Are the terrorists winning? More Americans think so, according to survey
A new poll from CNN/ORC suggests Americans are generally dissatisfied with the way their government is taking on the threat of terrorism, and that more than any time in the recent past, believe that terrorists have the upper hand in the fight.
According to the survey, 40 percent said they believed the terrorists are winning in the war on terror, 40 percent said neither side is winning, and 18 percent said they believe the United States and its allies are winning. That question was asked of half the sampling population -- a little more than 500 people. The percentage of those who believe the terrorists are winning, while not a majority, is the highest since the question has been asked in polls starting in October of 2001.
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The poll was conducted after the terror attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif., in which the Islamic State terror organization has been implicated.
The news for the White House was poor, as 64 percent of those surveyed disapprove of the way President Obama is handling the U.S. response to attacks by ISIS. Nearly three out of four said they are “not too satisfied” or “not at all satisfied” with the “way things are going for the U.S. in the war on terrorism.”
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The poll showed an increase in the level of dissatisfaction with the way the U.S. government has handled terror attacks. In a similar poll conducted in August 2007 – nearly six years after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 -- 61 percent of those surveyed said they were dissatisfied with the government’s handling of the terror threat.
Some more numbers from the survey:
- 86 percent of Republicans are not happy with the Obama Administration's handling of the war on terror, with 79 percent of Independents agreeing. Surprisingly, for some, 59 percent of the Democrats surveyed said they don't' agree with the president's actions.
- 53 percent say the United States can absolutely repel terror attacks.
- Forty-five percent say they are very or somewhat worried that they or someone in their family will become a victim of terrorism.
- 40 percent believe the term "war" is the correct way to describe the U.S. government's actions against terror groups; 57 percent say the words "military conflict" are a more accurate definition.
- 50 percent answered "not much" or "none at all" when asked the level of confidence they have in the Obama administration to protect U.S. citizens from future acts of terrorism.
The poll was conducted Dec. 17-21. Pollsters interviewed 1,018 adults nationwide, with an overall margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Click here for the poll results.
