Most voters favor the resumption of offshore drilling in the United States and expect it to lower prices at the pump, even as John McCain has announced his support for states that want to explore for oil and gas off their coasts.
The overwhelming majority of Americans strongly guard their right to free speech (88%). But, a new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey found that just over half (53%) say the United States should refrain from banning so-called “hate speech.”
With a two-candidate race for the White House at last, the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll and surveys in state after state are showing Democrat Barack Obama with a modest bounce over Republican candidate John McCain.
Rasmussen Reports is pleased to announce that it will be including poll averages from FiveThirtyEight.com in its Balance of Power Calculator.
One-third of U.S. voters are still angry about illegal immigration, an issue that neither presidential candidate has made central to his campaign. But, voters blame Washington, not immigrants.
Nearly three out of five voters (57%) believe it is not possible to run for the presidency without the help of lobbyists and special interest groups, even as the Obama campaign purged itself of an official with ties to the subprime lending crisis.
Three out of five American voters (61%) say their perception of a presidential candidate’s wife is at least somewhat important to how they vote.
Rasmussen Reports data shows that public perceptions of both Barack Obama and John McCain are shifting rapidly during Election 2008. That same data suggests perceptions will continue to change through Election Day.
Seventy-seven percent (77%) of voters nationwide say John McCain’s call for a series of ten Town Hall debates is a good idea.
Just 17% of voters nationwide believe that most reporters try to offer unbiased coverage of election campaigns. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that four times as many—68%--believe most reporters try to help the candidate that they want to win.
The first full round of tracking poll interviews after Barack Obama clinched the Democratic Presidential Nomination found that 36% of voters nationwide say they are certain to vote for Obama in November and 34% are certain they will vote for McCain. That leaves a very significant 30% who are not certain to support either of the presumptive nominees.
Just 18% of voters believe that John McCain should reach across party lines and select Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman as his Vice-Presidential running mate. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 42% say he should not offer the job to Lieberman while 40% are not sure.
Americans believe by large majorities that it is more important for newcomers to learn English than it is for their fellow citizens to become bilingual.
As the general election campaign gets started, 41% of voters nationwide say that Barack Obama is too inexperienced to be President while 30% say John McCain is too old. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey found that 6% of voters believe both statements are true while 24% say neither is accurate.
Fifty-one percent (51%) of Democrats polled in a new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey think Barack Obama should pick Hillary Rodham Clinton as his running mate, even as the former first lady and her surrogates push for a so-called Democratic "dream ticket."
Nearly four out of five Americans (78%) polled since Barack Obama clinched enough delegates to be the Democratic nominee say they could vote for an African-American for president, but they think only 61%of their family, friends and co-workers are willing to do the same.
On Election Day 2004, with 9/11 still strong in the national memory and
the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq ominipresent, 41% said national security
was the most important issue determining their vote. By contrast, 26% rated
economic issues as the number one factor.
Forty-five percent (45%) of likely voters agree with Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama that it's a good idea for the U.S. president to meet directly with the leader of Iran, but well over half (59%) think that talks should only take place after Iran stops developing nuclear weapons.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 59% of Americans want the troops brought home from Iraq within a year. That’s down three points from two weeks ago and is the lowest number calling for troops to come home since March.
As Election 2008 draws ever closer, it is hard to overstate the disconnect between the American people and their government.
