[Hindsite]

The ads were simply more republican lies directed at those of their followers who are simply not smart enough to know they should vet their sources. And then there is the sleaze factor which has painted all of republican politics. Many of the less sleazy folks like Coaker, McCain and Flake have been driven out. The republican party is a disgrace. And it is my party. I am not leaving because I can do more to expose this filth from within the party.

But I am calling bullshit from now on. You offered nothing but some lukewarm attempt to excuse inexcusable deliberate lies in the ads. You are complicit. You are lending your legitimacy to these despots. Every person who dies because the republicans are trying to dissuade them from getting health insurance that could save their lives NOW is, in part, dying because of YOU. That is how serious this stuff is. The Koch brothers pocketbooks are worth more to you than the lives of thousands in not millions of Americans. You. You support these sellouts. Your fault for their last breaths. Think about that when you go to church tomorrow.

The real reason Coaker and Flake are not running for reelection is that they know they can not win. I doubt if John McCain will run either because of his health. But some consider it as part of draining the swamp in Congress. HalleluYah.

[Drlee]

The real reason Coaker and Flake are not running for reelection is that they know they can not win. I doubt if John McCain will run either because of his health.

You are quite right about this. The attack-of-the-dumb-asses, waged by the likes of Steve Bannon is seriously damaging the party, not to mention the country.

But some consider it as part of draining the swamp in Congress.

Yes. Some do. They are the profoundly unintelligent people to which I frequently refer.

[Doug64]

A little late, a busy weekend with Thor: Ragnarok and losing the world to the gather apocalypse with Pandemic Legacy. Here's last weekend's round-up of polls. Anyone that wants to check out any possible links over the next week can go to the link to the left. (Anyone wanting more details on a particular poll, just ask):

President Trump has been making headlines during his trip to Asia, ending this weekend with stops in Vietnam for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit and in the Philippines.

Previous stops included Japan, South Korea and China, where in addition to trade issues, discussions of North Korean nuclear aggression were paramount, and three U.S. aircraft carrier groups converged in the region where they are conducting exercises.

Most voters welcomed Trump’s decision in January to scrap the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) mega-trade deal.Trump argued that such trade deals lower tariffs on certain nations and kill American jobs. On North Korea, voter attitudes are little changed despite the heated rhetoric between the United States and the rogue communist regime. But voters are less supportive these days of direct military action against North Korea.

The week opened tragically Sunday with a mass shooting at a Texas church that left 26 dead. The U.S. Air Force had court-martialed and discharged the killer for assaulting his wife and child, but had failed to notify the appropriate civil authorities about it. Voters say the country needs to do a better job of enforcing gun laws already on the books rather than limiting gun ownership to government officials such as police and the military.

Following the terrorist attack in New York City six days earlier, most voters continue to believe the United States is less safe today than it was before 9/11, and their concern grows that such attacks are the biggest threat facing the country.

However, even though they think the United States has the upper hand in the War on Terror, a plurality of voters don’t give praise to Trump for it.

Meanwhile, despite stock market jitters over concerns about tax cuts as the week closed, stocks continue to soar among their highest levels to date, the unemployment rate is at its lowest level in 17 years, and consumers are ready to spend just in time for the holidays.

Few voters know much about Trump’s new Federal Reserve Chairman appointee, Jerome Powell, but they don’t believe he is as free from Trump’s influence as he is supposed to be.

For many Democrats and most talking heads, this week’s gubernatorial contests in New Jersey and Virginia, which both proved victorious for the Democratic candidates, were referenda on Trump.

As special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation continues, Democrats see the probe as an honest attempt to determine criminal wrongdoing but Republicans view it as a political witch hunt.

Two-out-of-three voters (66%) believe the Senate should vote on every person the president nominates to serve as a judge or in a government position, but they feel less strongly that it’s fair for a U.S. senator to oppose a selection based solely on ideological differences.

