Opinion: Gallup finds 80% see McCain as a commander in chief, 55% Obama

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Republican Sen. John McCain, a retired Naval aviator, Naval Academy graduate, war veteran and son and grandson of admirals, draws a very high level of confidence among American voters in his ability to serve as commander in chief -- fully 80% of those surveyed say McCain could handle the top job.

Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, who never has served in the military and is a graduate of Harvard Law, barely passes the 50% mark on this question -- with 55% of those surveyed telling the Gallup Poll they think Obama can handle the top job.

At a time when other polls are starting to portray growing advantages for Obama in his Nov. 4 contest with McCain for the White House, the Gallup Poll’s daily tracking survey has returned to a dead-even matchup between the two: Obama 45%, McCain 45%.

‘’McCain clearly enjoys a more broad-based positive reputation with Americans for military matters than does Obama,’ says Gallup’s Lydia Saad. ‘But it’s unclear how this will benefit him in the election,.’

Our pal Mark Silva has the background and more details in this Swamp item.

--Andrew Malcolm