(CNN) – Sen. John McCain, the Republican Party’s presumptive presidential nominee, targeted Sen. Barack Obama again Monday over the Illinois senator’s approach to Iran and the Middle East.

But a new poll released by Gallup Monday suggests McCain may be out of step with the majority of Americans when it comes to U.S.-Iranian relations. Fifty-nine percent of Americans surveyed thought it was a good idea for the President of the United States to meet with the President of Iran. When Iran is taken out of the equation, an even higher percentage – 67 percent – responded that they thought it would be a good idea for the president to meet with leaders of countries considered enemies of the United States.

Of the three remaining major presidential candidates, only Sen. Barack Obama has said he would meet personally with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the leaders of other countries regarded as enemies of the United States by the Bush administration.

The Gallup survey was conducted May 19-21 and based on telephone interviews of 1,013 adults nationally. It has an overall margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.

A new poll shows Americans worried about the increasing price of gas.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) – Americans are already paying through the nose for gasoline, and they think it's only going to get worse.

A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll found that 94% of respondents expect they will have to pay $4 a gallon sometime this year - and 78% said they figure it will hit $5.

The national average for gasoline was $3.61 on Monday.

Consumers' fear they will have to pay more has intensified. A year ago, 79% thought gas would cost $4 gas by the end of 2007 and only 28% feared $5 gas.

At the same time, high prices seem to be easier to swallow now than it has been for most consumers in the past. Of the more than 1,000 American adults surveyed in the poll, conducted April 28-30, 60% said high fuel prices have caused hardship for them or their household. That's down from 72% in March and 66% during the same time last year.

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Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — A new poll suggests that the number of Americans who believe the country is ready for a black president is on the rise.

Seventy-six percent of those polled in a CNN/Essence Magazine/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Thursday say that the country is ready. That's up 14 points from December 2006, at the start of the presidential campaign.

"Some of the increase in the number of Americans who say the country is ready for a black president is a simple recognition of Barack Obama's success in the Democratic primaries," said Keating Holland, CNN's polling director.

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– CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Two weeks to go until the Iowa caucuses and it
appears to be a dead heat in the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination in the Hawkeye State, according to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll out Thursday morning.

Thirty percent of likely Iowa Democratic caucus-goers support Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York as the nominee, with Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois at 28 percent and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina at 26 percent.

With the poll's sampling error at plus or minus four percentage points, it's a virtual tie for the top spot in Iowa, the first state to vote in the race for the White House.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is at seven percent with the remaining Democratic candidates all in the lower single digits.

On the Republican side, 33 percent of likely GOP caucus-goers support former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as the nominee, with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in second place at 25 percent and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani at 11 percent.

Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee are tied at nine percent, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas at six percent, with the rest of the Republican field in the lower single digits.

There are only 14 days left until Iowans head out to caucus, but the survey suggests that many voters have yet to make up their minds.

One in three likely Democratic caucus goers say they're still trying to decide whom to
support.

That number's even higher among likely Republican caucus-goers, with 40 percent still undecided on their choice for the nominee.

CNN Polling Director Keating Holland warns that "all these figures should be treated with extra caution, because it is extraordinarily difficult for polls to accurately assess who will attend the caucuses, and Iowans are notorious for making their minds up late in the game."

The survey indicates that Iraq is still the top issue for Democrats, with one in three likely Democratic caucus-goers saying the war is the most important issue in their choice for president.

Health care follows at 27 percent with the economy one point back.

"Clinton is seen as the candidate who is best able to handle the economy, Iraq, and health care — the top three issues of concern to Democratic caucus-goers — with her biggest advantage on health care," says Holland.

The economy appears to be the most pressing issue for Republicans, with one in four likely Republican caucus-goers saying the economy is the most important issue in their choice for president.

That's followed by illegal immigration at 20 percent, abortion at 18 percent, terrorism at 17 percent and the Iraq war at 12 percent.

It appears Iowa Republicans think Romney would do the best job among the GOP White House hopefuls in handling the economy, with 34 percent of likely GOP caucus-goers choosing Romney, 11 points ahead of Huckabee.

"Although Huckabee is the favorite candidate of likely GOP caucus-goers, they admit that other candidates would do a better job on nearly every issue tested.

For some, such as terrorism, immigration and Iraq, he finishes in third place," says Holland.

"What's driving the Huckaboom? Abortion.

It's the only issue tested on which Huckabee ranks first, indicating that even though he is
not a single-issue candidate, he may have single-issue appeal."

It appears the Huckabee vote is the born-again vote, with the poll suggesting his support among Iowans who say they are born-again or evangelical Christians is nearly 30 points higher than among non-evangelicals.

Huckabee served as a Baptist pastor before entering politics. Romney has a 10 point edge among non-evangelical voters.

"There is also a surprising gender gap among likely GOP caucus-goers," says Holland.

The poll indicates women prefer Huckabee over Romney by a 40 percent to 18 percent margin.

Among men, it's Romney 30 percent and Huckabee 28 percent.

On the Democratic side, Clinton is the favorite of women, older voters, liberals and those making less than $50,000 a year.

Obama has an edge among moderates and younger voters; Edwards does best in union households and among married voters.

Huckabee leads in a new poll out of South Carolina.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee surged to the top among Republican presidential candidates in South Carolina, while Sen. Hillary Clinton's lead over Sen. Barack Obama among Democrats narrowed since July in that state, according to a new poll.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll of South Carolinians was released Friday Huckabee was the choice of 24 percent of South Carolina Republicans in the survey conducted by telephone between Dec. 9 and 12. When the same poll was conducted in July, Huckabee was in the lower tier with just 3 percent of support from registered GOP voters.

Former Sen. Fred Thompson was second with 17 percent, slightly down from his previous 18 percent.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who led in July with 30 percent, dropped to a tie for third with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, both at 16 percent. Romney's showing was a major improvement of his 6 percent standing in the previous survey.

The poll showed Sen. John McCain falling from 21 percent in July — the second highest — to a fifth place 13 percent now. Rep. Ron Paul's 11 percent for seventh was a major boost from the two percent registered by the July survey.

The sampling error for the poll of Republican primary voters is 4 percent.

The survey suggested that one of Huckabee's main strengths was his personality.

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Is the American public suffering from "Iraq syndrome?"

(CNN) — A new poll about Iran and Iraq was released by CNN and the Opinion Research Corporation Friday.  Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider takes a look at how the public's feelings about Iraq may be influencing public sentiment toward Iran.   

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