WASHINGTON, April 04, SPA -- A new poll found that 81 percent ofAmericans believe the U.S. is headed in the wrong direction_ a measure of dissatisfaction that could weigh heavilyagainst Republican John McCain in his presidential face-offwith either Barack Obama or Hillary Rodham Clinton, according to The Associated Press. Clinton and Obama, locked in a fierce tug-of-war for theDemocratic presidential nomination, have argued that aMcCain presidency would be little more than an extension ofwhat they say are President George W. Bush's failedeconomic and Iraq war policies. The CBS News-New York Times poll, released Thursday foundthat 81 percent of Americans believe «things have prettyseriously gotten off on the wrong track» in the UnitedStates. That is up from 69 percent a year ago, and 35percent in early 2002. The poll comes as Americans worry the country is eitherheaded to or in a recession. The housing and credit crisishas rocked Wall Street, driven up home foreclosures andeconomic worries now supersede the Iraq war as the dominantissue in the presidential race. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3percentage points for registered voters and plus or minus 4points for Democrats. It also showed Obama leading Clintonby 46 percent to 43 percent. Both Democrats have about a 5percentage point lead over McCain, the presumptiveRepublican nominee. A separate Gallup poll showed Obama with a a slight leadnationally over Clinton in the Democratic presidentialrace, at 49 percent to 44 percent. The survey conductedApril 1-3 had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3percentage points. --SPA www.spa.gov.sa/542981