Race continues to dominate the US election campaign this week, with a new poll suggesting Americans are sharply divided on the issue.

The racial divide – Americans are sharply divided by race heading into the first election in which an African-American will be a major-party presidential nominee, with blacks and whites holding vastly different views of Senator Barack Obama, the state of race relations and how black Americans are treated by society, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

Changing of the (black) guard – With race issues at the forefront of the campaign this week, The New Republic takes a look at a Washington Post article entitled A Challenge from the Obama generation on ” African-American politicians who endorsed Hillary Clinton instead of Obama and are now facing primary challenges from younger black pols as a result.” TNR rounds up some interesting quotes and information about some of these younger candidates including Kevin Powell, who says “I certainly acknowledge and appreciate what the Civil Righters have done, but we younger African Americans are saying now, loudly, the jig is up and it is time for you to go, especially if you have not created hope and plans of action for our communities.” — The New Republic

THAT New Yorker cover (still) – Both the Obama and McCain campaigns decried the New Yorker’s Obama-Osama cover as “tasteless and offensive” but that was hardly the end of the discussion. The LA Times asks “If Obama’s campaign is upset by a magazine satire, what will it do when the real attacks begin?” — LA Times

Addressing Afghanistan – The presidential candidates are clear on one issue, delivering this message simultaneously yesterday: Iraq’s too hard, let’s fix Afghanistan. With the war in Afghanistan worsening by almost every measure, the often-overlooked conflict has jumped to the center of the presidential campaign with both John McCain and Barack Obama promising to send more US troops. Obviously Iraq’s been dumped in the too hard box. — McClatchy

John McCain: The return of the reformer – The technophobe would-be president John McCain who admitted he’s not too big on economics has returned to his pet issue of campaign finance reforms. So what if political campaigns involve both the internet and money? Maybe McCain should have a chat with Obama about the website which funded that dime and cents campaign of his. — Politico

Bush on the Economy – With the stock market sliding down around the 11,000 marker, with unemployment up (and gas prices, and food prices, and home foreclosures), George W. Bush has acknowledged, in his usual perfunctory manner, that “these are tough economic times for the American citizens.” — Progressive

McCain on gay adoption – Forgot what I said the other day… Just days after McCain told the New York Times, “I don’t believe in gay adoption,” his campaign has reversed direction on the issue. Clearly he’s lost the black vote, let’s hit up the homosexuals! — NYT

Wonkette’s take on it was: John McCain Says Maybe Gay Adoption Preferable To Child Abandonment, while MyDD couldn’t keep up with the policy flip-flopping and ran with the negative statement instead: John McCain Opposes Happy Homes For Thousands Of Parentless Children.