A newly-released Gallup poll asks 1,011 adults nationwide how much confidence they have in specific presidential candidates on specific issues. The numbers show that Rudy Giuliani and John McCain — yes, McCain — remain strong on national security issues (although Giuliani is the only candidate to rate highly on both national security and the economy). But Democrats, while still behind on the terrorism issue, are viewed with nearly as much confidence when it comes to handling the war in Iraq. Specifically, on the question of “how much confidence you have in each of the following to do or to recommend the right thing for the war in Iraq,” 55 percent say they have a great deal or a fair amount of confidence in McCain and Giuliani, but nearly as many say that of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards. The rest of the numbers:

McCain 55
Giuliani 55
Obama 54
Clinton 51
Edwards 50
Thompson 39
Romney 37

Giuliani and McCain came out stronger when voters were asked their confidence in candidates to handle the general issue of terrorism:

Giuliani 69
McCain 66
Clinton 55
Obama 53
Edwards 48
Thompson 42
Romney 38

When it comes to confidence in handling the economy:

Obama 62
Clinton 61
Giuliani 60
McCain 53
Edwards 51
Romney 40
Thompson 39

And finally, the killer issue for Democrats, health care:

Clinton 65
Obama 61
Edwards 54
Giuliani 52
McCain 45
Romney 36
Thompson 35

As far as the Republican race is concerned, several things come out in the numbers. One, McCain remains a strong presence despite being given up for dead by Washington insiders. Two, voters seem to view Giuliani as the most competent overall GOP candidate. Three, Romney, for all his strength in Iowa and New Hampshire, has not broken through nationally. And four, Thompson has done about as well as Romney without campaigning, but it’s not clear whether beginning an active campaign will move him up or down.