Let's review eight data points from Fox's newly-released national survey, which is hardly an outlier in the national polling picture. The picture isn't pretty for the White House:
(1) The president's job approval rating is at an all-time low in the series (38/56). He's at (-37) among independents, (-16) with women, and (-12) with young voters.
(2) Obama is deep underwater on every single major issue tested: The economy (-18), healthcare (-16), immigration (-32), foreign policy (-25), Syria (-34), Ukraine (-19), terrorism (-18), and Iraq (-25).
(3) Fifty-nine percent of Americans say the US has become less respected in the world during Obama's presidency, compared to just 10 percent who say "more respected." More than one-third of Democrats agree that America's standing has slid under Obama. Fifty-seven percent of respondents call the president's leadership "weak and indecisive."
(4) A whopping 76 percent say the US should do more to combat ISIS, but a majority (54 percent) say Obama isn't prepared to do what it takes. The survey was taken before Obama's prime time address last night. Fifty-one percent said defeating ISIS will require ground troops, an assessment shared by top military officials, but rejected by the White House. Nearly two-thirds of Americans say the beheaders of two American journalists should be dealt with by the US military, as opposed to the criminal justice system (14 percent). Fully 77 percent believe it's at least somewhat likely that ISIS will attempt an attack on US soil in the future.
(5) For the first time in this series, more voters feel less safe than they did before 9/11.
Presidential approval ratings are a significant factor in midterm election cycles -- which we discussed in yesterday's 2014 polling deep dive.
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