Poll: Americans Think Putin Better Leader Than Obama on Syria

Americans think Vladimir Putin was a far more effective leader than President Barack Obama in the Syrian chemical weapons crisis, an Economist/YouGov survey showed Wednesday.

Forty-nine percent of those surveyed gave the Russian president credit for steering events on the international stage. Only 25 percent of those in the survey said Obama was the most effective world leader.

Nine percent named Syrian President Bashar Assad as the most effective leader.

The poll was conducted Sept. 21-23 and has a margin of error of 4.9 percent.

Breaking down the respondents by political party, a whopping 63 percent of Republicans said Putin was the most effective leader during the chemical weapons crisis, versus 4 percent for Obama.

Among Democrats, Obama only held a 44-37 percent advantage over Putin.

Overall, just 30 percent of Americans approve of the president's handling of the Syrian crisis. By contrast, 44 percent disapprove, with 36 percent of all Americans saying they do so strongly.

The results lined up with another recent poll, this one by CBS News, which showed
37 percent of respondents approving of Obama's handling of the Syrian crisis, but 52 percent disapproving, as well as other surveys on the issue

The Economist/YouGov survey showed 23 percent of Americans believe the Syrians will surrender their chemical weapons stockpile; 38 percent believe the Assad regime won't turn over the weapons. Six in 10 say the Assad regime is not negotiating in good faith.

Support for a military strike remains weak: Only 11 percent of those surveyed said they would prefer a military strike by the United States and coalition partners, as Obama has advocated.

But 37 percent believe Obama will order military action if Syria refuses to disarm. Only two in 10 believe the president wouldn't do so.