Gee, the snooze alarm just went off!

[Fatman]

New poll spells potential trouble for Democrats
Mon Mar 8, 5:23 pm ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A new poll on Monday found signs of trouble ahead for President Barack Obama and his Democrats on national security issues such as the handling of terrorism suspects.

The poll was conducted jointly by Democratic Corps, a Democratic organization, and Third Way, a progressive non-profit organization. It was done mainly to gauge voters' views on Democrats' handling of national security.

The poll also found weaknesses for the Democrats on other issues ahead of November elections, in which they hope to defend their strong majorities in Congress.

The poll found 60 percent of Americans believe the United States is on the wrong track. It also found that people rated Democrats at about the same level as Republicans, in what amounted to an erosion of the advantage Democrats have held.

"We would not want the election to be held today, with this poll," said Democracy Corps' chief pollster Stan Greenberg. "If the election were held today, this would be a 'change' election."

Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, interviewed by Newsweek, shrugged off a question about whether she was worrying about the November elections, saying they are a long way off.

"We can't afford to focus on the day-to-day polls," she said. "If you think that we should second-guess (Obama's) decision to do fundamentally big things, there are plenty of other people who would have been that kind of president. That's not the kind of president he wants to be."

Obama received strong ratings in the poll on his handling of national security challenges such as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

But, the pollsters said in a memo, "Historical doubts about the Democratic Party on national security show signs of reviving and many voters worry the president and his administration are not dealing forcefully enough with terrorist suspects."

The poll found that the Democrats' gap on national security has widened in the areas of "keeping America safe," "ensuring a strong military" and "making America safer from nuclear threats."

Singled out by the pollsters was the Obama administration's response to the attempted bombing of a Detroit-bound plane on Christmas Day.

The Obama administration has drawn fire from Republicans for treating the bombing suspect, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, as a typical criminal suspect instead of as an enemy combatant. The administration has fought back by insisting he has been handled no differently than alleged shoe bomber Richard Reid.

The poll found a 51 to 44 percent majority of likely voters disapproved of Obama's efforts "on the prosecution and interrogation of terrorism suspects."

The pollsters said to improve Democrats' standing on national security, they need to develop a stronger narrative on terrorism, and stress toughness and results by pointing out the increased use of Predator drones against Islamic militants and that FBI interrogation techniques that persuaded Abdulmutallab to produce "actionable intelligence."

(Reporting by Steve Holland; editing by Chris Wilson)

[tombogan03884]

  DUH, You think ?

[fightingquaker13]

Say what you will about Obama but Lincoln,Washington and Jefferson would not have wante to inheirt this mess. Years of lax rgulation (and here I'm talking simple disclosure to investors as to what they were actully buying type regulation).Two wars, one a war of choice (Iraq), which seems to be a coming to an acceptable, though by no means ideal conclusion. Then there is Afghanistan, where I do blame Bush. A smart man would have said "I want Bin Laden handed over or his supporters dead". Instead, W gave us this ideal of a democratic, gender neutral Afghanistan. Ain't going to happen. Every time the forces of enlightenment have gone up against these bastards, from Alexander to the Sovs, they've lost. Why are we special? I just picked up a copy ($7.50) of the "Compelete Works of  Sherlock Holmes vol I" at Barnes and Nobel. The very first story "A Study in Scarlet" describes Dr. Watson getting his ass kicked in Candahar(sic intentional). What do we have that the Greeks, the Brits, the Sovs didn't have? Tellinglly, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's piece (written in 1892) described Peshawar as not much diferent than Candahar. The British mandate seemed to end at the maximum range of a British rifle. Sound famliar? They named those mountains the Hindu Kush (death of the Hindu) for a reason. We're special why?   It ain't BO, its an FP based on idealism as opposed to realism. I've said it before and I'll say it again, W. and Carter were seperated at birth. Ignoring reailty in the name of ideology never ends well. BO? He doesn't have a clue. In fairness, what (nuke 'em all posturing aside)what is "victory' in Afghanistan?
FQ13

[crusader rabbit]

One can make any excuse one may desire regarding where America is under this administration, yet the facts remain unarguable.  The dummycraps are uninspired, undirected, unaware of what America wants and needs--and thankfully, apparently about to be sent home.  We continue to have a health care bill shoved down our throats despite a very large majority of Americans who want to simply start over with true healthcare reform.  We have a president who has no apparent understanding of debt and is increasing it beyond any hope of repaying that debt despite a vast majority of Americans who do not want to see the country owned by China.  We have a president who has no understanding of the private sector and jobs creation yet who wants to throw billions at non-job creating (or very temporary job creating) government projects that will not/can not grow the economy.  We have a president who does not begin to understand that government can not increase wealth because government makes nothing but rules.  We have a president who seems determined to redistribute wealth from those who have actually worked for it to those who have not.  And amazingly, we have a president who seems determined to reduce Amderican Exceptionalism to American Mediocrity.  Fortunately, it now appears that the hopium smokers have begun to awaken from their daze and realize the party-boy they elected has sold them a box of sh!t while telling them it was chocolate.  We can only pray that it is not too late.

"TT and Tom in 2012" is looking better to me every day.


Submitted for your consideration by Crusader Rabbit

[tombogan03884]

Up to a point I agree with FQ on Afghanistan, but, unlike him I do not blame Bush.
I blame a PC Government that since carter has not been able to face the harsh realities of the world outside the beltway.

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