Rasmussen: McCain more like to win in Iraq, but do voters care?

[Tex]

The Powerline guys drew some interesting conclusions from these Rasmussen results:

How likely is it that the U.S. would win the War in Iraq if _____ is elected president:
McCain: 49%
Obama: 20%

How likely is it that virtually all troops will be home in 4 years if _____ is elected president:
McCain: 43%
Obama: 59%

What do you care most about:
Getting troops home in 4 years: 52%
Winning the war: 39%

John Hinderaker thus concludes:

These data are mixed, to say the least, but they may suggest an opportunity for McCain. Most Americans have figured out that if they want to prevail in Iraq, McCain is their man. As voters learn more about Obama, that sentiment is likely to grow. Rasmussen's data suggest that if McCain can convince voters that success is not only possible but more nearly at hand than they think, the Iraq issue can be a winner for him. In fact, at the rate conditions are improving in Iraq, it is reasonable to expect that our troops will be more or less entirely out of combat roles, and most of them will come home, in far less than four years. If more voters get that message, it may become hard to explain why they should vote for the candidate whose election means failure.

Indeed. To capitalize on these emotions, McCain simply needs to convince the American people that they can have their cake and eat it too: win the war AND be home in 4 years.

Obama can't sell the former. He's not even trying.

http://www.powerlineblog.com/