McCain's advantages

From Rasumussen Reports:

On as series of key Election 2008 issues, voters generally trust Democrats more than Republicans on most key electoral issues. At the same time, however, John McCain is trusted more than Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama on these issues. This ability of McCain to outperform the party label helps explain why he is competitive with the Democrats in national polling.

Trustworthiness is something that can't be created by a marketing campaign, ala the packaging of Barack Obama. It's a years-long process.

Here's something from USA Today:

(McCain) has stayed competitive by drawing support from unlikely quarters.

One in four voters who say the invasion of Iraq was a mistake back him, as do one in four who disapprove of Bush. In a worrisome sign for Democrats, one in five Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents say they'll switch to McCain if the Democrats don't nominate Obama; another one in five say they'll switch if the party doesn't nominate Clinton.

Tim Quinn, 61, of Brewster, N.Y., is an independent voter who calls the invasion of Iraq "a big mistake" and criticizes Bush's actions as president. Even so, he's supporting McCain.

"He has taken unpopular positions over the years, and even though I don't agree with a lot of them, I believe he's a man of character," says Quinn, an IT project manager who was among those surveyed. "He's a man of character while the other two will say whatever it takes to get votes."

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