WHAT WAS THE ELECTION ABOUT? – AT 9:53 A.M. ET:   We're chronically told by those who "know" that the election was about the economy.  That it's always about the economy.  But having watched public reaction to events over the last year, some of us actually believe that the American people had other serious concerns as well.  Namely, foreign policy and the growing weakness of this country.  The Weekly Standard agrees, in a piece called "A Foreign Policy Election": 

Exit polls from last week’s midterm elections challenged the conventional “it’s the economy, stupid” wisdom, as the number of voters who said the economy was the most important issue fell to just four in ten. The dark horse issue of the 2014 election was foreign policy.

Our experience campaigning on the ground in a battleground state reflected this reality. We were in Arkansas last week helping with get-out-the-vote efforts for Republican candidates. Foreign policy doesn’t usually make its way into campaign speeches, but this year’s midterm election cycle was different. At a rally the day before the election, Senate candidate Tom Cotton discussed international threats—ISIS and Iran—and the need for a strong national defense to combat these threats. And on election night, Congressman-elect French Hill talked about the need for American leadership in the world during his acceptance speech.

Candidates were talking about foreign policy issues because 2014 saw crises emerge in nearly every region of the world – and in poll after poll we saw the issues skyrocket to the top of voters’ priority lists in the weeks leading up to the elections. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll from October ranked national security as the third most important issue to voters. Exit polls last week showed foreign policy was on voters’ minds on Election Day too, staying at third on their priority lists, behind only the economy and health care and tied with immigration. Nearly 3 in 4 Americans said they were worried about a terrorist attack on U.S. soil – the highest number since the post-9/11 elections.

Republicans in Arkansas and around the country benefitted from the increased emphasis on national security issues this election cycle. Exit poll data indicated that a majority of voters who said foreign policy was the most important issue voted for Republican candidates. Now that Republicans will have majorities on both sides of Capitol Hill in January, the question remains what if anything they will do to steer the direction of foreign policy.

COMMENT:  Read the whole piece.  It's worth it.  Foreign policy (or national security) is what I call a "foundation issue."  It's basic, but people often don't bring it up without being asked.  It's something citizens assume is being taken care of, like policing or criminal justice.  But when the electorate gets the sense that something is wrong – and they've gotten that sense with Obama – they do react at the polls.

Some years ago I interviewed the late Charles Kuralt of CBS News.  Many of you will recall that he did the "On the Road" series, traveling around the country speaking to ordinary Americans.  I asked him, "What is the most important thing you learned in all your years driving around this country?"  Without hesitation, he replied, "I am always amazed at how well informed Americans are."   Now, the intellectual classes would sneer at that, but it's true.  Americans, despite all the exceptions, are generally well informed, at least on the basics of issues.  And they are serious.  (Proof:  Notice, during election campaigns, how tracking polls change as soon as something important happens.  Americans are listening.)

Foreign policy is always an issue, even in background.  When the editor, Tina Brown, was recently asked why many women seem to be turning away from Obama, she replied that Obama doesn't make women feel safe.  That is a foreign-policy judgment.

And yes, I think those judgments will seriously count in 2016.  And the Democratic candidate, assuming it's Hillary, will have to defend the failed foreign policy that she administered.

November 17, 2014