Poll: Democrats divided by race

PRINCETON, N.J., March 18 (UPI) -- Race is the issue dividing U.S. Democratic voters more than any other in the battle for the party's presidential nomination, a national poll indicates.

A Gallup poll found 80 percent of black Democrats support Barack Obama, while just 15 percent support rival Hillary Clinton.

Non-Hispanic whites, meanwhile, back Clinton by 53 percent and 38 percent for Obama. White Hispanics support Clinton 59 percent, compared to 37 percent for Obama, Gallup found.

The poll found blacks overwhelmingly support either Democratic candidate over John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee.

The poll is based on an aggregate of 6,721 interviews Gallup conducted March 1-16. The margin of error is plus or minus 2 percentage points.