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By Doug64
#13556808
While I'm still waiting for the last governor and last four House elections to be decided before the final updating updating of the 2010 horseraces thread, I'm still getting the "week in review" updates from Rasmussen and figured, since they poll more than just political elections, why not a thread for those polls?

Week ending Friday, 11-19-10, Rasmussen wrote:Talk about low expectations.

Rasmussen Reports gave voters nationwide a short list of issues that Congress will consider in the next couple of years, including immigration, government spending and taxes, and asked whether they were optimistic or pessimistic about what the legislators will accomplish in these areas. The answers reflect even deeper pessimism among voters than they expressed after the 2006 midterm elections.

Just 26% of voters now think the country is heading in the right direction. This finding continues to fall since Election Day and is the lowest reading since mid-March, largely because Democrats are down but sentiments among Republicans and unaffiliated voters haven’t moved.

A plurality (47%) of voters believes America’s best days have come and gone, a number that has remained fairly constant since the beginning of the year.

Every night, Rasmussen Reports asks voters what issues are most important to them when voting, and economic issues remain at the top of the list, as they have for the past two years. But economically, there’s little good news to report this week.

Homeowners continue to have little short-term confidence in the U.S. housing market, although they’re much more confident about the picture five years down the road. The findings on both questions remain in the ballpark of where they’ve been for well over a year.

Thirty percent (30%) of homeowners say the value of their home is less than what they still own on their mortgage. That's the lowest level measured since August but consistent with findings since April 2009.

Belief that a home is a good buy for a family remains at an 18-month low.

Confidence as measured in the Rasmussen Consumer and Investor Indexes was down slightly at week’s end, and both still remain well below where they were in 2008.

Americans strongly prefer spending cuts to tax increases, but a plurality (40%) thinks that President Obama’s bipartisan deficit reduction commission is more likely to propose tax hikes than cuts in spending to reduce the budget deficit. Fifty-nine percent (59%) think Congress is likely to raise taxes if the commission recommends it, but only 39% believe the legislators are likely to follow through on any spending cuts that are proposed.

Most Americans also feel they - and not Congress - should have the final say on whether the deficit commission's proposals become law.

While the deficit reduction commission is publicly considering a mix of spending cuts and tax increases to tackle the country’s growing deficit, 51% of voters think it’s possible to balance the budget without raising taxes. That’s up 14 points from February. Just 33% disagree.

Speaking of the threat of tax increases, most voters continue to support the extension of the Bush tax cuts that are scheduled to expire December 31. Congress is haggling over whether to extend the cuts to all Americans or just to those who earn less than $200,000 a year. Fifty percent (50%) of voters say they should be extended for all, while 44% prefer extending them to everyone but the wealthy.

Congress views the recent elections as a mandate to cut government spending, and first on the list is a ban on allowing legislators to steer money to their favorite home projects. But voters aren’t quite as gung-ho about cutting so-called earmarks. Forty-eight percent (48%) favor a ban that prohibits all members of Congress from steering taxpayer money to pet projects in their home districts, but 36% are opposed to such a ban.

Still, a sizable majority of voters like a candidate who works to cut federal spending over one who tries to get a fair amount of it for his home district. Most also think a member of Congress who tries to maximize federal spending for his district is motivated more by how it will help his reelection than what is best for his constituents.

A majority of voters continues to support repeal of the national health care plan, as it has been since the measure was passed in March, and most believe the law will be bad for the country overall.

When it comes to what they buy, 79% of Americans say it is important to them that the product is made in America. [By the way, that’s our FedEx Fact of the Week.]

Yet despite General Motors’ major public stock offering this past week, that made-in-America feeling is not quite as strong when it comes to cars. Forty-one percent (41%) say they look for an American-built car first when shopping for automobiles, but slightly more (44%) say they look for the best possible deal regardless of where the car’s manufactured.

As the controversy over new airport body scanners escalates, voters feel more strongly than ever that the U.S. legal system is more protective of individual freedoms than it is of the nation's overall security.

Obama’s job approval index rating continues to hover in the teens this week in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll.

In other surveys last week:

-- Most Americans don’t think the federal Food and Drug Administration’s new graphic cigarette warning labels will decrease the number of smokers in the United States. However, they do think that raising the price of cigarettes would have an impact.

-- A growing number of states and localities have banned smoking in public places, but there continues to be little public support for outlawing tobacco smoking entirely.

-- Though overall voter ratings for the U.S. Supreme Court have shifted little from last month, the percentage that says the high court is doing a poor job is at its highest level since August 2007.

-- Thirty-nine percent (39%) of voters think the Court is too liberal, while 31% say it’s about right ideologically. Only 23% say the court is too conservative.

-- Sixty-three percent (63%) of voters say renewable energy is a better long-term investment than fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal. This is the highest level of support for renewable energy since August, though voters have consistently favored it over fossil fuels since Rasmussen Reports began surveying this question in late January.

-- As George W. Bush tours the country promoting his new memoir, “Decision Points,” voters are a bit less critical of the former president than they’ve been in previous years.

-- A third Bush in the White House? Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has ruled out a presidential bid in 2012 but isn’t closing the door on running after that. But only one-third (35%) of voters believe it’s at least somewhat likely that Jeb Bush will run for president one day.
User avatar
By Genghis Khan
#13557310
I can't get over the sheer stupidity of people who think that eliminating earmarks will cut spending.

Doug64 wrote:Americans strongly prefer spending cuts to tax increases


Well there's a shocker... Americans want things, but don't wanna pay for them.

Doug64 wrote:Most Americans also feel they - and not Congress - should have the final say on whether the deficit commission's proposals become law.


As stupid as congress is, they're geniuses next to the collective American understanding of priorities regarding national policies.

Doug64 wrote:51% of voters think it’s possible to balance the budget without raising taxes.


I actually thought it was more than that. Slightly encouraging.

Doug64 wrote:Fifty percent (50%) of voters say they should be extended for all, while 44% prefer extending them to everyone but the wealthy.


Americans are such gullible idiots. If you ask them: "Should we extend the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy?" they'll say no, but saying: "Tax cuts for all" sounds so utopian, so they go with it, without understanding what it means.

Doug64 wrote:Still, a sizable majority of voters like a candidate who works to cut federal spending over one who tries to get a fair amount of it for his home district.


Huh? That's not even the opposite of it! That's like asking: "Do you prefer a candidate who won't euthanize puppies over a convicted rapist who targets little girls?"

Doug64 wrote:A majority of voters continues to support repeal of the national health care plan, as it has been since the measure was passed in March, and most believe the law will be bad for the country overall.


It's not nearly as clear cut as Rasmussen present it. Not even close.

Doug64 wrote:-- Most Americans don’t think the federal Food and Drug Administration’s new graphic cigarette warning labels will decrease the number of smokers in the United States. However, they do think that raising the price of cigarettes would have an impact.


