Percentage of Americans feeling isolationist now up to one-in-three, largest this century

Tim and Eric in Trouble

Of course, no president ever admits to reading the polls. They're all way too busy winning the future or something. With his family fresh back from their latest vacation, this one skiing in Vail, Colo., President Obama is off Tuesday to Cleveland. Lucky him in February.

But it's work-related. Actually, 2012-related, Ohio being what it is: crucial for both parties.

Obama will talk with small businessmen -- no, make that businessmen who run small companies -- about winning the future through innovation. While he's out of town, we can talk about a trio of polls, one having to do with his crew, one his party and the third a change in how Americans feel about the world and its problems.

First, it's a good thing that Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner and Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. ...

... serve at the pleasure of the president and not the people. Or they might have been tossed out last November with all those other Democrats.

A Rasmussen Reports survey finds that not quite one-in-four likely voters (24%) said they have some kind of approval of Geithner, while 40% said they have an unfavorable opinion of him after only 25 months of ineffective economic leadership.

As for the country's chief law enforcement officer, 25% said they regard him favorably. But that's down 10 points from the summer of 2009. Thirty-seven percent said they view him unfavorably.

Of course, their real job approval depends on only one opinion.

From Blue to Red

Though the president has ample time to restore his political standing in many American minds in the 623 remaining days before Nov. 6, 2012, the numbers are looking increasingly grim for his Democratic Party for next year.

As it happens, of the 33 U.S. Senate seats up for decisions, 22 are held by Democrats or those who caucus with them, while Republicans must defend only 10. For the Republicans, holding their own and gaining just a few would retire Harry Reid to former majority leader status, as the GOP did to Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the House last year.

A new Gallup survey finds Democratic affiliation dropping in virtually every state and the number of reliably Democratic states cut in half, from 30 in Obama's 2008 victory year to 14 in 2010, the year of the turnover in the House.

Veteran number-cruncher Ed Morrissey reads the tea leaves for 2012 and finds a Stairmaster struggle for Democrats.

Close the Windows and Lock the Door

A new Gallup poll has some predictable but intriguing results to monitor, looking ahead.

As usual, the poll finds a strong majority of Americans -- 66% to 32% -- desirous of the country playing a major role in solving international problems. But wait.

That support is down from 75% just two years ago.

Of even more interest, the percentage of Americans who take a more isolationist stance is quietly growing. Think minimal or no foreign involvements.

Still a minority of 32%, or about one-in-three. But that's the largest percentage in a decade. And it's up significantly from 23% two years ago.

Possible reasons: A stubbornly sour economy focusing more attention on issues closer to home, and the ongoing war in Afghanistan. Now in its tenth year with 100,000 U.S. troops serving there after Obama's second surge, Americans can easily track the costs: 33 Americans killed in the first 52 days of 2011 and 1,479 since 2001.

But allied military progress there is much harder to demonstrate.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Upper photo: U.S. troops clear IEDs in Afghanistan. Credit: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times

Lower photo: Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithne, right, and Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. Credit: Getty Images

Comments

[Martin Whitaker]

How do I e-mail the above article I cannot not find
the e-mail on all of your articles.

(AM responds: Look atop the article for the Sharing buttons or copy the link and send where you'd like.

http://t.co/Ju4HDfD

Thanks for reading.)

[Native Angeleno]

I remember a debate between Wm F Buckley Jr and George McGovern. Buckley evinced horror at the polling fact a substantial number of Germans designated themselves pacifists.

McGovern almost stood up, responding that, as a bomber pilot in WW2 flying over Germany, dodging ack ack blasts, all he could add to Buckley's fear was GLORY HALLELUYAH!

Likewise: With this country's government occupied by militarists, who administer over 800 military bases in over 100 countries, with a military budget approximating 60% of the pie, including the military costs that have added interest to the national debt, which total is akin to the most backward of any banana republic, the fact isolationism is growing in this country makes me echo the great American, George McGovern.

PS: The War on Terror, which is terror itself, is a fabrication brought about by traitors who attacked America to foment neverending war abroad, and police state at home. And if you don't know any better, you either haven't done your homework, are a lousy citizen and deserve what you are getting, or are collecting dividends from your defense portfolio.

[BigBadWolf]

Isolationism is not a bad idea....suck Saudi Arabia dry of it's oil, use all of the oil everywhere else in the world, make the Arabs eat sand, fill the skies over unfriendly lands with Predator drones armed with Hellfire missiles, kill anyone who needs to be killed, pull our troops back to the USA, keep our navy at sea for quick strike requirements.....and enjoy our flat screen TVs, bar-b-ques, Football, Baseball and Basketball in peace and bliss and screw the world! If they want our help they can be friends with the USA. If they don't want to be friendly with us, fly a Predator up their butt then pull the trigger....Somali pirate boats? Target practice for our submarines.....