YouGov’s latest research shows that 69% of Americans think that the government should have sent a senior official to represent the United States at the Paris rally. Asked who should have gone, 30% said President Obama, while 20% said that the American Ambassador to France (who did attend) should have represented America. 16% picked John Kerry and 11% chose Joe Biden.
The White House said that, in addition to scheduling issues, security concerns prompted the decision not to send either the President of Vice President to the rally. Half the public, however, say that the rally would have been safe enough for them to attend alongside other major world leaders, while 24% say that it wouldn’t have been. Democrats (37%) are much more likely than independents (21%) or Republicans (14%) to say that it would not have been safe enough for Obama or Biden to attend.