Agreed. Raise the prices dramatically now.

Doug64 wrote:-- As George W. Bush tours the country promoting his new memoir, “Decision Points,” voters are a bit less critical of the former president than they’ve been in previous years.


Naturally.

Doug64 wrote:-- A third Bush in the White House? Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has ruled out a presidential bid in 2012 but isn’t closing the door on running after that. But only one-third (35%) of voters believe it’s at least somewhat likely that Jeb Bush will run for president one day.


May god have mercy on our souls...
By Grognonours
#13558110
Well there's a shocker... Americans want things, but don't wanna pay for them.


We already pay more than enough. It's time to cut spending, something which for some odd reason doesn't happen. :eh:

Americans are such gullible idiots. If you ask them: "Should we extend the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy?" they'll say no, but saying: "Tax cuts for all" sounds so utopian, so they go with it, without understanding what it means.


You may not realize this but at some point your incessant America bashing gets old and boring.

It's not nearly as clear cut as Rasmussen present it. Not even close.


Obviously it depends on the group taking the poll, the people being polled, as well as other factors. However, Rasmussen is usually very good at getting the numbers correct in their polls.
User avatar
By lg11
#13558176
We already pay more than enough.

Seeing how infrastructure, public education and health care are crumbling and a social safety net is almost non-existent I don't know if thats true. Especially wealthier people do not pay much taxes in the United States.
It's time to cut spending, something which for some odd reason doesn't happen.

What would you suggest the government should cut?
The most obvious thing would be cutting defense spending, welfare for the arms industry but most Americans don't actually want that. Apart from the fact that cutting social security and medicare/aid would have dramatic social effects, most Americans don't want that either, do they? It seems like most people are for 'cutting spending' and when you ask them what to actually cut, they don't know an answer.
You may not realize this but at some point your incessant America bashing gets old and boring.

Seeing Americans who actually (legitimately) criticise their country instead of getting all hard and sentimental when talking about America is actually a breath of fresh air.
User avatar
By Genghis Khan
#13558259
Grognonours wrote:We already pay more than enough.


Compared to who?

Grognonours wrote:It's time to cut spending


Great. Except whenever you ask the GOP where to cut, they start mumbling like they had a lobotomy.

Grognonours wrote:You may not realize this but at some point your incessant America bashing gets old and boring.


Yet still true and relevant.

Grognonours wrote:However, Rasmussen is usually very good at getting the numbers correct in their polls.


Their numbers tend to favor Republicans more so than any other pollster.
By Doug64
#13561638
Grognonours wrote:However, Rasmussen is usually very good at getting the numbers correct in their polls.


Genghis Khan wrote:Their numbers tend to favor Republicans more so than any other pollster.

And if in the process Rasmussen is one of the more accurate polling agency, what does that say about the other pollsters? ;)
By Doug64
#13561641
The holidays are here! Where most spend more money than any other time of the year. (11-27-10)

On the question of whether Obamacare impacts my own work coverage, my company's healthcare provider wants to jack up our rates by 66%. However, only 5% is because of Obamacare and 61% is because we had a sickly year - especially my immediate superior, whose wife has had brain cancer.

The holiday season is upon us, and Americans are off to races when it comes to shopping. But even as many will be watching their own spending, another opportunity to say something about how the government spends our money is on the horizon.

A sizable number of Americans had begun their holiday shopping before Thanksgiving, but only a comparative handful were completely done already. We’ll be checking to see how those numbers moved after Black Friday’s spending spree.

Fifty-eight percent (58%) of Americans plan to spend less than they did a year ago. While bleak, that’s an improvement from 71% a year ago. More also are choosing to avoid the crowds by shopping for gifts online.

Speaking of crowds, as many prepared to descend on stores nationwide for Black Friday, one-third of Adults said holiday shopping is an unpleasant chore. But nearly half disagreed and said gift shopping for friends and loved ones is a fun activity.

Much less fun as far as most Americans are concerned is paying taxes, and taxes and spending will be front and center when President Obama’s bipartisan deficit reduction commission reports back in early December.

The commission’s recommendations on ways to reduce the country’s historic-level budget deficits are expected to dominate political debate in the coming months, especially if the economy continues to muddle along. Daily confidence as measured by the Rasmussen Consumer and Investor Indexes has begun climbing back only to levels seen at the beginning of the year.

Forty-one percent (41%) of voters now recognize that the majority of federal spending goes to just national defense, Social Security and Medicare, although 39% disagree and 20% are not sure. But this is increased awareness from February, which means despite all the noise and fury of the election season there has been a net increase in public understanding of the budget.

“Anybody who wants to talk about cutting federal spending and changing the federal budget must first gain an understanding of where the money is being spent,” notes Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports. “Over the past several decades, politicians from both political parties have worked overtime to hide the truth from voters, and that has led to the voter frustration roiling the land in 2010.”

Voters are clearly dubious about the size and scope of today’s federal government. Just 39% believe the federal government currently operates within the limits established by the Constitution of the United States.

Voters have consistently questioned the workload of federal employees and how much they earn, and 66% nationwide favor a proposal to cut the federal payroll by 10% over the coming decade.

Most voters also continue to favor repeal of the new health care law, which expands government’s role in the private health care sector. They remain almost evenly divided over whether the law will force them to change their own health insurance coverage.

Still, to give the federal government its due, most Americans, for the first time, don’t think last year’s bailouts of General Motors and Chrysler were a bad move. Just 46% of Adults say it was bad idea for the federal government to provide bailout funding for GM and Chrysler, while 38% say they were a good idea. Sixteen percent (16%) remain undecided.

GM’s big recent public stock offering earned the government $11.8 billion and reduced its ownership stake in the company from 61% to 36%. But the price of GM stock will have to rise significantly for taxpayers to recoup the entire $50 billion in direct bailout funds given to GM.

Half of American adults believe it's at least somewhat likely that GM and Chrysler will repay their bailouts in full, but only one-in-five say full repayment will make them look more favorably on government bailouts in the future.

Skepticism about the bailouts was one of several factors that prompted unhappiness with the current Congress and led to the Republicans winning control of the House of Representatives earlier this month. After all, voters are overwhelmingly clear: They want to believe that elections make a difference. Eighty-one percent (81%) think it matters who represents them in Congress. Seventy-three percent (73%) also believe it matters which political party controls Congress.

House Republican leader John Boehner has been regularly in the news since Election Day as the likely next speaker of the House, and that coverage has helped push his favorables to a new high. But all the major congressional leaders seem to be benefiting from a little good will since the elections.

For the second week in a row, Republicans hold a five-point lead over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot. This is the smallest gap between the two parties since the beginning of October. The GOP has led regularly on the ballot since June of last year.

Just before Thanksgiving, the president’s job approval rating as measured by the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll continued to hover in the range it’s been at for weeks. Overall, 48% of voters said they at least somewhat approved of the president's performance, while 51% disapproved.

