Earlier today I said I wanted to see some confirming numbers on McCain looking quite strong in a head-to-head matchup with either Obama or Hillary.

Well, today Rasmussen brings a whole slew of cheery numbers for Team McCain:

  • McCain now leads Obama 46% to 43% and Clinton 48% to 43%.
  • Obama is viewed favorably by 51% and unfavorably by 46%. McCain’s numbers are 55% favorable, 42% unfavorable. Clinton earns positive reviews from 47% of Likely Voters nationwide and negative assessments from 52%.
  • McCain is trusted more by 55% of voters when it comes to National Security issues. Obama is trusted more by just 30% on this point. Just half (51%) of Democrats express more trust in Obama than McCain on national security. Unaffiliated voters prefer McCain by a two-to-one margin.
  • On Iraq, McCain has a much smaller advantage—49% trust McCain while 39% prefer Obama.
  • When it comes to the economy, 45% prefer McCain while 39% trust Obama more.

I realize Rasmussen has been in the ballpark for most primaries right this year, and some wrong; they had Obama winning New Hampshire by 7, a result not out of line with most other pollsters. Some people are wary of Rasmussen’s automated-voice style polling. But I would note that if there is a “Bradley effect” or a “Wilder effect” this year — voters who don’t want to vote for an African-American but who won’t admit it to a pollster – I think Rasmussen’s robo-callers might be more accurate than a live human being.