Among people ages 18 to 44, Obama led McCain 55% to 35%. Clinton led McCain 48% to 35%.
African Americans would vote overwhelmingly for Obama, the first black candidate with a realistic chance of becoming president. In the poll, he carried 79% of African Americans, with 3% supporting McCain.
In a matchup with Clinton, McCain's share of the African American vote rose to 9%, roughly in line with the performance of past GOP presidential candidates. Clinton had 60% of the African American vote; 23% of respondents in this cornerstone Democratic constituency said they were undecided.
Among baby boomers -- the giant post-World War II generation that will begin to reach retirement age in the next president's term -- both Democrats edged out McCain: Clinton 47% to 39%, Obama 45% to 37%. Whoever is elected will face serious Medicare and Social Security shortfalls.
McCain remains competitive because of his showing among older voters and independents -- constituencies both parties are vying to win. McCain leads Clinton among independents and is essentially tied with Obama.
Beyond divisions of race, gender, politics or income, voters' dominant concern is the state of the nation's economy, the poll found.
Although recent government data showed that the economy continued grow from January through March, many experts believe it was running on fumes and may well be shrinking this quarter.
Fifty-six percent of voters said the economy should be the top priority for the presidential candidates to address. Thirty-four percent said the war in Iraq should be the top priority. Healthcare and illegal immigration were the only other issues to break double digits, with 11% apiece. (Respondents could choose two.)
More than three-quarters of voters said they believed the economy was in a recession, and about a quarter said they thought the downturn was be mild.
The same percentage said the recession was serious.
The gloom was evident in answers to one of the basic questions pollsters ask: whether the country is headed in the right direction or is on the wrong track.
Seventy-seven percent of voters, and 76% of adults overall, said the nation was "seriously off on the wrong track."
Liberals were most likely to say that -- 90% did -- but so did 62% of conservatives. Among independents, 82% said the country was off-course.
Half of Republicans said the country was going in the wrong direction.