In other surveys last week:

-- Only 28% of voters now think the country is heading in the right direction. This finding is up slightly from last week and is the same level found the week of the midterm elections.

-- Twenty-seven percent (27%) of voters now believe U.S. society is generally unfair and discriminatory, the highest negative finding in over a year. Since Election Day, confidence in the fairness of society has fallen among Democrats and voters not affiliated with either party, while it's up slightly among Republicans.

-- Voters expect tensions between the two Koreas to escalate, and a plurality is supportive of U.S. military assistance to South Korea if it’s attacked. At the same time, a plurality opposes sending more U.S. troops there.

-- Some companies already charge smokers more for health insurance, and 54% of Americans think that's a good idea.

-- As the federal Food and Drug Administration pushes to remove caffeine from alcoholic energy drinks such as Four Loko and Joose, new polling finds that Americans have mixed views on such a ban.

-- Most Americans continue to view Thanksgiving as one of the nation's most important holidays. Generally, Christmas and the Fourth of July rate higher, while Memorial Day and Veterans Day are nearly as popular. Halloween and St. Patrick's Day are near the bottom of the list.

-- It’s no secret that the holiday season is a time of joy, sharing - and eating. Nearly half of Americans admit they will most likely eat too much on Thanksgiving.
By Doug64
#13567202
And the polls for the week ending 12-3-10, with a lameduck Congress and the Christmas season upon us.

Out with the old, in with the new. That’s what many shoppers are likely to be thinking this time of year, and what many voters may have in mind as well.

Most voters continue to give the current Congress poor marks in its closing days, and they still don't believe the national legislature has passed anything to significantly improve life in America. Voters are not expecting much from the incoming Congress either. Only 33% think it’s even somewhat likely that Congress will cut government spending significantly over the next year. GOP voters are among the most doubtful.

Most voters, in fact, still expect government spending to increase during the Obama years.

In the shorter-term, most voters are optimistic that Congress will extend the Bush tax cuts for all Americans. To ensure passage of those tax cuts, some Republicans are reportedly signing on to Democrats’ hopes to continue funding unemployment benefits for up to 99 weeks. Nearly half (49%) of American adults think providing unemployment benefits for that long tends to increase unemployment.

While Democrats point to the new national health care law as a landmark achievement, 58% of voters continue to favor repeal of that measure, and 47% believe repeal is at least somewhat likely with a new Congress coming to town.

Spending cuts and tax increases were front and center this week among the proposals recommended by President Obama’s bipartisan deficit reduction commission. While a majority of the commission’s members failed to agree on a set plan for deficit reduction, the new Congress is still expected to consider many of the proposals suggested by the group in the months ahead.

Americans are receptive to a proposal to increase the level of income taxable for Social Security, but most don’t like the idea of raising the retirement age as part of a plan to make Social Security financially solvent in the long term.

The commission also looked at ways to overhaul one of the most sacred of sacred cows – the income tax deduction on interest paid on home mortgages. Americans are narrowly divided when asked about possible ways to limit that deduction.

The president on Monday proposed a freeze on the salaries of federal employees for the next two years as an effort to help rein in the growing federal budget deficit. Two-thirds of voters think would like to see a 10% reduction in the federal payroll.

Military spending is on the cutting block, too, as a deficit reduction measure. Most voters correctly recognize that the United States spends more on the military and national security than any other nation in the world. Nearly half believe America spends more on national defense than it does on Social Security, but the reality is that the expenditures are about the same.

Voters continue to blame the George W. Bush administration more than President Obama's policies for the country's ongoing economic problems. Yet despite their concerns about the economy, most voters still worry that the federal government will do too much in trying to turn things around.

Several economic indicators suggest that pessimism about the economy is declining, but there’s still a long way to go.

The Rasmussen Consumer Index for the full month of November shows the highest level of economic confidence in more than two-and-a-half years. However, most adults still believe the country is in a recession and overall levels of confidence remain lower than they were in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Nearly half of all Americans have begun their holiday shopping in the wake of Black Friday, but most are still planning to spend less than a year ago. Still, the spending expectations are less bleak than last year at this time.

One of the constants in Rasmussen Consumer Index tracking is that women are more skeptical about the economy than men. Some might say that women are more pessimistic, while others might say more realistic.

The Rasmussen Employment Index, which measures worker confidence in the employment market reached its highest level since September 2008 - for the third straight month. Twenty-one percent (21%) say their firms are hiring and 21% report lay-offs.

Economic confidence among the nation's small business owners also rose for the third straight month and is now nearly 11 points higher than a year ago, according to the Discover (R) Small Business Watch (SM). Again, however, it’s reduced pessimism rather than renewed optimism driving the numbers. Forty-three percent (43%) of small business owners have experienced cash flow difficulties. That’s down from 53% in August.

Politically, November marked another significant finding. Thirty-six percent (36%) of American Adults identified themselves as Republicans; 34.7% considered themselves Democrats, and 29.3% were not affiliated with either major party. That’s the largest number of Republicans since February 2005 and the first time ever that Rasmussen Reports polling has found more people identifying as Republicans than Democrats. If prior history is any guide, these gains may start to fade when the GOP actually takes over the House of Representatives.

Republicans now hold a six-point lead over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot. The GOP has led on the ballot since June of last year.

The president’s overall job approval ratings fell a point for the full month of November. Daily updates are measured by the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll.

Voters are strongly concerned about the impact of the latest dump of sensitive and secret U.S. data on the Internet by the WikiLeaks organization and think the U.S. government needs to do a better job protecting that kind of information.

Most voters believe public release of U.S. secret and confidential documents hurts national security, and they consider the leaking of such information to be an act of treason.

In other surveys last week:

-- Most voters who fly appear comfortable with the federal Transportation Safety Administration’s new airport security measures including full-body scans and pat downs.

-- Just 29% of voters now say the country is heading in the right direction. Confidence in the nation's current course has been hovering around the 30% mark since last November.

-- Many Americans are getting into the Christmas spirit this holiday season but not as many plan to have a Christmas tree in their home this year.

-- Sixty percent (60%) of Americans plan on decorating their homes this holiday season, but just 22% of those who plan to decorate have gotten the job done so far.

-- As Americans crowd stores nationwide, most still prefer being greeted by signs that say “Merry Christmas” rather than “Happy Holidays.”
By Doug64
#13574823
The polls for the week ending 12-10-10:

President Obama threw a couple curve balls in the last few days when it comes to the economy - closing a deal with congressional Republicans that would continue the Bush tax cuts for all Americans and extending a ban on offshore drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and along the Eastern seaboard.

While the liberal wing of the president's party in Congress is in open revolt over the tax cut deal, 56% of voters favor the agreement that extends the Bush tax cuts for all Americans for two more years, cuts the Social Security payroll tax rate for one year and renews long-term unemployment benefits for an additional 13 months.