In other surveys last week:

-- Even many Democrats are wondering if Hillary Clinton was really the choice of party voters last year following the release of a new tell-all book by Donna Brazile, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

-- This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, the communist uprising that led to the creation of the Soviet Union. Nearly three decades after the end of the Soviet threat, 83% of American Adults regard the discredited communist political and economic system unfavorably.

-- A church in Alexandria, Virginia where George Washington worshiped is removing a plaque honoring his attendance there to avoid offending visitors and potential new members. But most Americans say, why bother?

-- Thirty-four percent (34%) now think the country is heading in the right direction.

[Drlee]

For many Democrats and most talking heads, this week’s gubernatorial contests in New Jersey and Virginia, which both proved victorious for the Democratic candidates, were referenda on Trump.

Classic Rasmussan Republican tool garbage.

[Hindsite]

You are quite right about this. The attack-of-the-dumb-asses, waged by the likes of Steve Bannon is seriously damaging the party, not to mention the country.

Well, at least Steve Bannon is no longer in the White House to cause extra trouble.

Yes. Some do. They are the profoundly unintelligent people to which I frequently refer.

They might be correct too.

As special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation continues, Democrats see the probe as an honest attempt to determine criminal wrongdoing but Republicans view it as a political witch hunt.

However, instead of Russian collusion to effect the election, all Mueller has turned up is a guy lying about the time he met with a Russian and two other guys, who may have evaded taxes long before the Presidential campaign.

[Doug64]

Here's last weekend's round-up of polls. Anyone that wants to check out any possible links over the next week can go to the link to the left. (Anyone wanting more details on a particular poll, just ask):

The sexual harassment wildfire born in Hollywood and in the media is now sweeping into the halls of the U.S. Senate.

Senator Al Franken, a Minnesota Democrat, now stands accused of sexual harassment and assault. We’ll let you know early next week if voters think he should resign.

Most voters don’t care for Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, the former judge who now faces multiple allegations of harassing young women, but Republican voters aren't convinced that the Senate GOP leadership should try to deny Moore his seat if he wins next month.

Just prior to his election as president, only 12% of voters said the allegations of sexual harassment by multiple women against Republican nominee Donald Trump changed their decision on which presidential candidate to vote for.

On the other hand, former Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner pleaded guilty earlier this year to texting sexually explicit material to an underage girl, and voters strongly believed he should be put in prison for it. Weiner recently began a 21-month prison sentence.

Looking back in 2015 on Monica Lewinsky, the White House intern who had an affair with President Bill Clinton, 69% said the 22-year-old’s relationship with the 49-year-old president was a consensual one between two adults. Just 22% believe Lewinsky was the victim of an older, more powerful man.

Most Americans see sexual harassment in the workplace as a serious problem, and nearly half have experienced it themselves or know someone who has.

Regardless of the outcome of the Moore and Franken cases, most voters think it’s probable Republicans will lose control of Congress in next year's midterm elections.

Trump’s daily job approval rating remains in the low to mid-40s again this week.

The president just wrapped up a 12-day trip through Asia, and voters who were following his travels most closely tend to think he did a good job, particularly on trade. Voters are more optimistic about U.S.-China relations following his visit with Chinese President Xi Jingping.

Voters by a two-to-one margin agree with the president that it’s better for the United States – and the world - to have Russia on our side.

Congress is moving closer to a major overhaul of the U.S. tax code. But as recently as six weeks ago, most voters said it was unlikely Congress would pass those tax changes, although that included only 11% who said it was Not At All Likely.

The government jobs report for October showed the hurricane-hit U.S. economy rebounding strongly, with the unemployment rate down now to 4.1%, the lowest level since 2000. Confidence in the job market has risen to a new high.

Economic confidence remains high. The latest Rasmussen Reports Consumer Spending Update shows that Americans are ready to spend for the holidays.

Still, only 33% of voters think the country is headed in the right direction.

A sizable number of voters see the secretary of State as the most important Cabinet position these days, but one-in-five voters aren’t familiar with the person currently holding that role.

