Politics

Just 17% View Debates as Very Important to How They Will Vote

Voters are attaching less significance to the outcome of tonight’s first presidential debate compared to the kick-off debate four years ago.

Eighty-seven percent (87%) of Likely U.S. Voters say they are likely to watch the presidential debates this year, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. That includes 65% who are Very Likely to watch, but that’s down nine points from 74% in September 2008.

Still, just 12% say they are not very or Not At All Likely to watch the debates this year. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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This survey of 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on September 29-30, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

55% See More Negative Political Ads On TV This Year

Most Americans are paying at least some attention to political advertising on TV this year and think it’s more negative than in previous years. But most also are less likely to vote for a candidate who runs a negative ad. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 55% of American Adults who watch television at least occasionally say they pay attention at least somewhat closely to political advertising. This includes 26% who follow the ads Very Closely. Forty-four percent (44%) aren’t following the televised ads, with 13% who don’t watch them at all. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on September 26-27, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

80% Still Think Health Care Repeal Likely If Romney Wins

Most voters still think the health care law’s days are numbered if Mitt Romney wins the White House and Republicans gain control of both the House and Senate.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 80% of Likely U.S. Voters believe repeal of the law is likely if Romney is elected and Republicans take control of Congress. Only 12% think repeal is not likely in the event of a GOP victory. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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This survey of 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on September 25-26, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Maine: Obama 52%, Romney 40%

President Obama posts a 12-point lead over Mitt Romney in Maine.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Maine Voters finds Obama with 52% support to Romney’s 40%. Four percent (4%) favor some other candidate in the race, and another four percent (4%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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This Maine survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted on September 25, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Maine Senate: King (I) 45%, Summers (R) 33%, Dill (D) 14%

Independent Angus King is well ahead of Republican Charlie Summers and Democrat Cynthia Dill in Rasmussen Reports' first look at the U.S. Senate race in Maine.

A telephone survey of Likely Maine Voters shows King earning 45% support to Summers' 33% and 14% for Dill. One percent (1%) prefers some other candidate, and seven percent (7%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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This Maine survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted on September 25, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

43% Expect Better Economy if Romney Wins; 34% Say Same of Obama

Most voters still don't think the economy will get better no matter which candidate wins the White House and which party wins control of Congress in November. But they’re now a little more confident in economic gains if Mitt Romney and the Republicans come out ahead. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 34% of Likely U.S. Voters think the economy is likely to get better if President Obama is reelected and Democrats regain full control of Congress, marking little change from early July when the two sides ran nearly even. By comparison, 43% now believe the economy is likely to improve if Romney wins and the GOP is in charge of Congress. That’s up seven points from 36% in the previous survey.

Sixty-two percent (62%) are more pessimistic about the economic impact if the president and his party in Congress win the election, with 41% who expect the economy to get worse and 21% who say it will stay about the same.

Fifty-two percent (52%) paint a similar picture if the Republican challenger wins and the GOP takes over Congress, including 37% who think the economy is likely to worsen and 15% who feel it will stay about the same.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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This survey of 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on September 25-26, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

48% Think Obama Better Understands Middle Class, 42% Say Romney

Voters in general are slightly more confident that President Obama has a better feel for the middle class than Mitt Romney, but middle class voters give the edge to Romney. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 48% of Likely U.S. Voters think Obama better understands the issues of the middle class. Forty-two percent (42%) believe Romney has a better understanding of the middle class. Ten percent (10%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on September 23-24, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

45% Think U.S.-Muslim Relations Worse Than Four Years Ago

President Obama in June 2009 in one of his first major foreign policy initiatives delivered a highly publicized speech in Cairo reaching out to Muslims worldwide after the conflict of the Bush years. But only 18% of Likely U.S. Voters think U.S. relations with the Islamic world are better now than they were four years ago.

A plurality (45%) of voters believe those relations have gotten worse since then, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Thirty-one percent (31%) say America’s relationship with the Islamic world is about the same. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on September 21-22, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

44% Think Ryan Better Suited to Be President, 44% Say Same of Biden

Voters are evenly divided when asked which of the major vice presidential candidates is more qualified to be president.