But then it's not just about the tax cuts: A plurality (43%) of Adults think the appropriate role for the government is to provide programs like unemployment insurance to help people through difficult times.

Adding an element of surprise to the deal was the finding just before it was announced that voters are even less confident than they were a month ago that the president can work with the new GOP majority in the House. Voters are also less confident that members of both major parties will be able to work together in Washington.

The drilling ban isn't as popular with voters. Most, in fact, expect that decision to drive up gas prices and hurt the economy.

These days, just 36% of Americans are at least somewhat confident in those who advise the president on economic policy.

Americans remain pessimistic about the chances for economic recovery in the short-term and continue to pin their hopes on a long-term turnaround. Only 36% of Adults believe the U.S. economy will be stronger a year from now.

Although the United States has officially been out of an economic recession for over a year, Americans are even more pessimistic about how long it will take the housing and stock markets to recover. Seventy-one percent (71%) now predict the housing market won't recover for three years or more, while 55% expect it to take three years or more for the stock market to come back.

Largely unchanged since January are views about the country's job market. Forty-three percent (43%) believe that anyone who wants to work in America can find a job, but just as many (44%) disagree.

Though Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has announced plans to commit another $600 billion to the banking system in an effort to jumpstart the economy, most Americans still aren't confident the Fed can control inflation and keep interest rates down.

Speaking of the Fed, Ron Paul, one of Congress' sharpest critics of the Federal Reserve, has been chosen to lead the House subcommittee that monitors the Fed's activities, and he promises to push again for a full audit of the nation's central bank Seventy-four percent (74%) of Americans think an audit of the Fed is a good idea.

The Discover U.S. Spending Monitor offered the one economic bright spot of the week: Consumer confidence in November reached its highest point in three years and saw its biggest month-to-month increase since April as more Americans believe U.S. economic conditions are improving and their personal finances are getting better.

From 2005 to early 2009, entrepreneurs were more confident about the economy than government employees, private sector employees, retirees and other Americans, according to the Rasmussen Consumer Index. However, since March of last year, government workers have been the most confident (or, perhaps, the least pessimistic).

Still, Americans historically have always worked to make sure their children were better off than they were, but the number who believe today's youth will be better off than their parents has fallen to its lowest level ever. Only 17% of Adults think today's children will be better off than their parents.

Despite official Washington's increasing fixation on the federal budget deficit, most voters think cutting federal spending is a bigger priority.

One spending measure incoming congressional Republicans have in their sights is the new national health care law. Most voters continue to support repeal of that law and believe it will increase both health care costs and the deficit.

Another big ticket budget item that will be under close scrutiny is military spending, much of which goes these days to the war in Afghanistan. Following President Obama's surprise visit to Afghanistan last week, many Americans question what the military goals are in that war and think history will not look kindly on U.S. efforts there.

Voter confidence in the outcome of the war in Afghanistan has fallen to a new low.

The number of voters who believe the terrorists are winning the War on Terror is also at its highest level in over three years. Thirty-seven percent (37%) think the United States and its allies are winning the War on Terror, but nearly as many (32%) say the terrorists are winning.

The president sent shock waves through his own party with the tax cut deal, but voters continue to have mixed feelings about his leadership style. Twenty-eight percent (28%) view the president's leadership as too confrontational, while 30% say he's too cooperative. Another 31% say his leadership style is about right.

At week's end, 46% of voters approved of the president's job performance in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll, while 53% disapproved.

In other surveys last week:

-- Just 26% of Likely U.S. Voters now say the country is heading in the right direction. Seventy percent (70%) say the country is heading down the wrong track, the highest level found since March.

-- Republicans hold a five-point lead over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot. The GOP has led on the ballot since June of last year.

-- Voters nationwide continue to show little optimism about America's relationship with the Muslim world.

-- Most U.S. voters continue to be concerned about global warming but still are more inclined to think it's caused by planetary trends rather than human activity.

-- An overwhelming majority of Americans celebrate Christmas, and for most of those who celebrate, it's a religious holiday rather than a secular one despite the strong commercial overtones of the season.

-- Very few Americans are offended when someone wishes them a "Merry Christmas," but most are more likely to say "Happy Holidays" to someone else rather than risk offending them.

-- Seventeen percent (17%) of Americans say they have now finished all of their holiday shopping, but 36% still haven't even started shopping yet.
By Grognonours
#13575095
Genghis Khan wrote:Compared to who?


Why does it have to be compared to anyone? Why is it a competition?

Genghis Khan wrote: Great. Except whenever you ask the GOP where to cut, they start mumbling like they had a lobotomy.


Why ask the Republicans? The Democrats have been in charge of Congress since '07 and have had complete control for about 2 years now. Besides, the Democrats haven't asked for input from the Republicans on any issue since taking over Congress so why do you think it matters?

Genghis Khan wrote:Their numbers tend to favor Republicans more so than any other pollster.


From what I've seen they are fairly close to the actual results but if you have proof of anything else please post it.
User avatar
By Genghis Khan
#13575185
Grognonours wrote:Why does it have to be compared to anyone? Why is it a competition?


Saying U.S pays "more than enough" is a comparable term. What is enough, and who determines what is enough?

Grognonours wrote:Why ask the Republicans?


Because they're the ones who keep saying they're gonna cut spending, and now they have the house, and already they've agreed to more high end tax cuts and unemployment insurance with the President, none of which constitutes "cutting spending".

Grognonours wrote:From what I've seen they are fairly close to the actual results but if you have proof of anything else please post it.


A lot of pollsters are "fairly close" to the actual results. I'm just saying that when Republicans wanna feel good about up and coming elections, they're usually go to Rasmussen.
By Doug64
#13575218
Genghis Khan wrote:Saying U.S pays "more than enough" is a comparable term. What is enough, and who determines what is enough?

Ultimately, the voters.

Genghis Khan wrote:A lot of pollsters are "fairly close" to the actual results. I'm just saying that when Republicans wanna feel good about up and coming elections, they're usually go to Rasmussen.

It's only comforting if they have good reason to believe that the numbers are accurate, and they usually are.
User avatar
By Exponent_
#13575465
Reactions to polls by partisans always humor me. When the polls back up their arguments, they tout them. When the polls contradict them, they discount them. This obviously applies to posters, but it is more so a commentary on those in the public sphere.
By Doug64
#13580294
And for the last weekend before Christmas:

President Obama and senior congressional Republicans eked out a victory this week on the bill extending the Bush tax cuts for two years, cutting the federal payroll tax for a year, and extending emergency unemployment benefits for 13 months.

Just prior to the final votes in the House and Senate, most voters still approved of the tax cutting deal between the president and Republicans in Congress, but support had slipped to 52%.

Given the experience of recent decades, it’s perhaps not surprising that 46% of all voters expect the winning Tea Party candidates to sell out and become just like other politicians. Only 34% disagree. Most Tea Party members expect those candidates to stay true, but 61% of those with no ties to the movement think the Tea Party candidates will become just like other politicians.

