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Poll: Only 29% Of Democrats Think We Are Safer
Only a small minority of Dems agree with Hillary's contention that we are safer today than we were before 9/11, if a new poll is to be believed.
The question of whether we're safer has emerged as a central sticking point in the Democratic Primary, with Barack Obama and John Edwards both taking on Hillary over the issue by arguing that we're not safer. The Clinton campaign has countered that we are indeed safer thanks to domestic security efforts, and her spokesperson, Howard Wolfson, has even argued that the "vast majority" of Democratic primary voters, and even of Americans in general, agree with Hillary.
Not so, according to this new Rasmussen poll. It finds that only 29% of Democrats, and only 48% of Americans overall, believe this.
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Of course people don't think we're safer.
Cause we're not.
More defense, please.
"Thank God George Bush is our president." -Rudy Giuliani
June 8, 2007 11:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
That's what happens when Hillary lets her highly paid beltway DLC advisers put words in her mouth.
Time to buck up, admit error, apologize, divest of the Lieberman crowd, and use backbone instead of a finger in the wind. But then, I'm not a highly paid political operative insider so what do I know?
June 8, 2007 11:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
but didn't Hillary adviser Wolfson explain the inexplicable by saying that the "vast" majority of voters feel safer after our leader Bush's Excellent Iraq Adeventure? Could Wolfson be wrong? Does Hillary ever apologize or correct? When you are that perfect, I guess not.
June 8, 2007 11:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
You know the more I think about it the less sense it makes, factually and politically. She is getting some bad advise. She needs to find a way to differentiate herself without embracing the White House Neo Con worldview.
June 8, 2007 11:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
Good ol' workin class Pennsylvania Hillary, out of touch with the people? Shucks.
let's hope she continues to get this great advice
June 8, 2007 11:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hillary needs to get out more.
You can almost see the bubble around her.
Ron Byers
June 8, 2007 12:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is a misleading question open to different interpretations.
If they asked me this questions I would say Yes and No. We are safer in terms of measures taken to improve homeland security like airport checks. We are less safe in terms of national security because Iraq war is creating more terrorists.
June 8, 2007 12:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well wasn't that the entire point of the Global War on Terror, fight them over there so we would not have to fight them over here? Yet we are creating more terrorists? Doesn't sound like we are any safer in America. Even if you want to think airports are safer...America ISN't. There is a whole lot more to this nation than just airports when it comes to security.
I imagine if someone asked if you felt safe in your home after locking the front door and leaving the garage entrance, patio level entrance and all windows on the first floor open you would say you were safe from them coming in the front door? Real Homeland Security there.
June 8, 2007 12:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hillary bucking up, admiting error and apologizing:
"George Bush says we are safer, I thought he would act to make us safer and I trusted what he told us when I said we are safer. If you do not like that I said we are safer, do not vote for me."
June 8, 2007 1:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with Miri11 that the question is open to interpretation. Since we are talking about houses, here is my example. There has been a series of burglaries in your neighborhood, which in the past was relatively crime free. The police advise you to be more attentive and take certain precautions. In response to the crime and the advice, you get a dead bolt lock, a big dog, bars on the windows, and an alarm system. Now those measures, I would argue, would make you feel safer in your home. If however the burglars (Osama Bin Laden) are still at large, then they may continue to commit crimes(not yet safe enough). Further, if no one ever addresses the issue of poverty (terrorism)and it links to crime then we will continue to have a threat of another crime spree.
Hillary I think answered the question, which was premised on why there hasn't been another attack in the US, because we've taken measures to make it safer. Obama and Edwards focused on the GWOT portion of the question, and how it continues to make us less safe. The NYT article tells us that all of the candidates have said we are safer or more secure in some areas since 9/11. It further states that the 9/11 Commission said we were safer, but not yet safe enough.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/06/us/politics/06dems.html?ref=politics
June 8, 2007 1:28 PM | Reply | Permalink