---
title: "Obama Favored on Financial Crisis"
description: "A sizeable plurality (47%) says Obama is the candidate best able to deal with the problems in financial institutions and markets."
date: "2008-10-16"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2008/10/16/obama-favored-on-financial-crisis/"
---

# Obama Favored on Financial Crisis

With the public focused on the economy, voters believe Barack Obama is the candidate best able to address financial problems by a 47%-to-33% margin over John McCain. Among independent voters, Obama holds a smaller 40%-30% advantage on this question. Neither candidate is seen by a majority as having laid out a clear plan for dealing with the situation. But while voters are split on whether Obama has done so (48% to 47%), only 29% of voters say McCain has done an excellent or good job explaining how we would handle the financial situation compared with 67% who say he has done only a fair or poor job in this respect. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/pubs/992/public-worried-but-not-panicked-about-economy)