Seventy-nine percent (79%) of Americans think their fellow countrymen pay too much attention to celebrity news and not enough attention to news that has real impact on their lives.

In other surveys last week:

-- Alcohol-induced deaths on college campuses are back in the news, and many Americans continue to question whether schools are doing enough to prevent them.

-- After the death of a fraternity pledge at Florida State University, all fraternities and sororities at the school have been suspended indefinitely. But Americans aren’t convinced that banning Greek life on campus is the answer.

-- With more states poised to potentially legalize recreational marijuana use, support among voters to legalize it in their state is slowly climbing.

-- A Los Angeles City Council member has introduced a motion to add Hugh Hefner’s storied Playboy Mansion to the city’s registry of historic cultural monuments, an idea that most Americans oppose.

With Donna Brazile's comments about the Democratic Party fixing the primaries for Clinton, here's what Likely Voters think of Clinton generally and the 2016 Democratic primaries specifically. Overall it looks like the country as a whole might accept Brazile's assertions, but not Democrats:

Is Hillary Clinton more ethical, less ethical or about as ethical as most politicians?

• More ethical 18%
• Less ethical 42%
• About as ethical 36%
• Not sure 5%

Republicans

• More ethical 9%
• Less ethical 68%
• About as ethical 20%
• Not sure 3%

Independents

• More ethical 13%
• Less ethical 42%
• About as ethical 42%
• Not sure 4%

Democrats

• More ethical 31%
• Less ethical 17%
• About as ethical 45%
• Not sure 7%

Did Hillary Clinton win last year’s Democratic presidential nomination fairly, or was the Democratic Party’s electoral system rigged against challenger Bernie Sanders?

• Hillary Clinton won last year’s Democratic presidential nomination fairly 32%
• The Democratic Party’s electoral system was rigged against challenger Bernie Sanders 47%
• Not sure 21%

Republicans

• Hillary Clinton won last year’s Democratic presidential nomination fairly 16%
• The Democratic Party’s electoral system was rigged against challenger Bernie Sanders 63%
• Not sure 21%

Independents

• Hillary Clinton won last year’s Democratic presidential nomination fairly 24%
• The Democratic Party’s electoral system was rigged against challenger Bernie Sanders 53%
• Not sure 23%

Democrats

• Hillary Clinton won last year’s Democratic presidential nomination fairly 54%
• The Democratic Party’s electoral system was rigged against challenger Bernie Sanders 27%
• Not sure 19%

[Hindsite]

To "Drlee"

Removing sleazy folks like Coaker, McCain, and Flake is what we call draining the swamp. There are a lot of sleazy Democrats too. Trump is not responsible for putting them in office.

Obamacare is not saving people from death. What keeps many people from getting healthcare is they can't afford the higher cost under Obamacare, in which they have to pay for insurance coverage for what they will never need.

We Republicans care more about our own pocketbooks than that of the Koch brothers. The Koch brothers can easily take care of themselves. We should all pray for the defeat of the RINOs and the liberal Democrats. HalleluYah

[Drlee]

If you wish to post off topic I suggest you start a thread.

[Doug64]

Here's last weekend's round-up of polls. Anyone that wants to check out any possible links over the next week can go to the link to the left. (Anyone wanting more details on a particular poll, just ask):

What are you thankful for?

Stock market indices hit new highs this week. With the unemployment rate down now to 4.1%, the lowest level since 2000, confidence in the job market has risen to a new high.

With much to be thankful for, the overwhelming majority of Americans said they would again be expressing gratitude around the Thanksgiving table.

However, while Thanksgiving is one of the busiest times of the year for travelers, only one-in-five Americans planned to spend this Thanksgiving away from home.

Despite the hoopla surrounding Black Friday, most Americans continue to say they will not partake in one of the biggest days of the year for shopping deals.

Still, many Americans are jumping the gun on holiday shopping this year, with nearly half saying they already started even before Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals hit.

