The Democrats' National Security Vulnerability

"The disconnect between President Obama and the American public on the urgency of the ISIS threat is a problem for his party in 2016, especially for Hillary Clinton.

"Democrats are at risk of politically marginalizing themselves on national security in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election, catering to a base that seems disconnected from the growing anxiety that the public feels over the threat from Islamic terrorism. During a month when a horrific terrorist attack killed 130 in Paris and a homegrown, ISIS-inspired attack killed 14 in San Bernardino, California, the Democratic Party's major focus has been on climate change and gun control. ...

"The big question now is how long Clinton will be content to ride Obama's coat-tails. Most Democrats are fully committed to the president's base-first strategy and don't see any benefit in Clinton distancing herself from a president whom she loyally served for four years. But on an issue that could define the election, she risks being defined by the base at a time when even some of the president's former supporters are beginning to question his approach." — Josh Kraushaar, National Journal