Only half of Americans believe the United States is "No. 1 militarily," according to the National Gallup Poll. This news comes as the sequestration cuts hit the Department of Defense, the United States continues preparations to withdraw forces from Afghanistan, and a rising China invests in its own military.
Perhaps most surprising is how this breaks down on a partisan basis, with Republicans and Democrats at 53 and 55 percent, respectively. It's with independents that confidence is most lacking, with only 43 percent believing the U.S. military is number one. And something for Republican leadership to note:
As recently as January 2010, 73% of Republicans said the U.S. was the No. 1 military power in the world. This would seemingly also support the idea that Republicans -- and Republican leaders -- would be concerned about the looming reductions in defense spending.