Of course, with spending comes taxes. Republican leaders in Congress aim to pass tax reform legislation by the year’s end, and most voters and even nearly half of Democrats think it important that tax reform happens.

Congress faces other challenges, as well. The sexual abuse scandal news that started in Hollywood has this week climbed the steps of the nation’s capital where the sexual transgression spotlight has shifted from Senator Al Franken to Representative John Conyers as the House Ethics Committee Tuesday opened an investigation into allegations women have made against him.

As it is, most voters — even fellow Democrats by a 45% to 37% margin — say it’s time for Senator Al Franken to go if his accusers are right.

But thinking ahead to next year’s midterm elections, voters are leaning towards returning the Democrats to control of the entire Congress for the first time since early 2011.

In other surveys last week:

-- As Joe Biden travels the country to promote his new book, voters—especially Democrats—have renewed enthusiasm about the possibility of a 2020 presidential run for the former vice president, even though he has not yet committed to entering the race.

-- Thirty-five percent (35%) of voters in a holiday-shortened week of polling now think the country is heading in the right direction.

[Doug64]

Here's last weekend's round-up of polls. Anyone that wants to check out any possible links over the next week can go to the link to the left. (Anyone wanting more details on a particular poll, just ask):

The big names in media and government accused of sexual abuse and assault continued this week to fall like dominoes. NBC Today Show host Matt Lauer and Minnesota Public Radio star Garrison Keillor were both fired on Wednesday.

Michigan Representative John Conyers on Sunday resigned from his position as the House Judiciary Committee’s ranking Democrat and left Washington, but he and Minnesota Senator Al Franken are resisting calls from both parties to resign from Congress even as the number of calls — and accusers —increases.

Though eyebrows are raised, voters say sexual harassment isn't happening more; we’re just talking about it more.

Voters also now have only a slightly less favorable opinion of Bill Clinton, but most believe the women who have accused the former president of sexually abusing them.

In other news, a San Francisco jury on Thursday acquitted Kate Steinle’s killer.

Steinle’s killing inspired “Kate’s Law,” a measure stalled in the Senate that would impose stiff penalties on illegal immigrants deported from the United States who attempt another illegal reentry. San Francisco, a self-declared “sanctuary city,” opposes deportation of illegal immigrants, but while voters don’t believe sanctuary communities are safe, they’re less enthusiastic about taking legal action against them.

It may be no surprise then that the Republican-led Congress earns its lowest job approval marks this year, perhaps in part because of its failure to pass any major legislation. Most voters are steadfast in their opinion that the more important job for Congress is passing good laws rather than stopping bad ones.

Senate Republicans early this morning passed their tax reform bill which includes repeal of the individual health care mandate implemented under the Obama administration. The bill now goes to conference committee for reconciliation with the House measure. A majority of voters continue to oppose the requirement that all Americans buy or obtain health insurance, opting for more free market competition between insurance companies instead of more government intervention.

Voters are not too optimistic about President Trump’s relationship with most world leaders, and half think those world leaders see him as weaker than his predecessor, a view that varies sharply along partisan lines.

But voters agree with Trump that so-called “fake news” is a serious problem in America today. If a Fake News Trophy were to be awarded this year, the winners should be Fox News or CNN depending on which political party you’re in.

Holiday shopping is now in high gear with fewer Americans concerned that having credit cards tempts people to spend more than they can afford. That doesn’t mean they don’t see the need to cut back on spending, though.

But are Americans returning to the ways of good old hard cash? While plastic is still the choice for their main spending, they’re less likely to go cash-free for a week than in past years.

With a record number of Americans starting their shopping before Black Friday this year, consumers are still shopping at a record rate following the biggest shopping day of the year.

In other surveys last week:

-- The president earned a monthly job approval of 43% in November, showing no change from the previous two months.

-- Most voters recognize that a U.S. citizen must be 35 years old to be elected president but also think there should be a ceiling on how old a candidate for the White House can be. The age limit they prefer would cut off most of the prominent contenders for the job in 2020.

