Race and age may affect American poll views

Washington: As Senator Barack Obama opens his campaign as the first African American on a major party presidential ticket, nearly half of all Americans say race relations in the country are in bad shape and three in 10 acknowledge feelings of racial prejudice, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Lingering racial bias affects the public's assessments of the Democrat from Illinois, but offsetting advantages and Senator John McCain's age could be bigger factors in determining the next occupant of the White House.

Overall, 51 per cent call the current state of race relations "excellent" or "good", about the same as said so five years ago.

More than six in 10 African Americans now rate race relations as "not so good" or "poor", while 53 per cent of whites hold more positive views.

There is an overwhelming public openness to the idea of electing an African American to the presidency.

In a Post-ABC News poll last month, nearly nine in 10 whites said they would be comfortable with a black president.

While fewer whites, about two-thirds, said they would be "entirely comfortable" with it, that was more than double the percentage of all adults who said they would be so at ease with someone entering office for the first time at age 72, which McCain, would do should he prevail in November.

Even so, just over half of whites in the new poll called Obama a "risky" choice for the White House, while two-thirds said McCain is a "safe" pick.