Instead of running down terrorists, Obama just running

And what is necessary is American troops in ground combat, says James Carafano of The Heritage Foundation.

"I think there's no question about that," he says of ground combat. "And the notion that that's going to happen without the leadership of the United States is just wishful thinking."

Repeated polling has shown Americans oppose U.S. ground troops fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria, though a more recent CNN/ORC poll showed 53 percent favor that action.

The left-wing Huffington Post, reporting on the poll, noted that it's the most support since polls started asking that question a year ago.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon says airstrikes over the past week or so have killed about 350 Islamic State terrorists in the Iraqi city of Ramadi.

A spokesman for the U.S. military in Baghdad told reporters at the Pentagon that despite these losses, ISIS defenders still hold much of central Ramadi.

Carafano says the Obama administration has been unwilling to confront the reality of what we face.  

"It's much more concerned about sensibilities and politics and how they look," he says, "rather than focus on getting terrorists."

Responding to other polling questions, Forbes noted that 64 percent of respondents disapproved of how President Obama is fighting ISIS.

Obama is running out the clock, says the Heritage analyst, and the next president will have to make some very difficult choices.