On the eve of the third and final presidential debate, a survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center reveals foreign policy vulnerabilities for each contender. Over four in ten believe that the Republican nominee would be more likely than President Barack Obama to take the country into war (Romney: 44.0%; Obama: 18.8%). A majority thinks that Obama has repeatedly apologized for America while visiting foreign countries (62.9%).
Americans are more likely to see President Obama as trustworthy and as one who shares their values than Governor Romney, but rate the candidates equally as a strong leader. The differences in perception of which is more likely to keep the country safe are within the margin of error.
"Knowing what the public believes is important because debates are more likely to reinforce existing beliefs than change them," noted Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center. The Annenberg Public Policy Center conducted a national telephone survey of 1,177 adults 18 years of age or older from October 17, 2012 through October 21, 2012 to provide a snapshot of the public’s assessment of foreign policy positions and claims (margin of error +/- 3.9%).
Read the full release as a PDF file.
