CBS NEWS POLL

For release: October 7, 2014

6:30 pm E
!at"#$ t%e Pres"&e#t a#& Co#$ress o# error"sm ' (S(S
October 3-6, 2014
A month ahead of the midterm elections, voters choose the economy (34%) as the most
imortant iss!e that "ill decide their vote for #on$ress% &ealth care comes in second (1'%),
closely follo"ed by terrorism (16%)% (oth )e!blicans and *emocrats choose the economy as
the to iss!e%
)ost (mporta#t (ss*e "# +o*r ,ote
(Amon$ re$istered voters)
All )es *ems +nds
,conomy 34% 31% 3'% 3-%
&ealth care 1' . 23 1'
/errorism 16 1. 1- 14
+mmi$ration 13 10 . 12
(!d$et deficit . 10 . .
+nternational conflicts ' ' - .
1hile the economy may be the dominant iss!e, some have been critical of the Obama
administration2s terrorism olicies and its aroach to handlin$ the threat from the militant $ro!
+3+3%
36% of Americans say the Obama administration2s olicies have made the co!ntry less safe
from terrorism (matchin$ an all-time hi$h reached in 4!ne)% 5e"er - 6!st 2.%- thin7 his olicies
have made the co!ntry safer% 31% don2t thin7 the 8resident2s olicies have made m!ch of a
difference%
Pol"c"es o- t%e Obama .&m"#"strat"o# /a0e )a&e t%e 12S32
9o" .:2014 6:2014 -:2013 11:2011
3afer 2.% 2.% 2.% 36% 36%
;ess safe 36 33 36 20 1.
9o effect 31 31 31 30 34
)e!blicans are artic!larly critical% 64% of )e!blicans thin7 the 8resident2s olicies have
made the co!ntry less safe, "hile most *emocrats (-3%) thin7 they have made the co!ntry
safer%
Pol"c"es o- t%e Obama .&m"#"strat"o# /a0e )a&e t%e 12S32
/otal )es *ems +nds
3afer 2.% .% -3% 20%
;ess safe 36 64 . 42
9o effect 31 22 34 34
1
8resident Obama recently ac7no"led$ed the <%3% !nderestimated +3+3% Americans no" $ive
the 8resident, #on$ress, and <%3% intelli$ence a$encies lo" mar7s for assessin$ the threat
osed by +3+3 over the ast fe" months, altho!$h <%3% intelli$ence a$encies fare better than
either #on$ress or the 8resident%
6-% thin7 the 8resident did 6!st a fair or oor 6ob assessin$ the threat from +3+3, and ''% say
that abo!t #on$ress%
!at"#$s o# .ssess"#$ (S(S %reat
,=cellent:>ood 5air:8oor
8resident Obama 32% 6-
#on$ress 1'% ''
<%3% intelli$ence a$encies 40% -2
_____________________________________________________________________________________
This poll was conducted by telephone October 3-6, 2014 among 1,260 adults nationwide
The error due to sampling !or results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus
three percentage points The error !or subgroups may be higher
"ata collection was conducted on behal! o! #$% &ews and The &ew 'or( Times by %%)% o!
*edia, +, +hone numbers were dialed !rom samples o! both standard land-line and cell
phones -nter.iews were conducted in /nglish and %panish This poll release con!orms to
the %tandards o! "isclosure o! the &ational #ouncil on +ublic +olls
2
CBS NEWS POLL
Rating the President and Congress on Terrorism & ISIS
October 3-6 !"#$
01-011 2eld !or !uture release
013 4hich O&/ o! the !ollowing issues will be *O%T important in deciding your .ote !or
#ongress this &o.ember5
%% RE&ISTERE' (OTERS %%
Total )ep "em -nd %ep14b
6 6 6 6 6
The /conomy 34 31 31 37 33
2ealth care 11 8 23 11 16
Terrorism 16 18 17 14 11
-mmigration 13 13 8 12 10
9ederal budget de:cit 8 10 8 8 3
-nternational con;icts 1 1 7 8 6
%omething else <=ol> 2 3 ? 2 1
"on@t (nowA&o answer 3 4 2 3 3
034 "o you thin( the policies o! the Obama administration ha.e made the Bnited %tates sa!er
!rom terrorism, less sa!e !rom terrorism, or ha.e the policies o! the Obama administration not
aCected the sa!ety o! the Bnited %tates !rom terrorism5
%% TOT)L RESPON'ENTS %%
%a!er 28 8 73 20 28
Dess sa!e 36 64 8 42 33
&o eCect 31 22 34 34 31
"on@t (nowA&o answer 7 7 7 4 1
037-046 2eld !or !uture release
0412ow would you rate the Eob $arac( Obama has done in assessing the threat posed by -%-%
militants in the past !ew months5
/Fcellent 3 2 18 3
Good 24 11 31 21
9air 34 32 33 33
+oor 31 70 3 38
"on@t (nowA&o answer 4 4 3 4
043 2ow would you rate the Eob #ongress has done in assessing the threat posed by -%-%
militants in the past !ew months5
/Fcellent 4 3 6 2
Good 13 14 14 11
9air 43 42 48 38
+oor 34 33 27 42
"on@t (nowA&o answer 6 3 7 1
048 2ow would you rate the Eob B% intelligence agencies ha.e done in assessing the threat
posed by -%-% militants in the past !ew months5
/Fcellent 8 10 12 1
Good 31 30 33 28
9air 36 36 36 33
+oor 16 17 13 13
"on@t (nowA&o answer 1 8 6 3
Bnweighted 4eighted
Total )espondents 1,260
Total )epublicans 311 216
Total "emocrats 318 403
Total -ndependents 717 710
Total )egistered =oters 1,063 813