Just 23% of all voters now say the country is heading in the right direction. That’s the most pessimistic finding since January 2009.

While a plurality of voters continues to give Obama positive ratings on his handling of national security issues, his ratings on economic issues remain near all-time lows. Only 36% think the president is doing a good or excellent job handling economic issues.

Overall, voters still trust Republicans more than Democrats on the economy and on seven out of the 10 most important issues regularly surveyed by Rasmussen Reports.

Still, consumer and investor confidence remains higher than it was last year at this time.

Overall, at week’s end, the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll finds that 44% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of Obama’s performance, while 54% disapprove.

Time doesn’t seem to be winning the new national health care law any more friends. Most voters have favored repeal of the law every week since it was passed, and support for repeal has now inched up to its highest level since mid-September at 60%.

On the domestic front, the president this past week also signed into law a measure that, for the first time, gives the federal government the authority to regulate all foods at schools, including what's in vending machines. But most Americans would rather see that authority in someone else's hands such as parent/teacher groups or local governments.

Voters also are more concerned than ever that the ongoing Obama administration effort to close the Guantanamo prison camp in Cuba will allow dangerous terrorists to go free.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is urging Congress not to pass pending legislation that would ban the transfer of terrorism suspects from the Guantanamo prison in Cuba to the United States for any reason. The administration plans to try some of those suspects in U.S. courts.

But a plurality (46%) of voters favor a ban on transferring the suspected terrorists to this country, and 63% say terrorist suspects should be tried before military tribunals rather than in civilian courts.

Voters still strongly believe that gaining control of the border should be the immigration priority. Sixty-five percent (65%) say gaining control of the border is more important in terms of immigration legislation that legalizing the status of undocumented workers already living in the United States. These numbers are consistent with findings for years.

Yet voters are evenly divided over whether young people brought to this country illegally by their parents should be viewed as breaking the law. Making a distinction between illegal immigrants and their children is at the heart of the so-called DREAM Act that some in Congress are hoping to pass before the end of the lame duck session.

For the first time since Obama took office in January 2009, only 35% of voters say he thinks U.S. society is fair and decent. Voters, on the other hand, are nearly twice as likely to feel that way.

It becomes a hot-button issue this time every year: Should religious symbols be displayed on public land, or is that a violation of the long-standing separation between church and state? While legal battles continue to arise, Americans still overwhelmingly support such displays, and 80% think religious holidays should be celebrated in public schools.

In other surveys last week:

-- Republicans hold a six-point lead over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending December 12, 2010.

-- One-out-of-two Americans now use some sort of social networking site such as Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn or Twitter, but an overwhelming majority of Adults are concerned about the safety of personal information on these sites.

-- The federal government recently reported than 14% of the U.S. population or a record 42.9 million people received food stamps in September. But 40% of Americans still think it's too hard to get food stamps in this country, while just 17% it's too easy.

-- A sizable number of voters continue to believe that relations between Israel and the United States will worsen in the year ahead. Just 13% think America's relationship with Israel will be better in a year's time, the lowest level measure since July.

-- Americans are evenly divided when asked if the holiday season is joyful or stressful.

-- Despite the stress and the expense of shopping at this time of year, Americans overwhelmingly like the idea of giving gifts.

-- At the beginning of the week, 22% of Adults were finished with their holiday shopping, but 35% hadn’t even started yet.

-- Just over half of American adults are concerned about the safety of toys being sold this holiday season despite the fact that most have yet to buy a toy recalled for safety reasons.

-- Americans appear to be in a more charitable mood this holiday season than they were last year. Seventy-three percent (73%) of Adults say it’s at least somewhat likely they will make a charitable donation of some kind this time of year, compared to 62% this time last year.

-- Guess Americans have been a little nicer this year. More Adults think Santa will find them on his nice list this Christmas season compared to last year.

-- Americans appear slightly more likely to travel this holiday season than they were a year ago.
By Doug64
#13585773
Merry Christmas! I hope everyone has had a safe and fun holiday. For the weekly poll fix:

Time out! Christmas is an appropriate time to take a break from the political and social battles that dominate the landscape the rest of the year. After all, it's still the nation’s most important holiday as far as Americans are concerned, edging the Fourth of July.

More than eight-out of ten Americans celebrate Christmas and 70% do so primarily as a religious holiday honoring the birthday of Jesus. Among those who celebrate Christmas, 81% believe Jesus Christ is the son of God sent to Earth to die for our sins.

But the commercial aspects of the holiday season add a strong element of stress to this peaceful time of year. Our final shopping survey late last week found that one-in-three adults still had holiday gift shopping left to do with only a couple days until Christmas. Seventeen percent (17%) hadn’t even begun shopping yet.

That stress probably helps explain why 45% of Adults say they are having difficulty getting into the Christmas spirit this year.

Speaking of spending, more Americans are confident about using their credit cards for purchases on the Internet this year in spite of an increase in the number of adults who say they've been the victims of credit card theft online.

Despite the busy shopping season, fewer Americans with credit cards think they'll miss a payment in the next six months, compared to past surveys.

Still, Americans overwhelmingly agree that credit cards entice people into spending money they don't have. Eighty-one percent (81%) think that most Americans need to cut back on credit card spending but only 36% think they personally need to cut back.

While consumers have indicated slightly less reluctance to spend this holiday season, most voters still don’t think the government has it right when it comes to the economy.

Just 24% think the current policies of the federal government have put the U.S. economy on the right course, a finding unchanged since September when President Obama made the claim.

The Rasmussen Reports Consumer and Investor Indexes, which monitor daily confidence in those groups, showed little movement over the past week but still show economic confidence remains slightly higher than it was a year ago.

Voters continue to send mixed signals about the $787-billion economic stimulus plan approved last year by Congress, even as spending for some portions of the plan begin to run out.

For the first time since Democrats in Congress passed the health care bill in March, a majority of voters believe the measure is likely to be repealed. Voters have consistently for months favored repeal and have predicted the bill will drive up health care costs and the federal deficit.

With the national unemployment rate at 9.8 percent, the president in a recent meeting with top U.S. business leaders urged them to use some of their ample cash reserves to create new jobs, and voters think that’s a good idea. But they draw the line at the government making the businesses spend their money that way.

Most voters think the most important role for government, in fact, is to protect their individual rights. But right now many voters are angry at the government’s policies and question their constitutionality.

While the midterm elections initially brought some good will to the voter ratings for the top congressional leaders, the subsequent month seems to have taken it away. Ratings for the four leaders as the current session of Congress draws to a close have now fallen back to their pre-election levels, with Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid unpopular with most voters and the lesser-known Republican leaders John Boehner and Mitch McConnell earning mixed marks.

It will be interesting to see how those numbers move once Republicans take over the House next month and Boehner replaces Pelosi as speaker of the House.

