Poll reveals America is still divided over race relations as country gears up for election

The results of a poll showing America is still sharply divided by the issue came as it gears up for an election that could put the first black president into the White House.

While the majority of blacks and whites believe the country is ready for a black leader, the consensus ends there.

Divide: Even though Barack Obama is running as the first black presidential candidate against John McCain, the racial divide remains sharp in America

Each group holds vastly different views on Democratic Senator Barack Obama and the state of America's race relations.

The survey for the New York Times and television station CBS News revealed that 83 per cent of blacks had a favourable opinion of Obama, compared to just 31 per cent of white people.

Asked if race relations were generally bad, almost 60 per cent of blacks said yes, compared to 34 per cent of whites.

Those figures have not changed since a similar survey eight years ago revealed that few Americans experienced integrated workplaces and neighbourhoods or had regular contact with people from other races.

Obama, 46, the son of a black Kenyan man and white mother, has fired up an enthusiasm for politics not seen since the Sixties.

Dubbed the black John Kennedy, he faces Arizona Republican Senator John McCain in the election on November 4.

Two-thirds of all those polled said they believe America is ready for a black president and overall 31 per cent said they thought race relations would improve if Obama was elected.

But almost 40 per cent of blacks said there had been little progress in getting rid of racial discrimination in recent years, while just 17 per cent of whites agreed.

Meanwhile, just over 25 per cent of whites said too much had been made about problems facing black people, while 50 per cent of blacks said not enough had been done to bring down racial barriers.

Racial issues have dogged Obama throughout his campaign, from videos showing his church pastor condemning the U.S. to the Reverend Jesse Jackson's claim that he was talking down to black people by urging them to take more responsibility for their actions.

But the survey showed Obama has the edge over 71-year-old McCain, especially among women voters, and that most black people believe he cares about their needs and problems.

Three U.S. polls in a week have shown Obama maintaining an edge over McCain of between six and nine points.