Forty-five percent (45%) of likely voters agree with Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama that it's a good idea for the U.S. president to meet directly with the leader of Iran, but well over half (59%) think that talks should only take place after Iran stops developing nuclear weapons. ( See video)

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 35% of Likely Voters oppose any such meetings with the Iranian President and 19% are undecided.

Twenty-four percent (24%) say a halt in Iran's nuclear program is not necessary for direct talks to occur; 17% are not sure.

When it comes to negotiating with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's outspoken and politically savvy president, the senator from Illinois and his expected Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, are rated as dead-even. Forty-two percent (42%) say Obama would better represent U.S. interests and 42% say the same of McCain.

Mr. Obama has called for direct talks with Iran without preconditions, prompting sharp criticism from the Bush administration and Mr. McCain. That criticism escalated at today's meeting of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telling the pro-Israel lobby group that such a meeting is out of the question as long as Iran continues its nuclear development program.

In recent weeks, the Obama campaign has modified its position slightly, saying that while it continues to reject the Bush administration's practice of not meeting certain nations without preconditions, talks on the presidential level are not guaranteed.

Voters believe that Iran is highly unlikely to stop its nuclear program, regardless of which candidate is elected president. If Mr. Obama is president, only 5% believe Iran is very likely to stop developing nuclear weapons, with 21% saying it s somewhat likely. By contrast, 33% say it is not very likely to happen, with 30% saying it is not likely at all.

Similarly, if Mr. McCain is elected, only 9% see it as very likely that Iran will halt its nuclear activity, with an additional 20% saying it is somewhat likely. Again, the doubters are in the majority, with 38% saying it is not very likely and 20% saying it is not likely to happen at all.

Liberal (70%) and Democratic (57%) likely voters favor direct meetings with the Iranian leadership far more than conservatives (25%) and Republicans (22%). Forty-nine percent (49%) of moderates agree.

The gap is narrower regarding whether Iran must stop nuclear weapons development before direct talks take place, with Republicans (77%) and conservatives (77%) saying yes, a view shared by 53% of Democrats and 37% of liberals. More than half of self-identified moderates (57%) agree. Forty-one percent (41%) of liberals believe that Iran does not need to halt its nuclear program as a prerequisite for direct talks.

Not surprisingly, liberals (77%) and Democrats (64%) have more confidence in Mr. Obama's ability to deal with the Iran problem while conservatives (72%) and Republicans (80%) favor Mr. McCain. Moderates give Mr. Obama the edge over his Republican rival 48% to 32%, with 21% undecided.

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