Republican presidential candidate John McCain runs even with Democratic rival Barack Obama and narrowly leads Hillary Clinton in potential match-ups in November, according to a poll released today.
Mr McCain was seen as a better steward of the economy than either Democrat despite their repeated criticism of his economic credentials. He led Obama by 3 points and Ms Clinton by 5 points on the question of who would best manage the economy.
In the Democratic race, Mr Obama widened his national lead over Clinton to 51 per cent to 38 per cent, up from a 3-point edge in March, in polling taken before a controversy erupted over Mr Obama's comments about small-town residents.
The two Democrats, battling for the right to face Mr McCain in November's presidential election, both gained ground on the Arizona senator nationally in the last month although Obama fares slightly better in head-to-head match-ups.
Mr Obama pulled into a statistical tie with Mr McCain at 45 per cent after trailing him by 6 points last month. Ms Clinton trails McCain by 5 points, 46 per cent to 41 per cent, gaining slightly from an 8-point deficit last month.
Heading into the next Democratic contest in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Mr Obama has been under heavy fire from Clinton and McCain for saying small-town residents are bitter about the ailing economy and cling to religion, guns and anti-immigrant bigotry in frustration.
The Reuters/Zogby national poll, taken from Thursday through to Saturday, was nearly completed before the Obama controversy erupted when his April 6 comments at a private San Francisco fundraiser became public on Friday night. The furore's impact on the Democratic race is unclear.