Obama Remains Buffeted by World Events

Elections are fast approaching and the President isn’t in a favorable position today, largely because of his perceived failures in foreign policy. The Wall Street Journal reports:

Foreign policy has catapulted to the center of the U.S. political stage just two months before the 2014 midterm elections, raising fresh questions of whether President Barack Obama’s perceived weakness on the issue will hurt his party’s electoral chances.

Mr. Obama’s approval rating has been at or near record low for months, a concern for many Democrats in the final weeks of the campaign season as presidents with low approval ratings typically see big losses for their parties in midterm elections.

The dynamic put added pressure on Mr. Obama’s Wednesday speech detailing his strategy for confronting Islamic State, the militant group also known as ISIS and ISIL. The prime-time speech was designed not just to explain Mr. Obama’s goals but also to reclaim the mantle of authority after months of being buffeted by world events.

The latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll shows that the drop in confidence in Mr. Obama’s oversight of foreign policy has reached into his core supporters. Even among women, a bastion of pro-Obama sentiment, approval of his handling of foreign policy has dropped to 33% from 43% a month ago.

“That’s going to be a drag on Democrats, there’s no way around that,” said William Galston, former aide to President Bill Clinton, who said the midterms are “bound to be something of a referendum on the president.”