Obama Safe on National Security

One political fact stands out from all the others as the nation marked the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11. President Obama has achieved something that many of his critics didn't believe possible: He has made the fight against terrorism a signature issue that is a positive factor in his bid for re-election.

Republicans have used the weak-on-national-security argument against Democrats for many years, but Obama turned this claim on its ear when he ordered the mission that ended in the killing of terrorist leader Osama bin laden. It was a goal that his predecessor, George W. Bush, had sought to achieve for seven years but could not accomplish. Obama did it in less than three years.

[Vote now: Will Obama be a one-term president?]

This has, in effect, immunized Obama from the weak-on-defense argument with many voters, according to pollsters and strategists of both major parties.The latest Washington Post/ABC News Poll, published last week, found that 62 percent of Americans approve of the job Obama has done in fighting terrorism. Among those approving are nearly 60 percent of independent voters and 40 percent of Republicans.

And Republican presidential candidates are giving him credit on at least this issue. Texas Gov. Rick Perry said in last week's GOP debate that Obama was right when he "maintained the chase" to capture or kill bin Laden. "I tip my hat to him," Perry said.

[See photos of the GOP hopefuls on the campaign trail.]

Yet Obama still has a big political problem. That same poll found that Obama's overall approval rating is 43 percent, a new low, with only one-third of voters approving of his handling of the economy, which is the top issue.

The unavoidable conclusion is that, unfortunately for President Obama, at the moment when he is doing well on national security issues, they have faded in importance with the country.

• Check out a roundup of editorial cartoons on the economy.
  
• Read Rick Newman: 7 Ways Obama Can Gain Credibility on Jobs
• See a slide show of 6 vulnerable potential terrorist targets.

Reader Comments Read all comments (1)

Add Your Thoughts

Comment Name State Select One AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY International Email

Please enter the two words below into the text field underneath the image.

Incorrect please try again

Enter the words above: Enter the numbers you hear:

Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.