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Poll Finds Public Not Sold On Obama

August 29, 2008

By Joe Murray

On the same night his party highlighted its plans to secure America's future, a new poll suggested Barack Obama voters are not sold on his capabilities to be commander in chief.

The poll conducted by CNN/Opinion Research suggests voters are not as confident in Mr. Obama on national security issues as they are in Mr. McCain.

While 58 percent responded they believed Mr. Obama was capable of assuming the responsibilities of commander in chief, 78 percent held the same view toward Mr. McCain.

Fifty-one percent of those polled viewed Mr. McCain as a stronger leader, as opposed to 41 percent for Mr. Obama. By a 52-percent to 43-percent margin, voters believed Mr. McCain would possess better judgment in an international crisis.

The McCain camp has repeatedly challenged Mr. Obama's foreign-policy credentials during the past month, first mocking his celebrity and then recently revamping Hillary Clinton's 3-a.m. ad.

Seeing blood in the water, Republicans continued driving home the point Mr. Obama is naïve when it comes to foreign policy, thus jeopardizing America's future.

Yesterday, the McCain camp unveiled its "Tiny," ad using Mrs. Clinton's criticisms of her one-time rival and blasting Mr. Obama's comments concerning Iran as naïve.

"Iran. Radical Islamic government. Known sponsors of terrorism," the announcer says. "Developing nuclear capabilities to 'generate power' but threatening to eliminate Israel."

In May, Mr. Obama, in defending his decision to unilaterally sit down with rogue leaders, described Venezuela, Cuba and Iran, as "tiny" nations that "don't pose a serious threat to us."

"Terrorism, destroying Israel, those aren't 'serious threats?'" the announcer asks. "Obama - dangerously unprepared to be president."

The Obama camp was quick to respond, claiming the McCain camp had taken the quote out of context.

In making the comment, Mr. Obama argued the U.S. had talked with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and nations like Iran do not pose a similar threat. Thus, in Mr. Obama's mind, "strong nations" should not be afraid to sit down with such leaders.

And while the poll found Mr. McCain's message was taking root, it also found that Americans are uneasy with the tone of his ads.

"The McCain ads may have come with a cost: Half the public thinks McCain has attacked his opponent unfairly, while only a third feel that way about Obama," CNN Polling Director Keating Holland told his network.

The foreign policy differences between the two major candidates are clear and defined, as Mr. McCain is increasingly hawkish in dealing with Russia's skirmish with Georgia - going as far as to call for an exclusion of Russia from the G-8 -while Mr. Obama struggled to define his Russian response.

Both men differed on the central foreign-policy issue of the election, Iraq. Mr. McCain supported the invasion, while Mr. Obama did not.

In terms of domestic issues such as gas prices and economic woes, Mr. Obama held the advantage, but Mr. McCain was closing the gap

Source:  The Bulletin

Posted by Against Obama · Filed Under Barack Obama, Polls, Todays News, john mccain 

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