For the second week in a row, just 23% of Likely U.S. Voters say the country is heading in the right direction. This remains the most pessimistic finding since January 2009.

Unhappiness with the government’s policies and the direction of the country prompted the rise of the Tea Party movement that has been widely credited with playing a major role in Election 2010. New Rasmussen Reports numbers give a clearer picture of who makes up the movement at year’s end.

Most voters expect that the grass roots movement will have as much, if not more, influence on the 2012 political campaigns. Tea Party members are much more emphatic: 79% expect their movement to play a bigger role in 2012.

At week’s end, the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll found that 46% of voters approve of the job Obama is doing, while 53% disapprove. His approval ratings have remained remarkably stable throughout the entire year of 2010.

In other surveys last week:

-- Republicans hold a seven-point lead over Democrats – 45% to 38% - on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending December 19.

-- The Senate late Wednesday approved the START Treaty that calls for a reduction in the nuclear weapons stockpiles of both Russia and the United States, but only 27% of voters trust Russia to honor the nuclear weapons agreement.

-- Though a sizable number of voters view the religious faith of political candidates as important, they don’t want their local religious leaders telling them who to vote for. Voters have mixed feelings about how much influence religious leaders have when it comes to U.S. government policy, but very few believe most politicians put their religious faith first.

-- Americans overwhelmingly say major entertainment awards don't determine what movies or TV shows they watch or what music they buy.

-- The New England Patriots were the first team in the National Football League to punch their ticket to the playoffs, and now one-in-three football fans expects they will win this year’s Super Bowl.

-- Two of the more compelling stories in the National Football League this year are the resurrection of Michael Vick’s career and the impending end of Brett Favre’s. A survey of 3,300 professional football fans shows that 47% view Vick favorably, while 55% see Favre in a favorable light.

-- There has been much controversy over the new National Football League helmet-to-helmet contact rules, but a strong majority of professional football fans support these safety penalties.
By Doug64
#13590876
And for the last poll collection from 2010:

Congress didn’t take much time off for the holidays, but what a difference a couple of weeks could make. Or will they?

The new Congress, with Republicans firmly in charge of the House of Representatives, will convene this coming week. The preceding congressional session with Democrats controlling both the Senate and the House closed its doors just before Christmas, with voters as critical of it as they have been for months.

For the second time this month, in fact, 60% of Likely Voters at least somewhat favor repeal of the national health care law, which many in the previous Congress consider perhaps its greatest achievement.

Despite the Bush tax cut deal and the passage of the START nuclear treaty in the recently ended lame duck session of Congress, most voters still believe congressional Republicans and Democrats are behaving in a partisan manner. But the number who believe President Obama is governing like a partisan Democrat has fallen below 50% for the first time since May 2009. Voters initially expressed doubts about whether the president could work with the new GOP majority in the House, so it will be interesting to see how Obama’s partisan ratings fare in the weeks ahead.

Meanwhile, the number of voters who expect their own personal taxes to increase under the Obama administration has fallen to its lowest level since April 2009.

Nearly two years into the Obama presidency, voters still believe the nation’s continuing economic problems are due more to President George W. Bush than to the policies of the current occupant of the White House.

The final Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for the year found that 48% of voters at least somewhat approve of Obama’s performance, while 51% disapprove. These numbers have remained remarkably stable throughout 2010.

While the deal to extend the Bush tax cuts alienated the president from many in his own party and made a lot of conservative Republicans unhappy, nearly one-in-three voters don’t even know how their local congressman voted on the recent legislation.

But then while the new Census and its impact on congressional redistricting are hot topics in Washington. D.C., only 33% of voters are Very Closely following recent news stories about them. That puts them way below the level of interest in the top stories of 2010.

Speaking of the real world, winter began while Congress was out of session, and more than one-third of Americans already say the season is worse than it has been in recent years.

Republicans hold a five-point lead over Democrats – 43% to 38% - on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending December 26, 2010.

The new Congress clearly has its hands full, with Americans sending mixed signals about the short-term future. Right now, 31% of voters say the country is heading in the right direction, the highest level of optimism found since late October.

At the same time, however, adults are less optimistic about the upcoming year than they’ve been in the previous seven years of surveying just before New Year’s Day.

The Rasmussen Consumer and Investor Indexes held relatively steady at week’s end but offered little hope for economic optimism.

One potential political sore spot on the horizon is the Federal Communications Commission’s just-announced plans to regulate some Internet traffic. Voters believe free market competition will protect Internet users more than government regulation, and they fear that regulation will be used to push a political agenda.

In other surveys last week:

-- Three-out-of-four voters (73%) fear a terrorist threat more than a nuclear attack.

-- In a year loaded with news, Rasmussen Reports’ regular nightly political tracking found that voters in 2010 paid most attention to stories about unemployment and job creation, the disastrous oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, the health care debate and the extension of the Bush tax cuts.

-- The Gulf oil leak was also tops in reader interest in our regular economic surveying for 2010.

-- Most Americans still get their weather news from local television despite the variety of news sources available these days, and fewer adults believe the media overhypes the weather.

-- One-in-five voters now regularly get news and political updates on their phones or other portable electronic devices.

-- This New Year’s Eve, most Americans didn’t plan on attending a party or even a dinner, but a sizable number intended to enjoy a drink. Most adults planned to be home and wide awake at midnight to welcome the new year.

-- Only one-third of Americans say they’ll make a resolution for the New Year, but those who make one are sure they’ll keep it through 2011. A lot of Americans planned to watch football on New Year’s Day, too.
By Doug64
#13596824
And here's the first collection of polls for 2011:

The Washington landscape for the next two years began to take shape this past week, with Republicans taking charge of the House and President Obama shaking up his White House staff to meet the challenge of his new, energized opposition.

The new House’s first significant move is expected next week when it is likely to vote to repeal the national health care plan passed by congressional Democrats last March. The Senate isn’t likely to go along but many Senators will be positioning themselves with 2012 in mind.

Most voters continue to favor repeal of the health care plan as they have since it first became law. But with repeal unlikely in the immediate short-term, some opponents have suggested that House Republicans simply refuse to fund the portions of the law they don’t like. A plurality of voters think Congress should repeal a law it doesn’t like rather than just defund it, but only 29% of voters think Congress should be required to fully fund a law if it is unable to repeal the legislation.

Barely two weeks separated the close of one session of Congress and the opening of another, but voters, very sour on the previous Congress, are already expressing doubts about the new set of legislators.

The Tea Party, for one, is lighting a fire under congressional Republicans to repeal the health care plan and cut the size of government, but voters still expect government spending, taxes and the deficit to go up over the next two years.

Interestingly, voters see “Tea Party” a bit less negatively as a political label these days, while “liberal” and “progressive” have lost ground even among Democrats.

Two-out-of-three voters (67%) of voters think it is at least somewhat likely that most voters will be disappointed with Republicans in Congress before the 2012 elections. Even more (82%) predict unhappiness with congressional Democrats by 2012.

