Despite indications that Sen. Barack Obama is losing ground to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, he still holds the advantage in key areas, according to a New York Times/CBS News Poll.

Some 46 percent of Democrats still prefer Mr. Obama as the candidate while 38 percent choose Mrs. Clinton. Sen. Obama also holds an advantage in ratings on honesty, integrity and in being less committed to special interests.

Which candidate is better qualified to deal with the economy? More than four in 10 voters mentioned the economy as the one issue they want the candidates to target.

No matter who wins the Democratic nomination, the November general election could be close. In an Obama-McCain race, both candidates are backed by 45 percent of registered voters. In a Clinton-McCain pairing, Sen. Clinton has 48 percent backing to 43 percent for Sen. McCain.