In CNN poll, 53 percent favor U.S. ground troops to fight ISIS

Something to remember about Obama's persistent refusal to commit U.S. ground troops, not only against ISIS, but in any Middle East military conflict: It's always been a political calculation, based on his belief (correct, I'd say) that he was elected in large part because Americans were sick of wars. No matter how bad it's getting over there, Obama has always seen it as a political winner to reject any sort of drawn-out battle on the ground because that takes us back to the Bush-Cheney years, and people grew weary of that in short order. Problem: The public will only back your refusal to fight until it becomes painfully clear that there's a real threat that needs to be dealt with, and that farming out the job to other countries with far less military prowess than the United States is not likely to get the job done. Obama bet that he could sit on his hands militarily and the situation wouldn't get bad enough to turn the public in favor of a ground war involving U.S. troops.