Clearly, President Obama has convinced himself that the United States is holding its own against the terrorist army ISIS.
“No, I don’t think we’re losing,” he recently told The Atlantic in an exclusive interview.
Public opinion, however, is not on his side.
A new Rasmussen survey demonstrates that a plurality of respondents believe ISIS has the upper hand in the present conflict, while at the same time very few Americans think we’re actually close to defeating them.
“The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 43% of Likely U.S. Voters now believe ISIS is winning, up five points from 38% two months ago," the pollsters write. “Just 18% now think the United States and its allies are winning, compared to 25% who felt that way in mid-March. Twenty-nine percent (29%) still think neither side has the advantage.”
Not only has a major Iraqi city fallen in recent days, but the extremist group has also taken control of the Iraq-Syria border. This will give them increased and renewed influence in the region as they continue their death march across the Middle East. National security experts, meanwhile, strongly believe that the war will almost certainly be lost without a change in strategy—and soon.
Judging, however, by the president’s rosy reassurances—and the statements of his press secretary—that’s very unlikely to happen.