-- Budweiser recently announced plans to send barley seeds, one of the key ingredients in beer, to space to determine if it’s possible to make and drink beer on Mars. But Americans aren’t particularly anxious for a taste of Martian brew.

-- Thirty-four percent (34%) now think the country is heading in the right direction.

[Drlee]

Steinle’s killing inspired “Kate’s Law,” a measure stalled in the Senate that would impose stiff penalties on illegal immigrants deported from the United States who attempt another illegal reentry. San Francisco, a self-declared “sanctuary city,” opposes deportation of illegal immigrants, but while voters don’t believe sanctuary communities are safe, they’re less enthusiastic about taking legal action against them.

The bold is completely untrue and typical of Rasmussen's staunch right wing bias.

[Hindsite]

The bold is completely untrue and typical of Rasmussen's staunch right wing bias.

It is apparent that the leadership in San Francisco disagree or they would not declare sanctuary status for their city and refuse to cooperate with ICE.

[Doug64]

Steinle’s killing inspired “Kate’s Law,” a measure stalled in the Senate that would impose stiff penalties on illegal immigrants deported from the United States who attempt another illegal reentry. San Francisco, a self-declared “sanctuary city,” opposes deportation of illegal immigrants, but while voters don’t believe sanctuary communities are safe, they’re less enthusiastic about taking legal action against them.

The bold is completely untrue and typical of Rasmussen's staunch right wing bias.

From the New York Times: San Francisco Votes to Keep Shielding [Illegal] Immigrants From Deportation Officials. The article is a few years old, but I doubt the city's attitudes have changed much since then.

For once it's a CBS poll instead of Rasmussen! Of course that means I don't have access to the cross-tabs, though the general questions and responses are at the bottom of the article. Like the other polls recently (except for the Washington Post outlier) Moore's in the lead, in this case by +6. But what caught my attention were the numbers for whether Alabama likely voters believe the charges of sexual misconduct:

As you may know, Roy Moore has faced allegations of sexual misconduct with teenagers,while a grown man. Do you think those allegations are true or false?

• Definitely true: 21%
• Probably true: 24%
• Probably false: 23%
• Definitely false: 21%
• Haven’t heard enough yet to say: 10%

But among Republican likely voters, 71% don't believe the charges. Of those that don't believe the charges, 92% believe Democrats are behind the charges and 88% say it's the newspapers/media.

[Doug64]

Here's last weekend's round-up of polls. Anyone that wants to check out any possible links over the next week can go to the link to the left. (Anyone wanting more details on a particular poll, just ask):

The good economic news continues with Friday’s jobs report and the Dow inching ever higher, but President Trump still isn’t getting the credit.

Rasmussen Reports’ newest Economic Index has risen to its second highest level in three years of tracking. Now at 132.7, it compares to 108.1 during President Obama’s last month in office.

Plans for holiday spending remain high, perhaps in part because half of voters think it’s likely Congress will cut taxes before year’s end.

In early October, just 36% thought it was likely Congress would make such a big change to the tax code within the next six months.

The tax plan includes a repeal of the Obamacare requirement that every American must have health insurance. Only 34% of voters favor the individual health care mandate.

Still, just 35% of voters say the country is headed in the right direction. Of course, that compares to 25% this time last year.

The president’s daily job approval ratings remain in the low to mid-40s.

Voters remain critical of the role social media plays in modern politics and really don't approve of the president’s use of Twitter.

Despite a Vanity Fair article that claims Melania Trump didn’t want to be first lady, voters generally like her but believe she is less involved in day-to-day business at the White House than her predecessor.

Voters are closely divided over the president’s decision to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, but among those who value the Jewish state most as a U.S. ally, the majority thinks it’s a good idea.

Senator Al Franken, a Minnesota Democrat, has resigned from the U.S. Senate under the weight of additional allegations of sexual misconduct. Voters think that’s a good call.

