Barack Obama is mourning the deaths of nine U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, even as he says John McCain’s numerous visits to the area don’t leave the Republican better equipped to deal with that volatile region.

Speaking with reporters in California, the Democratic presidential contender says the next president has to decide how to redeploy U.S. forces to fight terrorism. Obama thinks more troops should be sent to Afghanistan. McCain has chided him for supporting a troop pullout from Iraq.

Obama spoke with reporters Sunday after addressing a convention of Hispanics, a key electoral voting bloc.

He says that if the election is a longevity contest, McCain will win. But Obama thinks his opposition to the Iraq war has proven wiser in terms of foreign policy, cost and American lives lost.