U.S. voters concerned about economy more than ever

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- U.S. voters are concerned about economy more than ever in the wake of the financial turmoil on the Wall Street, according to a new survey released Friday.

In the latest CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll, nearly six in ten registered voters now say the economy is more important than any other issue, a number that is almost a double digit jump from a similar poll taken in July.

And it's nearly double the 35 percent of voters who thought the economy was the No. 1 issue in January.

Analysts said it could be a bad sign for Republican presidential nominee John McCain, because his Democratic opponent Barack Obama has a consistent advantage on economic issues.

Meanwhile, Iraq, the issue McCain is strongest on Iraq, has steadily declined in importance among voters.

In the latest CNN poll only 10 percent of registered voters say it is most important, down from 25 percent who felt it was most important in July.

The poll was conducted among 909 registered voters between Sept. 19 and 21, right after the crisis on Wall Street unfolded.