto Plant An Effort to Save a City by Shrinking It Lawmaker Is Said to Have Agreed to Aid Lobbyists Pressure Grows to Investigate Interrogations Crisis or Not, Russia Will Build a Bridge in the East External links

Republicans are already trying to portray Mr. Obama as a liberal who is outside the mainstream of American values, but the poll suggests that — so far, at least — he is not viewed that way by most Americans. Nearly two-thirds of registered voters said they believed he shared their values, about the same number who felt that way about Mr. McCain (58 percent said Mrs. Clinton shared their values).

But Mr. Obama has vulnerabilities. Only 29 percent of registered voters said they considered him “very patriotic,” compared with 40 percent who described Mrs. Clinton that way. Mr. McCain, a former prisoner of war, was considered “very patriotic” by 70 percent of the registered voters.

The underlying political landscape continues to favor the Democrats, despite their divisions. Over all, 52 percent said they had a favorable opinion of the Democratic Party, compared with 33 percent who said that about the Republican Party.

Marjorie Connelly, Marina Stefan and Dalia Sussman contributed reporting.

This article, Primary Loss and Furor Over Ex-Pastor Hurt Obama in Poll, originally appeared in The New York Times.

Picking the president: The candidates Click to visit that candidate's MSNBC page or click the XML symbol for an RSS feed. John McCain                Barack Obama

MORE FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES

The New York Times Section Front

NYT: Medical debt spurs more bankruptcies Health bill revives abortion groups Drug firms raise prices ahead of reform For thrillers, Glenn Beck is new Oprah Analysis: Victories rekindle GOP’s hope The New York Times Section Front