What just might be the most important question from the new NBC News / Wall Street Journal survey has largely been overlooked.
Who responded to the economic crisis more effectively? Per First Read:
Voters, the survey finds, believe Obama responded to the crisis more effectively than McCain did. Thirty-four percent say they felt more reassured by Obama's approach, versus 29 percent who said they felt less reassured.That's compared with just 25 percent who were reassured by McCain's response, versus 38 percent who were less reassured.
In other words, McCain's response earned him a net negative rating; Obama's response earned him a net positive rating. Hard evidence that Obama did himself well by staying calm and McCain hurt himself by suspending the campaign, dramatically returning to Washington, and having little to show for it.
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