US presidential race deadlocked -- china.org.cn

And on economy, the dominant issue of the race, McCain has whittled Obama's advantage to five points, the smallest it has been all year.

With partisan lock-in more complete, the race for independents will invariably heat up. In the new poll, independents now break narrowly for McCain – 50 percent to 43 percent. It is a small advantage, but the Republican's first of the campaign.

The poll was conducted by telephone September 5-7 among a random national sample of 1,133 adults, including interviews with 961 registered voters.

Balloons and confetti fall at the 39th Republican National Convention in St. Paul of Minnesota in the United States on September 4, 2008. United States Senator John McCain on Thursday formally accepted the Republican Party's nomination as its presidential candidate in a prime-time speech. [Zhang Yan/Xinhua]

Alaska governor Sarah Palin will accept the Republican vice presidential nomination Wednesday night in St. Paul, Minn., at the third night of the Republican National Convention.

US Republican vice-presidential candidate Alaska Governor Sarah Palin campaigns in Washington, Pennsylvania August 30, 2008. [Xinhua/Reuters Photo]

(Xinhua News Agency September 10, 2008)

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