---
title: "Risky Business"
description: "Registered voters apply the term \"risky\" as often to McCain as they do to Obama."
date: "2008-10-24"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2008/10/24/risky-business/"
---

# Risky Business

While John McCain is clearly seen as a well-qualified candidate for president by registered voters (72% say McCain is well-qualified while 53% say Barack Obama is), the term “risky” is applied as often to him as it is to Obama (49% of voters apply the term to each candidates). About the same number of independents describe McCain and Obama as risky (53% and 51%, respectively.) In September, 55% of independents described Obama as risky while just 44% said this about McCain. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/pubs/1000/obama-lead-widens)