In December, the number of American adults calling themselves Republicans increased to 37.0%, while the number calling themselves Democrats fell by a point to 33.7%. Those figures reflect the largest number of Republicans in the nation since December 2004 and the lowest number of Democrats ever recorded in tracking since November 2002.

Speaking of 2012, halfway through his first term in the White House, voters remain narrowly divided over the president’s performance as the nation's chief executive. Forty-two percent (42%) think the president is doing a good or excellent job, while 35% rate his performance as poor.

No matter how you look at the numbers, public perceptions of the president as measured by the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll have remained remarkably stable for over a year. With just a single exception, the president’s approval index rating has stayed between -14 and -17 for 13 straight months.

Yet while Obama continues to earn sky-high job approval ratings among Democrats, there are significant enthusiasm gaps among various segments of the president's party.

But the economy is the potential game-breaker with the potential to alter the political landscape dramatically. The number of voters who rate the economy as a Very Important issue (87%) has now reached its highest level since early August 2008.

How do Americans view the economy these days?

Most American homeowners continue to show little optimism that the housing market will turn around in the next year, although they are more hopeful than they have been in several months that things will get better in the long term.

Confidence in a house as a family's best investment appears to be inching back up, but Americans continue to say now is not a good time to sell a home in the area they live in. Fifty-five percent (55%) of Adults say buying a home is the best investment most families can make. That’s a slight improvement from November, but it’s down 18 points from a high of 73% in February 2009.

One-in-three homeowners now say they owe more on their mortgage than their home is worth, although slightly fewer expect to miss a house payment in the next six months.

After four months of gains, the Rasmussen Employment Index, which measures the confidence of workers in the employment market, dropped eight points in December from the recent high reached the month before. Still, at 75.5, December’s index was up 10 points from the beginning of 2010 and 12 points from December 2009.

Perhaps most significantly, however, the Rasmussen Consumer and Investor Indexes, which measure the economic confidence of both groups on a daily basis, hit two-year highs just before the government report on unemployment and job creation was released.

Confidence on the national security front is harder to find. Even as the president insists that troop withdrawals will begin in July as scheduled, voter confidence in the course of the war in Afghanistan remains low. Just 19% of voters think the situation in Afghanistan will get better in the next six months.

Only 38% believe the United States and its allies are winning the war on terror, while 30% feel the terrorists are winning that war.

In other surveys last week:

-- Just 27% of voters say the country is heading in the right direction. Confidence in the nation's current course hovered around the 30% mark for roughly a year but has been falling since the end of November.

-- Republicans hold a 10-point lead over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot. That’s a five-point jump from last week, but it's far from clear if the findings mark a real upswing in GOP support as the new Congress convenes or are just statistical noise.

-- Democrats on the Federal Communications Commission are pushing for government regulation of the Internet, including online search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing. Most Internet users in America say they go online to answer routine questions and give overwhelmingly positive marks to those search engines. But those users also worry about the privacy of their searches.

-- In the first survey conducted since Justice Elena Kagan has actively participated in U.S. Supreme Court hearings, positives for the high court held steady, while negatives are down from a record low November.

-- A majority (56%) of voters continue to share a favorable impression of first lady Michelle Obama.

-- It’s less than one month into winter, and already strong blizzards have bombarded the East and West Coasts. But most Americans don't think global warming is to blame.

-- Looks like a few more Americans will be taking a vacation this winter. Twenty percent (21%) of Adults, in fact, have taken or plan to take a winter vacation this year, compared to 19% a year ago.

-- Many Americans celebrated the arrival of a new year, but very few actually feel New Year’s Day is one of our nation’s most important holidays.
By Doug64
#13602138
And the latest polls:

It’s back to business for the new Congress this coming week following the tragic shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the killing of six others in Arizona. First up in the House is a vote to repeal the national health care bill passed last year by Democrats in the previous Congress.

Although that vote in the Republican-led House will be largely symbolic for now given continuing Democratic control of the Senate and White House, voter support for repeal of the health care law remains high, as does belief that the measure is likely to be repealed.

One reason for that support is the view by 75% of voters that the health care law is likely to cost more than official estimates. Some supporters of the law say its repeal will drive up the federal budget deficit, but most voters believe repeal will either reduce or have no impact on government spending and the deficit.

There’s no question that voters want to see the health care law changed, but there is substantial disagreement about how best to do it. Overall, 75% of voters want to change the law: 20% who want the law repealed and nothing done to replace it; 28% who want it repealed and then have its most popular provisions put into a new law, and 27% who say leave the law in place but get rid of the unpopular provisions.

Some have argued that the angry tone of the debate over health care and other issues led to the shooting of Giffords last weekend. While Americans have closely followed news stories about the incident, most don’t feel politics was the cause of it. Fifty-eight percent (58%) say it was a random act of violence by an unstable person.

In fact, voter concern that opponents of President Obama’s policies will turn to violence has declined slightly over the past year. Forty-five percent (45%) of voters are at least somewhat concerned that those opposed to the president’s policies will resort to violence, but 52% do not share that concern. Those figures are similar to results from the fall of 2009.

While some in Congress have proposed tougher gun control as a response to the incident in Arizona, only 29% of Americans think stricter anti-gun laws would help prevent shootings of that kind. Sixty-two percent (62%) disagree and say stronger gun control would not make a difference. Despite last Saturday’s tragedy, overall opposition to gun control is at a new high.

Voters continue to believe the average Democrat in Congress is more liberal than they are but remain more evenly divided over the ideology of the average congressional Republican. Voters also still feel the GOP agenda in Congress is less extreme than that of congressional Democrats.

Republicans hold an 11-point lead over Democrats – 47% to 36% - on the Generic Congressional Ballot.

Yet despite the GOP takeover of the House, 60% of all voters remain convinced that no matter how bad things are, Congress can always find a way to make them worse.

Obama’s overall job approval ratings show little change this past week in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll.

One big thing voters are looking to the president and Congress members from both parties to fix is the continuing bad economy.

The number of Americans who expect a rise in interest rates has reached its highest level in nearly two years. Fifty-seven percent (57%) now predict interest rates will be higher one year from now.

And who says there’s no inflation? Most adults say they are paying more for groceries now compared to a year ago, and the number who expect to spend more a year from now is at its highest level in nearly two years.

The majority of Americans also continue to lack confidence in the stability of the U.S. banking system, although they remain unworried that they will lose their money due to a bank failure.

Still, at week’s end, the Rasmussen Consumer Index, which measures the economic confidence of consumers on a daily basis, was up 11 points from a month ago. The Rasmussen Investor Index also reached its second highest reading so far this year.

As the nation prepares to honor civil rights pioneer Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, Americans tend to think their fellow citizens talk too much about race, but most agree that we have yet to achieve a level playing field for all races in this country. Only 31% believe we’ve reached the day King preached about when men and women of all races have equal opportunity in America.

