AMERICANS LUKEWARM ON OBAMA TERROR STRATEGY – Fox News has done a detailed poll on American views on terror and Barack Obama's presumed strategy for countering it.  Obama doesn't come out well.  From Fox: 

There’s widespread belief among American voters that an attack on U.S. soil by Islamic terrorists will happen in the near future. And at the same time, nearly half say President Obama underemphasizes the threat from Islamic terrorists.

The details:

An overwhelming 84-percent majority thinks it is at least somewhat likely Islamic terrorists will try to launch an attack on U.S. soil soon. That includes half -- 50 percent -- who say “very” likely.

Voters ages 45 and over are far more inclined (59 percent) than younger voters (39 percent) to think an attack is “very” likely to happen.

In addition, 56 percent think the United States is at war with radical Islam. Over a third says we aren’t (37 percent). A substantial majority of Republicans says the U.S. is at war with radical Islam (68-29 percent). Democrats tend not to believe that: 43 percent say yes, the country is at war with radical Islam, while 47 percent say it isn’t.

How does Obama treat the threat? Nearly half -- 47 percent -- say he underemphasizes the threat. That’s about eight times as many as say he overemphasizes it (six percent). Another 43 percent say his approach is “about right.”

Meanwhile, just 15 percent of voters think the country is safer since Obama became president. More than twice that number -- 34 percent -- feels we’re less safe. Half think it hasn’t changed under Obama (50 percent).

Voters who say the U.S. is at war with radical Islam are 15 points more likely to say the country is less safe than those who say we’re not at war with radical Islam.

Obama continues to move forward with plans to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center, but a 58-percent majority says that’s the wrong thing to do. About a third agrees with his decision to do so (32 percent). Most Republicans (81 percent) and over half of independents (55 percent) say it’s wrong to close Gitmo. Among Democrats, 49 percent say it’s the right thing to do, while 38 percent disagree.

COMMENT:  Actually, I think Obama comes out better than expected in the poll.  I would have thought that more than 47% would think the president underestimates the threat.  But, still, 47% is a large number.

There seems to be minimal confidence in this president.  One wonders if Hillary will separate herself from Obama's foreign policy, a foreign policy she carried out.  She will have to do quite a dance.

January 29, 2015