Find out Monday morning if Franken’s decision changes any minds about a Roy Moore Senate win in Alabama.

Matt Lauer, Charlie Rose, Bill O’Reilly – the list continues to grow. But most Americans think journalists who’ve lost their jobs over allegations of sexual harassment will bounce back in the near future.

Following the removal of a top player on Robert Mueller’s team for his bias against Trump, one-in-three voters (33%) think the special counsel and his group have a political agenda in their continuing investigation of possible Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Questions are also being raised about pro-Clinton bias in the FBI’s investigation of Hillary Clinton last year. Most voters disagreed with the FBI’s decision not to indict Clinton for her mishandling of classified information when she was secretary of State.

Few voters agree with a San Francisco jury’s decision clearing an illegal immigrant repeat criminal of killing 32-year-old Kate Steinle, and there’s sizable support for punishing lawmakers who protect criminal illegals from federal immigration authorities.

Trump has ended Obama’s so-called Dreamers program that shielded nearly 800,000 illegal immigrants who came to this country as children from deportation, but he gave Congress six months to do something else before his decision takes effect. A top Senate Democrat is threatening to force a federal government shutdown unless Congress does something to protect these “Dreamers,” but most voters oppose a shutdown over the Dreamers issue and believe securing the border is a bigger priority.

Voters are slightly more supportive of government regulation of the Internet now that so-called “net neutrality” rules are being rolled back, but they still prefer more free market competition.

In other surveys last week:

-- Seventy-four percent (74%) of Americans believe Christmas is over-commercialized.

-- Nearly as many (68%) say Christmas should be more about Jesus Christ than about Santa Claus.

-- Still, the holiday shopping season is in high gear, and while most Americans agree that credit cards tempt people to buy things they can’t afford, very few think that's a problem for them.

And here's the details on the recent Steinle verdict:

A jury last week found the man charged with killing Steinle not guilty of murder, involuntary manslaughter and assault with a deadly weapon. Do you agree or disagree with the verdict in the Steinle case?

• Agree 20%
• Disagree 49%
• Not sure 31%

Republicans

• Agree 16%
• Disagree 61%
• Not sure 23%

Independents

• Agree 19%
• Disagree 48%
• Not sure 32%

Democrats

• Agree 24%
• Disagree 37%
• Not sure 39%

Conservatives

• Agree 16%
• Disagree 62%
• Not sure 22%

Moderates

• Agree 20%
• Disagree 49%
• Not sure 31%

Liberals

• Agree 26%
• Disagree 28%
• Not sure 46%

A proposal has been made to hold state and local lawmakers criminally responsible if they shelter illegal immigrant criminals from federal immigration authorities. Do you favor or oppose such a law?

• Favor 48%
• Oppose 36%
• Not sure 15%

Republicans

• Favor 66%
• Oppose 24%
• Not sure 10%

Independents

• Favor 53%
• Oppose 30%
• Not sure 17%

Democrats

• Favor 27%
• Oppose 53%
• Not sure 19%

Conservatives

• Favor 67%
• Oppose 22%
• Not sure 11%

Moderates

• Favor 44%
• Oppose 40%
• Not sure 16%

Liberals

• Favor 25%
• Oppose 54%
• Not sure 20%

[Drlee]

Plans for holiday spending remain high, perhaps in part because half of voters think it’s likely Congress will cut taxes before year’s end.

Nonsense. Just nonsense. Typical Rasmussen.

[Hindsite]

Nonsense. Just nonsense. Typical Rasmussen.

Again, no support for you false post.

[Doug64]

And for something that should bring smiles to most here (including me, though I find the Conservatives' numbers disappointing):

Do you believe the allegations of sexual misconduct made by several women against Donald Trump prior to his election as president?

• Yes 58%
• No 28%
• Not sure 14%

Conservatives

• Yes 28%
• No 51%
• Not sure 21%

Moderates

• Yes 68%
• No 19%
• Not sure 13%

Liberals

• Yes 87%
• No 10%
• Not sure 3%

Should Congress open an investigation into the allegations of sexual misconduct against President Trump?

