McCain’s Commander in Chief advantage

Barack Obama holds most of the aces in this presidential campaign. His supporters are more enthusiastic than McCain’s, he is out fund raising his opponent and he can control the news agenda almost at will. But McCain still has one significant advantage that is keeping him in with a chance: Americans are far more comfortable with him as Commander in Chief than Obama.

The numbers from the latest ABC / Washington Post poll illustrate just how sizable McCain’s advantage is on this front:

Would McCain be a good Commander in Chief? Yes: 72%

Would Obama? Yes: 48% To be sure, Obama has a chance to close this gap during the campaign. Being seen in a variety of Commander in Chief settings is going to make him look like a more plausible president. Also, the current financial crisis suggests that the economy not national security might dominate the campaign in the final weeks and most of this cycle’s key swing sates are beset by economic problem.