Forty-four percent (44%) of Likely U.S. Voters say Vice President Joe Biden is more qualified to serve as the nation's chief executive if need be, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. But just as many (44%) say Mitt Romney's running mate, Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan, is more qualified to serve. Twelve percent (12%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on September 19-20, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

23% Blame Middle East Protests on Anti-Islamic Video

Most voters think the recent protests at U.S. embassies in the Middle East were pre-planned and not a reaction to an anti-Islamic video on YouTube. They also believe overwhelmingly that terrorists are likely to have been involved in the murder of the U.S. ambassador to Libya.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 57% of Likely U.S. Voters feel that the recent embassy protests largely have been planned in advance. Just 23% think they were spontaneous reactions to the anti-Islamic video. Nineteen percent (19%) are not sure.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on September 21-22, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

51% in Wisconsin Approve of Governor Walker's Job Performance

Wisconsin voters are almost evenly divided over how the governor they almost removed from office is doing these days. A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Wisconsin Voters finds that 51% at least somewhat approve of Governor Scott Walker's job performance, including 41% who Strongly Approve. But 49% disapprove, with Strong Disapproval from 41%. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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This Wisconsin survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted on September 17, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

46% Expect Romney, GOP To Cut Spending, Not So Sure on Taxes

Voters continue to think tax and spending hikes are more likely under President Obama and the Democrats than under President Romney and the Republicans. But most still don’t expect tax cuts if the GOP wins the White House and Congress, although spending cuts are now viewed as more likely.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 51% of Likely U.S. Voters think government spending will go up if Obama is reelected and Democrats win control of the entire Congress. Only 11% believe spending will go down, while 31% say it will stay about the same. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on September 19-20, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

64% Think Too Many Americans Dependent on Government Financial Aid

Americans strongly believe that there is too much government dependency in the country today. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 64% of Adults think there are too many Americans dependent on the government for financial aid. Just 10% think not enough Americans are dependent on the government, while 16% say the level of dependency is about right.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on September 18-19, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

55% of Independents Still See Presidential Race As Choice Between Lesser of Two Evils

Most unaffiliated voters are still unenthusiastic about the choice between President Obama and Mitt Romney this November. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 59% of all Likely U.S. Voters are excited about the choice between the two men, but 37% say they will be simply voting for the lesser of two evils. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on September 15-16, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC . See methodology.

81% Think Government Aid Recipients Should Be Required to Prove Legal Residency

Despite the controversy over requiring photo identification at the polls, voters overwhelmingly believe those who receive government services should be required first to show they are in this country legally. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 81% of Likely U.S. Voters think individuals must prove they are legal U.S. residents before receiving government services here. Only nine percent (9%) disagree with such a requirement. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on May September 11-12, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC . See methodology.

50% Still Predict An Obama Win, 36% Romney

Despite the insistence by some in the media that the race is all but over, voters are a little less sure that President Obama will win in November.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 50% of Likely U.S. Voters still believe, regardless of who they want to win, that the president is most likely to win the election. Thirty-six percent (36%) see his Republican challenger Mitt Romney as more likely to emerge on top. Thirteen percent (13%) remain undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on September 15-16, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

72% Put Freedom of Speech Ahead of Not Offending Other Cultures

Voters overwhelmingly rate protecting freedom of speech as more important than not offending other nations and cultures despite claims that the latest outbreak of anti-American violence in the Middle East is due to an amateur YouTube video that mocks Islam.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 72% of Likely U.S. Voters believe it is more important for the United States to guarantee freedom of speech. Only 15% consider it more important for the United States to make sure that nothing is done to offend other nations and cultures. Thirteen percent (13%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on September 13-14, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Just 29% Are Even Somewhat Confident Libya Will Punish Ambassador’s Killers

Most Americans believe the Libyan government may have had something to do with the murder this week of the U.S. ambassador there and are not confident that the Libyans will punish his killers. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 51% of American Adults think it’s likely the government of Libya was involved in the murder of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans. Thirty percent (30%) consider that unlikely. This includes 31% who say it’s Very Likely the Libyan government was involved and just seven percent (7%) who believe it’s Not At All Likely. Nineteen percent (19%) are not sure.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on September 12-13, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

48% Give Obama Good or Excellent Marks for Leadership

President Obama continues to earn positive marks for leadership from nearly half the nation’s voters, but there’s a wide partisan difference of opinion on this question.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 48% of Likely U.S. Voters rate the president’s leadership as good or excellent. Forty percent (40%) think he’s doing a poor job. It’s important to note that these attitudes were measured prior to his prime-time speech Thursday night to the Democratic National Convention. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on September 5-6, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Democrats Think Clinton & Obama Agree on Economy, Others Disagree

Bill Clinton’s favorables are up after his impassioned promotion of President Obama at this week’s Democratic National Convention, but there is a huge partisan divide over whether the two men actually agree on what’s best for the economy. Most also believe Clinton was a better president than the man he was championing. 

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 59% of Likely U.S. Voters consider Clinton who served from 1993 to 2001 to be a better president than President Obama. Just 19% think Obama is a better chief executive. Twenty-two percent (22%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on September 5-6, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.