McCain says he's the underdog

WASHINGTON, June 5 (UPI) -- John McCain, the presumptive GOP nominee, says he is the underdog in the race for U.S. president against presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama.

McCain made the remark Thursday in an interview with ABC News.

"Oh, yes, I think so," he said. "I think -- I'm surprised, frankly, to see the polls as close as they are, given our brand problems in the Republican Party. I'm pleased where we are."

However, McCain said Americans don't start to pay attention to the campaign until the nominating conventions. Democrats hold their convention in Denver in August and Republicans will convene in Minneapolis in September.

In the interview with ABC, McCain declined to say whether he thought Obama is qualified to be president.

"Look, the Democratic Party has just determined that Senator Obama is qualified," he said. "Now it'll be up to the American people, and I'm sure that they judge both of us as qualified. I think that it's going to be a question of who's more qualified or the most qualified."

McCain said he thinks the election will turn primarily on the issues of "reform, prosperity and peace."

Asked if he worried the election might turn on race and age, he said, "I hope neither."