In other surveys last week:

-- Only eight National Football League teams are left heading into this weekend’s divisional playoff round, and the New England Patriots remain the top pick among fans to win the Super Bowl.

-- Twenty-six percent (26%) of voters say the country is heading in the right direction. That’s back to levels found in early December.

-- With states across the country finding that benefits for public workers are becoming nearly impossible to fund in the current economic climate, support for public employee unions has fallen. Americans are evenly divided on the idea of a sizable pay cut for all public employees to help reduce the large budget deficits that many states are facing.

-- Regular Internet users nationwide overwhelmingly agree that the Internet provides more bang for their buck than cable television. Most Internet users also give high marks to online search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing and don't think the government needs to regulate their responses.

-- A year ago, a massive earthquake hit the island of Haiti, killing thousands of people and making thousands more homeless. One-in-three Americans (32%) say they have contributed or will contribute to the ongoing relief effort there.

-- The number of voters who say investing in renewable energy resources is the best investment for America has reached its highest level – 66% - since the beginning of 2010.

-- No NFL football in 2011? It’s a possibility, but professional football fans don’t appear to be paying much attention. Just one-in-three of those fans (33%) are following the current labor negotiations between the NFL owners and the players association.
By Groih
#13602296
-- Only eight National Football League teams are left heading into this weekend’s divisional playoff round, and the New England Patriots remain the top pick among fans to win the Super Bowl.


Annnnd the American people get another one wrong. :lol:
By Doug64
#13607290
For your perusal:

Things appear to be looking up a bit for President Obama who on Friday posted his highest job approval numbers in nearly a year in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll.

Tacking to the center after the Democrats’ disastrous showing in the midterm elections, most notably with the Bush tax cut deal, seems to be paying off for the president.

Most voters (57%) also have a favorable opinion of Obama’s response to the recent tragic shootings of a congresswoman and the killing of six others in Arizona, although they feel the incident will have no lasting impact on the political debate in the country. On the other hand, voters give mixed marks to the media’s handling of the shootings, and most (56%) say the coverage focused too much on the political angle of the story.

A sizable number of voters plan to watch or follow news reports of the president’s State of the Union speech next Tuesday night, but at the same time they acknowledge that presidents generally don’t accomplish most of what they promise in their annual addresses to the nation.

Despite the recent good news for the president, the Republican-controlled House voted this past week to repeal the national health care law, his chief legislative accomplishment of the last two years. The repeal effort is likely to die a slow death in the Senate, but health care will remain at the center of the national political debate through the 2012 elections.

Most voters (55%) continue to favor repeal of the health care law passed by Democrats in Congress last year.

Although the Congressional Budget Office claims repealing the law will increase the federal budget deficit, a plurality of voters disagrees with that assessment. At the same time, most feel free market competition will do more to cut health care costs than government regulation.

However, voters for the first time are slightly less fearful of having their health care decisions made by the federal government than by private insurers.It will be interesting to see if this is the beginning of a trend or just a one-time finding.

Last-minute deal-making on the health care bill prevented its public posting until just before the vote last March, and in response to complaints about the handling of it and other legislation, new House Speaker John Boehner has said all bills will be posted publicly online three days before the House votes. But voters say overwhelmingly that’s not long enough: 33% say bills should be posted one week before a vote except in the case of an emergency, and another 59% think posting should take place two weeks or more in advance.

After all, just 11% of voters think most members of Congress read laws now before they vote on them.

Voters have consistently expressed more confidence in their own economic judgment than that of the average member of Congress, and 47% fear the government will do too much in responding to the nation’s current economic problems. Forty percent (40%) worry that the government will not do enough.

But then Americans feel more strongly than ever that the government is more concerned with making Wall Street firms profitable than making the financial system work for the rest of us.

Most voters (53%), looking back, still think that the bailouts of banks, auto companies and insurance companies, for example, were bad for the United States. Thirty-one percent (31%) disagree and feel the bailouts were good for the country.

A surprising number of voters unhappy with government bailouts are ready to act themselves rather than rely on Congress. Forty-one percent (41%) say they are at least somewhat likely to boycott all companies that have been bailed out by the government, with 16% who say they are Very Likely to do so.

House Republicans are proposing to follow their repeal of the health care bill with billions in spending cuts, and most voters (68%) continue to favor a government that offers fewer services and lower taxes.

Voters now trust the GOP more than Democrats on all 10 of the most important issues regularly surveyed by Rasmussen Reports including the economy, health care, taxes and national security. After holding double-digit leads for the past two weeks, Republicans lead Democrats by eight points – 46% to 38% - on the Generic Congressional Ballot.

In the first survey since Boehner was elected speaker of the House, favorable ratings for the Ohio GOP congressman have risen to their highest levels to date. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, now House minority leader, experienced a similar bounce in the polls following her selection as House Speaker.

Regardless of which party’s in charge, only 35% of voters believe that most members of Congress care what their constituents think. Forty-eight percent (48%) say the legislators don’t care, but that’s down 12 points from 60% who felt that way last August.

Congressional Republicans are likely to take a closer look at government-backed mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as they continue to consume billions of taxpayer dollars to cover bad loans. While many Americans have benefited from Fannie and Freddie loans, a majority doesn't hold high opinions of either one.

Only 26% of Americans think the government should be primarily concerned with making it possible for more people to own a home as opposed to making sure that the only people who can get mortgages are those who can afford them. Sixty-three percent (63%) say the government's primary concern should be limiting mortgages to those who can pay them back.

The number of homeowners who say their home is worth more now than when they bought it has plummeted in the past two-and-a-half years. Fifty-one percent (51%) of Adult homeowners now say their home is worth more money today than it was when they bought it, down 29 points from 80% in June 2008.

Americans told us recently that grocery prices continue to rise, and now nearly nine-out-of-10 say they are paying more for gas than they were last summer. They expect to pay even more six months from now. Most say $4-a-gallon gas is likely by July 1.

On a more positive note, the Rasmussen and Consumer Indexes ended the week higher than they were through most of last year.

In other surveys last week:

-- Only 27% of voters say the country is heading in the right direction, consistent with findings since early November.

-- Americans continue to hold civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. in high regard but show little confidence in the state of race relations in the country today and into the future.

-- Fifty-five percent (55%) of voters say America’s allies should do what the United States wants more often. But only 41% think the president agrees.

-- Americans are still not rushing out to eat these days, and a good meal at home remains their preferred option. Forty-three percent (43%) of Adults say they are going out to eat less often than they were six months ago. But that's down 14 points from November 2008 when 57% said they eating out less often.

-- Apparently, it's the price and convenience that sells Big Macs, Whoppers and fries, not the way they taste. Among those who eat fast food, 48% say they do so because it's convenient, while 25% say it's because the food is less expensive. Just 16% say they eat fast food because they like it.
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