{"id":492,"date":"2014-09-09T15:23:08","date_gmt":"2014-09-09T19:23:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/press.nbcnews.com\/?p=492"},"modified":"2014-09-09T15:23:08","modified_gmt":"2014-09-09T19:23:08","slug":"nbc-newswsj-poll-america-on-edge-fear-of-terror-attack-at-911-high","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nbcuniversalnewsgroup.com\/nbcnews\/2014\/09\/09\/nbc-newswsj-poll-america-on-edge-fear-of-terror-attack-at-911-high\/","title":{"rendered":"NBC News\/WSJ Poll: America On Edge: Fear of Terror Attack at 9\/11 High"},"content":{"rendered":"
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47% of Americans believe the country is less safe now than before Sept. 11, 2001 61% say military action against ISIS is in nation\u2019s interest 32% of voters approve of Obama\u2019s handling of foreign policy<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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September 9, 2014 — The nation is on edge in the wake of brutal beheadings of journalists by Islamic extremists \u2014 with more Americans saying the United States is less safe now than at any point since 9\/11, a new NBC News\/Wall Street Journal Poll shows.<\/p>\n

The exclusive poll reveals that 47% of Americans believe the country is less safe now than before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. That\u2019s a significant increase from even a year after the twin towers fell when in September 2002 just 20% of the country said the nation was less safe. The level of fear across America also is up substantially from last year when 28% felt the same way.<\/p>\n

In fact, just 26% of Americans now feel the nation is safer than before 9\/11.<\/p>\n

Analysis by Mark Murray is below and online here: http:\/\/nbcnews.to\/1rVoRpi<\/a><\/p>\n

The full poll is online here (PDF): http:\/\/nbcnews.to\/1tIEEIf<\/a><\/p>\n

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# # #<\/strong><\/p>\n

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America on Edge: Fear of Terror Attack at 9\/11 High
\n<\/strong>By Mark Murray, NBC News
\n<\/strong>September 9, 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

The nation is on edge in the wake of brutal beheadings of journalists by Islamic extremists \u2014 with more Americans saying the United States is less safe now than at any point since 9\/11, a new NBC News\/Wall Street Journal Poll shows.<\/p>\n

The exclusive poll reveals that 47% of Americans believe the country is less safe now than before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. That\u2019s a significant increase from even a year after the twin towers fell when in September 2002 just 20% of the country said the nation was less safe. The level of fear across America also is up substantially from last year when 28% felt the same way.<\/p>\n

In fact, just 26% of Americans now feel the nation is safer than before 9\/11.<\/p>\n

The numbers are a backdrop for the primetime speech President Obama will deliver on Wednesday night outlining his plan to combat the terrorist group ISIS, which has taken over parts of Iraq and Syria, beheaded two American journalists, distributed images of the killings in via gruesome videos, and has launched a social media campaign to extend its reach.<\/p>\n

\u201cA very war-weary country \u2026 seems to have woken up to the real threat that ISIS may present,\u201d says Republican pollster Bill McInturff, who conducted this survey with Democratic pollster Peter Hart and his colleagues at Hart Research.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe beheadings are so chilling to the American public,\u201d added Hart. \u201cThe only things I think of equal impact are the self-immolations back in Vietnam.\u201d<\/p>\n

The new poll also found that more than six in 10 respondents believe that taking military action against the Islamic militant group ISIS is in the nation\u2019s interest.<\/p>\n

And a whopping 94 percent of Americans say they have heard about the news of the beheaded journalists \u2013 higher than any other news event the NBC\/WSJ poll has measured over the past five years.<\/p>\n

That includes the 2011 debt-ceiling debate (77 percent), the 2012 health-care decision by the U.S. Supreme Court (78 percent), Syria\u2019s reported use of chemical weapons in 2013 (79 percent) and this year\u2019s botched execution in Oklahoma (68 percent).<\/p>\n

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Sixty-One percent say military action against ISIS is in nation\u2019s interest<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to the poll, 61 percent of American voters believe that the United States taking military action against ISIS is in United States\u2019 interest, versus 13 percent who don\u2019t. (Another 24 percent said they don\u2019t know enough to have an opinion.)<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a significant change when a similar question was asked last year about the U.S. taking possible action against Syria\u2019s government after its reported use of chemical weapons.<\/p>\n

Back then, only 21 percent said action was in the nation\u2019s interest, while 33 percent said it wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe results couldn\u2019t be more different,\u201d McInturff, the GOP pollster, says.<\/p>\n

In addition, 40 percent of respondents say U.S. military action against ISIS should be limited only to air strikes; another 34 percent say it should include both air strikes and combat troops; and 15 percent say military action shouldn\u2019t be taken.<\/p>\n

And while a plurality of Americans (40 percent) think that the United States should be less active in world affairs, that\u2019s a seven-point drop on this question from April (when it was 47 percent).<\/p>\n

By comparison, 27 percent say the U.S. should be more active \u2013 an eight-point increase from April.<\/p>\n

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Approval of Obama\u2019s foreign policy sinks to all-time low<\/strong><\/p>\n

Obama\u2019s speech Wednesday comes as the NBC\/WSJ poll finds that just 32 percent of voters approve of his handling of foreign policy \u2013 an all-time low on this question.<\/p>\n

And that appears to be hurting his party. The poll shows that Republicans have an 18-point advantage (41 percent to 23 percent) on which party best deals with foreign policy. That\u2019s up from the GOP\u2019s seven-point edge (33 percent to 26 percent) a year ago.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Republicans hold a 38-point lead (54 percent to 16 percent) on which party ensures a strong national defense \u2013 the GOP\u2019s biggest advantage in more than 10 years on this question<\/p>\n

Yet the NBC\/WSJ pollsters say that Obama\u2019s speech \u2013 followed by action against ISIS \u2013 could turn things around for the president and his party. \u201cIt might allow him to perhaps use September and October to be a more strongly perceived figure than he\u2019s been,\u201d McInturff says.<\/p>\n

Demonstrating presidential leadership, he adds, could at a minimum strengthen him among key Democratic groups that need to turn out for the party to have success in November.<\/p>\n

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Midterm advantage on GOP\u2019s side<\/strong><\/p>\n

And for Democrats, an Obama turnaround needs to come sooner rather than later, because Republicans currently have the advantage heading into the midterm elections.<\/p>\n

Two-thirds of voters believe the country is headed in the wrong direction \u2013 a higher percentage than at this point in the 2006 and 2010 midterm elections. Obama\u2019s overall approval rating stands at 40 percent, tied for his all-time low in the poll. And Republicans hold a two-point advantage, 45 percent to 43 percent, on which party should control Congress.<\/p>\n

That margin expands to 10 points \u2013 50 percent to 40 percent \u2013 In the states holding this year\u2019s most-competitive Senate contests.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith 56 days until Election Day, our poll provides greater insight into what is likely to happen, and the news is not good for the Democrats,\u201d says Democratic pollster Fred Yang of Hart Research.<\/p>\n

The NBC\/WSJ poll was conducted Sept. 3-7 of 1,000 registered voters (including 350 cell phone-only respondents and another 32 reached on a cell phone but who also have a landline), and it has an overall margin of error of plus-minus 3.1 percentage points.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Media contacts<\/h4>\n

For more information contact:
\nMaggie Steenland
\nNBC News
\n212-664-7874
\nmaggie.steenland@nbcuni.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n