• Yes 56%
• No 34%
• Not sure 10%

Conservatives

• Yes 29%
• No 62%
• Not sure 9%

Moderates

• Yes 65%
• No 25%
• Not sure 11%

Liberals

• Yes 84%
• No 10%
• Not sure 7%

Should Trump resign as president if the allegations of sexual misconduct against him prove to be true?

• Yes 57%
• No 33%
• Not sure 9%

Conservatives

• Yes 29%
• No 60%
• Not sure 10%

Moderates

• Yes 66%
• No 24%
• Not sure 10%

Liberals

• Yes 84%
• No 11%
• Not sure 5%

[Hindsite]

And for something that should bring smiles to most here (including me, though I find the Conservatives' numbers disappointing):

Nonsense. Just nonsense. Typical Rasmussen.

[Doug64]

Here's last weekend's round-up of polls. Anyone that wants to check out any possible links over the next week can go to the link to the left. (Anyone wanting more details on a particular poll, just ask):

Stories of sexual harassment and abuse continued to dominate the week’s news, especially early on, but as the week progressed, the near completion of the Republican tax reform plan and Thursday’s repeal of Obama-era net neutrality rules were also making news.

In Alabama, the decades-old allegations of sexual impropriety against Roy Moore were at the heart of his defeat in the special Senate election, and a third of Republicans think their own party should have refused to seat him had he won. Just 29% of Republicans think a victory by Moore would have been good in the long run for President Donald Trump and the Republican Party.

While news stories covering sexual harassment claims against politicians may continue to top headlines, GOP voters overwhelmingly feel the media gives favorable treatment to Democratic politicians. Democrats, however, are not as convinced.

Most voters believe the accusations several women have made against the president and say Trump should resign if they are proven true. But Republicans are less inclined to believe that.

Meanwhile, sex and race are among the factors that shape the middle class identity to which majority of American adults hold.

The Federal Communications Commission yesterday voted 3-2 along party lines to overturn Obama-era net neutrality rules adopted February 26, 2015, also on a 3-2 party-line vote. That same month, 53% of American Adults opposed the FCC regulating the Internet like it does radio and television. A survey earlier this month, however, showed that while Americans prefer free market competition, they are growing more interested in government control of the world wide web now that those regulations are on the chopping block.

President Trump announced a controversial decision last week to reduce the size of two national monuments in Utah. This week, the National Park Service reduced the number of free entry days into many national parks while also contemplating fee increases. Most Americans have visited a national park recently and believe the country has the right amount of national lands.

Wisconsin is moving forward with a plan to drug test some food stamp recipients, and most voters nationwide would like to see similar plans in their states.

Voters still tend to support the use of tissue from aborted babies for medical purposes but agree with the government’s decision to look into how Planned Parenthood is handling this tissue.

With the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Act (DACA) now a point of contention for Congress, voters have less concern that helping those here illegally become citizens will encourage more illegal immigration, though they’re still torn over whether amnesty or border control is more important.

In other surveys last week:

-- As South Korea prepares to host the Winter Olympics in February, relations between their northern neighbor and the United States remain frail. But even with the looming threat from North Korea, few Americans support the U.S. team passing on the Olympics in the name of security.

-- Most Americans still believe religious displays have a place on government property, and they want to see more Christmas in schools, too.

-- Yesterday was Free Shipping Day, when many online retailers offer free shipping on gifts to be delivered in time for Christmas, but online shopping is already more popular than ever with 83% of American Adults planning to do at least some of their holiday gift shopping that way this year.

-- Thirty-four percent (34%) of Likely U.S. Voters now think the country is heading in the right direction.

