On the issues McCain should be the favorite

Donald Lambro:

If the presidential election hinged on who could best protect us from terrorism, veteran Sen. John McCain would probably defeat freshman Sen. Barack Obama.

The Arizona Republican beats the Illinois Democrat by 19 points (52 percent to 33 percent) when voters are asked who would do a better job on that issue, according to the latest USA Today/Gallup Poll.

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On the bedrock issue of terrorism, Americans trust the decorated war veteran, fighter pilot and national-security leader far more than they do the youthful, inexperienced former neighborhood organizer from Chicago.

But terrorism is not the leading issue in the country today. It ranks fifth among the eight election issues that are most important to the American people. Obviously, it would climb to the top of the list if we were attacked, but that isn't likely to happen while George W. Bush is in the White House. Whatever his deficiencies as president, he will leave office in January with the vast majority of Americans acknowledging that "he has kept us safe" since Sept. 11, 2001.

The other seven issues in order of their importance to Americans are energy, including gas prices; the economy; the situation in Iraq; health care; taxes; moral values; and illegal immigration. They are roughly even on Iraq (43 percent to 43 percent), moral values and illegal immigration, but Obama leads McCain on health care, taxes, energy and the economy.

Some of the results of this and other polls are notable for their inherent contradictions.

For example, Obama beats McCain on who can best handle the energy crisis by 19 points -- 47 percent to 28 percent. But in other polls, voters by lopsided margins support McCain's solutions more than Obama's.

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While the USA Today poll finds Americans favoring Obama on energy over McCain, a separate Gallup Poll shows they support drilling in U.S. coastal and wilderness areas by 57 percent to 41 percent -- places that Obama says would be off-limits under his policies.

This apparent confusion suggests that the electorate still does not know enough about the candidates and the details in their agendas.

Another inexplicable anomaly in the issues being polled: If Obama is perceived as far better than McCain on most of the top problems facing the country, why does Gallup's daily-tracking poll (June 23 to June 25) of registered voters show the contest is a tossup -- 44 percent to 44 percent?

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If McCain can overcome the disconnect between voter preferences and what they say on the issues he should win in a land slide. I still do not understand the anger toward Republicans that seems to drive this irrational conduct. I think it stems largely from the hostility of the media toward President Bush and Republicans about the war in Iraq, but events have proven them right on strategy and polling also shows that only 30 percent favor Obama's cut and run policy.

McCain's biggest challenge will be to get voters to act rationally in November.