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 (see video report). This ability of McCain to outperform the party label helps explain why he is competitive with the Democrats in national polling.

The Economy

Forty-eight percent (48%) trust Democrats more than Republicans when it comes to the economy while 40% trust the GOP more. Those numbers are reversed when real names are inserted instead of party labels. Given a choice between McCain and Clinton, 47% trust McCain more while 42% prefer the former First Lady. Given a choice between McCain and Obama on the economy, 46% trust the GOP nominee while 39% opt for the Democratic frontrunner. The economy is the top issue of Election 2008 and is considered Very Important by 79% of voters.

War in Iraq

Tracking polls have shown that roughly 6-out-of-ten Americans want troops home from Iraq within a year. However, only about one-in-four want the troops brought home immediately. The gap between those numbers is filled by Americans who both parties have a chance to persuade during Election 2008. Overall, when it comes to Iraq, Democrats are currently trusted more by 45% of voters and the GOP is trusted more by 43%. However, when it comes to the War in Iraq, McCain is trusted by more than either Democrat. Fifty percent (50%) trust McCain over Clinton while 40% hold the opposite view. Forty-eight percent (48%) trust McCain over Obama while 39% prefer Obama.

National Security

The broader topic of National Security is one of the few issues where Republicans have a generic advantage over Democrats. However, following seven years of the Bush Administration, the GOP advantage on this issue has declined. Currently, 47% of voters trust Republicans more on this issue while 42% trust the Democrats more. However, once again, McCain outperforms the party label and dominates against either Democrat. When it comes to national security, McCain is trusted more than Clinton by a 54% to 34% margin. With Obama, McCain’s advantage is 52% to 31%.

Government Ethics and Corruption

This is the issue that breaks the pattern. Democrats are trusted more than Republicans by a 38% to 32% margin. Most unaffiliated voters don’t trust either party on the topic. Here, Obama outperforms the Democratic Party label and is trusted more than McCain by a 44% to 33% margin. However, McCain is trusted more than Clinton, 47% to 34%.

Taxes

On taxes, Republicans are preferred over Democrats, 46% to 42%. McCain is trusted over Clinton 45% to 36% and by a 41% to 38% margin over Obama.

On average, McCain outperforms the generic Republican label by seven points when matched against Obama and by thirteen points against Clinton. The gap between Obama and Clinton is caused almost entirely by the difference on the issue of Government Ethics and Corruption.

See survey questions and toplines for McCain & Obama on Issues and McCain & Clinton on Issues. Crosstabs for McCain & Obama on Issues and McCain & Clinton on Issues available for Premium Members only.