And here's something from a Harvard study rather than Rasmussen about modern young people and healthy relationships. The findings from the Executive Summary are:

• Research indicates that a large majority of young people are not hooking up frequently, and our research suggests that about 85% of young people prefer other options to hooking up, such as spending time with friends or having sex in a serious relationship. Yet according to our research, teens and adults tend to greatly overestimate the percentage of young people who are hooking up or having casual sex. This overestimation can make many teens and young adults feel embarrassed or ashamed because they believe that they are not adhering to the norms of their peers. It can also pressure them to engage in sex when they are not interested or ready.
• While parents wring their hands about whether to have the “sex talk” with their kids, far fewer parents fret about how to talk to their kids about what mature love is or about what it actually takes to develop a healthy, mature romantic relationship. Yet 70% of the 18 to 25-year-olds who responded to our survey reported wishing they had received more information from their parents about some emotional aspect of a romantic relationship, including “how to have a more mature relationship” (38%), “how to deal with breakups (36%), “how to avoid getting hurt in a relationship” (34%), or “how to begin a relationship” (27%).
• 65% of respondents to our survey of 18 to 25-year-olds wished that they had received guidance on some emotional aspect of romantic relationships in a health or sex education class at school. Yet sex education also tends not to engage young people in any depth about what mature love is or about how one develops a mature, healthy relationship. Most sex education is either focused narrowly on abstinence or is “disaster prevention”—how not to get pregnant or contract sexually transmitted diseases.
• In our national survey of 18 to 25-year-olds, 87% percent of women reported having experienced at least one of the following during their lifetime: being catcalled (55%), touched without permission by a stranger (41%), insulted with sexualized words (e.g., slut, bitch, ho) by a man (47%), insulted with sexualized words by a woman (42%), having a stranger say something sexual to them (52%), and having a stranger tell them they were “hot” (61%). Yet 76% of respondents to this survey had never had a conversation with their parents about how to avoid sexually harassing others. Majorities of respondents had never had conversations with their parents about various forms of misogyny.
• The more females are outperforming males in school and outnumbering them in college, the more subject many appear to be to certain forms of gender-based degradation. Research suggests that when women outnumber men in college, men are especially likely to dictate the terms of relationships (Regnerus, 2011), and a “bros over ho’s” culture now prevails on many college campuses and in other settings. Casual sex is often narrowly focused on male pleasure (Orenstein, 2016), and words like "bitches" and "ho's" and terms for sex like "I hit that" are now pervasive. That far greater numbers of teens and young adults over the last decade are watching porn regularly may fuel certain forms of misogyny and degradation.
• 48% of our survey respondents either agreed (19%) or were neutral (29%) about the idea that “society has reached a point that there is no more double standard against women.”
• 39% of respondents either agreed or were neutral that it’s “rare to see a woman treated in an inappropriately sexualized manner on television.”
• 32% of male and 22% of female respondents thought that men should be dominant in romantic relationships, while 14% of males and 10% of females thought that women should be dominant.
• Although this report does not focus on the many issues involved in consent and sexual assault, we found that this is another area where many adults don’t appear to be having meaningful and constructive conversations with young people. Despite the fact that 1 in 5 women report being sexually assaulted during college according to a recent national survey (National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 2015), most of the respondents to our survey of 18 to 25-year-olds had never spoken with their parents about “being sure your partner wants to have sex and is comfortable doing so before having sex”(61%), assuring your “own comfort before engaging in sex” (49%), the “importance of not pressuring someone to have sex with you”(56%), the “importance of not continuing to ask someone to have sex after they have said no” (62%), or the “importance of not having sex with someone who is too intoxicated or impaired to make a decision about sex” (57%). About 58% of respondents had never had a conversation with their parents about the importance of “being a caring and respectful sexual partner.” Yet a large majority of respondents who had engaged in these conversations with parents described them as at least somewhat influential.

[Hindsite]

-- Thirty-four percent (34%) of Likely U.S. Voters now think the country is heading in the right direction.

I am a likely U.S. voter and they never ask me. That is why I have no faith in the accuracy of these polls.