People are divided over whether they like the wife of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, with 30 per cent seeing her favourably and 35 per cent unfavourably, according to an Associated Press-Yahoo News poll released on Wednesday.

They tilt positively toward the spouse of Republican hopeful John McCain, by 27 per cent to 17 per cent.

In other words: While the two women are about equally liked, Michelle Obama is twice as disliked as Cindy McCain. "Cindy seems like she's laid back and not trying to run her husband," said Linda Kaiser, 60, a Republican and church secretary from Clairton, Pennsylvania. "It's nice to have a brain, but they should let their husband be president."

Whites have an unfavourable view of Michelle Obama by 18 percentage points, while eight in 10 blacks like her. That is reminiscent of how Barack Obama fared in the Democratic primaries against Hillary Rodham Clinton.

In the AP-Yahoo News poll, whites saw Cindy McCain positively by 17 points, while one in eight blacks like her. Michelle Obama does better with unmarried people and college graduates but is viewed poorly by people age 65 and up. Cindy McCain is seen more favourably by older people, those who are married and the more affluent, but she is less well-received by singles.