HaystaqDNA conducted a snap poll of 1,872 registered voters in 4 western states (Washington, California, Nevada, and Idaho) on September 10, 2014, following President Obama’s speech on his strategy for dealing with ISIS. Among respondents, 57% reported watching the speech. Below is a summary of the key findings.

POLL RESULTS

  • A broad cross-section of respondents supports U.S. military action against ISIS (86% support/14% oppose), including 57% who strongly support it.
  • In fact, support for U.S. military action transcends ideological boundaries, with 91% support among self-described conservatives, and 78% support among self-described liberals.
  • That said, it is important to note that while two-thirds of self-described conservatives (65%) consider ISIS to be the most significant threat to U.S. national security, just two in five self-described liberals say the same (39%), with a plurality (41%) citing global climate change as the most significant threat.
  • By a margin of six-to-one, respondents who watched President Obama’s speech report that they are more likely to support U.S. military action against ISIS than they were prior to watching the speech (47% more likely/8% less likely).
  • The President gets mixed marks overall, with respondents split on his handling of terrorism (48% approve/52% disapprove) and on the question of whether he has a strategy to deal with ISIS (46% has strategy/54% does not have strategy).
  • Respondents are ideologically split on the question of Obama’s handling of terrorism, with 83% of self-described liberals approving of his performance, and 80% of self-described conservatives disapproving.  The President earns a thumbs-up from self-described moderates (57% approve/43% disapprove).
  • Similarly, 76% of self-described liberals believe the President has a strategy to deal with ISIS, compared with just 20% of self-described conservatives.  Self-described moderates are split, with a narrow majority (53%) saying they believe the President does have a strategy.
  • Among liberals, Obama’s natural base, there is a split on the question of whether the President has a strategy to deal with ISIS between those who watched the speech and those who did not.  Among self-described liberals who watched the speech, 85% believe Obama has a strategy to deal with ISIS, but just 63% of those who did not watch say the same.
  • The survey finds a similar dynamic among self-described moderates, with 60% of those who watched the speech saying the President has a strategy, compared with just 44% among those who did not watch the speech.
  • While self-described conservatives overwhelmingly believe that Obama does not have a strategy to deal with ISIS, there is a slight difference between those who watched the speech (23% believe President has a strategy) and those who did not watch the speech (16% believe President has a strategy).