Will President Obama's foreign policy successes help him in 2012?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
President Obama may face an uphill battle for re-election... but one area where he can boast about success is foreign policy.
And that's something new for Democrats.
Since the Vietnam war, Democratic candidates for president have been labeled as being soft and inexperienced on military and foreign policy issues.
Think John Kerry getting swift boated, Jimmy Carter and the Iran hostage crisis... or Michael Dukakis and that tank.
But not President Obama.
He's presided over the killings of Osama bin Laden and American-born Anwar Al-Awlaki... although it's worth pointing out not everyone thinks the assassination of a U.S. citizen was legal or a good idea.
U.S. support in Libya also led to the toppling of Moammar Gadhafi.
As for the two wars, Mr. Obama is drawing down troops in Afghanistan following an earlier surge.
And, he's taking credit now for "ending the war in Iraq"– even though George Bush really ended the war there in 2008 and we are being kicked out of the country by the Iraqi government.
Nonetheless - despite these successes overseas, it's not clear if foreign policy victories will help the president win a second term.
If unemployment stays at 9% ... it very well may be all about the economy, stupid.
A recent CNN/ORC poll shows that foreign policy is not a top issue on most Americans' minds these days.
Only 23% of those polled say foreign policy is extremely important to their vote for president.
Compare that to 54% who cite the economy. And most other issues rank higher than foreign policy too - including unemployment, the deficit, health care, Social Security, Medicare, Terrorism, Taxes and the size of government.
Here’s my question to you: Will President Obama’s foreign policy successes help him in 2012?
Tune in to the Situation Room at 5pm to see if Jack reads your answer on air.
And, we love to know where you’re writing from, so please include your city and state with your comment.
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
What message does it send when some Democrats are ducking President Obama?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
It's a time-honored political tradition: Ducking a presidential candidate with sagging poll numbers.
And a year out from the 2012 election, it looks like some Democrats can't get far enough away from President Obama.
Plenty of Democratic lawmakers, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, insist that this president is not a political liability.
But as Politico reports, there are growing signs that he is just that.
Take, for example, recent trips that Obama made to Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania - all states where he won in 2008.
In North Carolina, six Democratic House members didn't join the president. Only two lawmakers showed up: a senator who isn't up for re-election until 2014 and a veteran congressman who represents a majority black district.
When the president visited Pittsburgh, no members of Congress attended any of his public events, although a few met him at the airport.
In Michigan, none of the 15 members of the state's congressional delegation showed up with Obama in Detroit. This is a city the president won with 74% of the vote in 2008.
Part of the issue in Michigan might be the president's push for free trade in a state with strong unions.
Some believe that these Democrats' efforts to dodge the president will only backfire.
Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell says it's "political idiocy" and calls these members of Congress "complete wusses."
Maybe, maybe not. But if Obama's approval ratings continue to hover in the mid-40s and unemployment stays stuck at 9%, don't be surprised if Democrats keep covering their political backsides.
Here’s my question to you: What message does it send when some Democrats are ducking President Obama?
@jackcafferty on Twitter
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