Washington Free Beacon's own Matthew Continetti appeared on Fox News America's Newsroom where he discussed the threats to national security and how it is going to shape the narrative for the 2016 election.
MARTHA MACCULLUM: Ted Cruz is riding into that space he believes in has been left open give the president. Matthew Continetti, editor in chief of the Washington Free Beacon. Matthew, good morning good to have you. So what do you make about this back and forth with Ted Cruz and in terms of the president and his comments on global warming and how that is going to show everyone how united world leaders are?
MATTHEW CONTINETTI: Well, I think that's the type of comment that will help boost Senator Cruz as he continues to rise in the polls in particular in a state like Iowa, which holds the first caucuses and where he is now in second according to one recent poll to Donald Trump. He kind of perfectly encapsulated the idea of many Republicans and conservatives and even some right-leaning independents. Currently, the president is just not taking the threat seriously. Of course, that's not only the opinion of conservatives and Republicans some polls out this week show only a third of the American public, registered voters, in general think the president has a plan to defeat ISIS and are satisfied with the president's approach to terrorism.
MACCULLUM: A lot of people are scratching their heads when they hear the president's tone on this issue. So much of it I think has to do with that, it's not the words themselves, it's the words of passion and understanding the commander-in-chief has for the tension that exists in the nation. Here is the president talking about the posture people should have right now.
OBAMA CLIP: I understand that people worry something similar could happen here. I want you to know we'll continue to do everything in our power to defend our nation.
MACCULLUM: What do you make of that?
CONTINETTI: I don't think many voters take him seriously. What they want to hear is was you are saying, the question of tone. And in moments like this they are looking for a kind of toughness. I think that's what benefitting on the Republican side someone like Donald Trump and on the Democratic side it's benefiting Hillary Clinton to the extent that she hasn't any real opponents. She is projecting an aura of experience and she gave that big speech last week to say she had something of strategy. But many voters on the issue of terrorism, in particular in a very frightening time like we are living in right now, have just basically written off President Obama.
MACCULLUM: Well there is no doubt that Hillary Clinton did strengthen her position a little bit with that speech that you just mentioned. Let's take a look at this poll which is interesting, it's ABC/ The Washington Post, who do you have trust to handle terrorism against the top candidates, Hillary Clinton basically beats them all, Matthew.
CONTINETTI: Right, there is a question of experience there, I think, that will broaden out and include independents and Democrats will certainly give her an advantage in the poll results. Here is my worry though if I were on Hillary Clinton's campaign, which is if you look at past elections the performance of a nominee is really linked to the incumbent they are trying to replace. And so when you consider Hillary Clinton is basically running for Barack Obama's third term and Barack Obama only has a third of the public approving of his approach to terrorism, I don't think that's a good number for Hillary Clinton. The polls for her when it's her name might look good now but on election day next year she is going to be tied whether she likes it or not to this president, and if the issue is terrorism, I don't think that is going to be a boost to her campaign.
MACCULLUM: Interesting, no doubt she'll spend a lot of time trying to distance herself in that and I think that process may have begun with this speech the other day. Matthew, thank you very much. Happy Thanksgiving.
CONTINETTI: To you too.