Passing The Passport Test

As Obama hopes to gain some foreign policy cred w/ his world tour next week, a recent column penned by Pollster.com's Blumenthal puts Obama's struggle into historical perspective.

--During the '00 campaign, polls showed Bush, a two-term Gov. w/ no foreign policy experience, consistently ahead of the sitting VP on the question of who'd make a stronger commander-in-chief.

--In '80, Reagan, like Obama, was struggling to pass the foreign policy test. But Carter's own troubles meant that he wasn't able to take advantage of voters' concerns about Reagan's inexperience.

-- What does this mean for Obama? First, it suggests that while candidate characteristics are important, deep seeded perceptions about the party also play a role. Even if Obama is able to convince Americans that he's up to the job of commander-in-chief, it doesn't mean he's convinced them that the Dem party is.

--Meanwhile, GOPers are hoping to keep Obama off balance w/ attacks on the "campaign rally"-like atmosphere of his trip. Does the media throng and potential theatrics threaten to undermine Obama's ability to project a certain degree of gravitas? Or will a big European turn-out for Obama be reassuring to the majority of voters who say they want the U.S. to retain its lost luster abroad?