DEMOCRAT Barack Obama has soared 11 points ahead of Republican rival John McCain, taking a double-digit lead in a Newsweek poll amid deep concerns about the economy.

Senator Obama leads by 52 per cent to 41 per cent among registered voters, compared with a Newsweek survey carried out a month ago - before the economic crisis began to bite - in which the two candidates were tied at 46 per cent.

The magazine reported 86 per cent of the 1212 voters polled said they are dissatisfied with how things were going in the United States. The economy was the biggest concern with 48 per cent. When asked which candidate would better handle a number of issues, Senator Obama topped every category except national security and terrorism.

"For context on just how toxic these numbers could be for the Republican Party, consider that in October 2006, weeks before the Democrats swept control of both houses of Congress, only 61 per cent of voters expressed dissatisfaction," Newsweek wrote.