Obama vs. McCain: sharp differences on key issues

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A general-election race for the White House between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain would feature vastly different approaches on the thorniest political issues, from Iraq and diplomacy to taxes and health care.

Their recent sparring over Obama's willingness to speak to hostile foreign leaders was a warm-up for what could be a rancorous five-month run-up to November's election.

"It will be as clear a choice as there has been in a generation," said Doug Schoen, a Democratic consultant and former adviser to President Bill Clinton. "You've got two very different views of the world presented in stark relief."

Obama has almost clinched the Democratic presidential nomination over rival Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York and McCain has wrapped up the Republican nod. Both have focused on each other in recent weeks.

The contrasts between McCain, 71, a white former Navy pilot and Vietnam prisoner of war, and Obama, 46, a black Harvard Law School graduate and former community organizer, go far beyond the personal.

Their ideological gulf is most evident on two issues usually ranked in opinion polls as the top concerns of American voters -- the Iraq war and the faltering economy.

"On the two big-ticket issues, they couldn't be farther apart," said Dan Schnur, a California-based Republican consultant and a McCain aide during his 2000 presidential bid.

McCain was a prominent and ardent supporter of the decision to invade Iraq and vows to keep U.S. troops there until the war is won. He recently said 2013 was a reasonable date for achieving that goal and ending U.S. involvement.