The US financial crisis will help Barack Obama to win the race to the White House, his former rival Hillary Clinton said today.

Barack Obama, who hoped to woo moderate voters in traditionally Republican territory on his US Independence Day campaign tour, found himself instead defending against criticism that he was wavering on Iraq war policy to win votes.

Presidential hopeful Barak Obama has made up huge ground over rival Hillary Clinton, but nearly one in six voters still think he is a Muslim, a new poll showed today.