Commentary by Scott Rasmussen

Wisconsin May Be the New Ohio By Scott Rasmussen

In Election 2000, Florida was the decisive state in the Electoral College. In 2004, Ohio was the ultimate battleground that put George W. Bush over the top. This year, it might come down to Wisconsin.

As Romney Gains, Senate Remains Challenging for GOP By Scott Rasmussen

When 2012 began, the presidential race looked too close to call, but most analysts thought the Republicans had a good chance to win control of the Senate. The numbers were just too daunting for the Democrats. They had too many seats to defend and too many vulnerable incumbents.

Polls Reflect Voter Reality, Not Pundits' Preoccupations By Scott Rasmussen

According to Political Class pundits, the race for the White House was turned upside down by a single debate. The reality, however, is that a very close race shifted ever so slightly from narrowly favoring President Obama to narrowly favoring Mitt Romney. Either way, it remains too close to call.

Obama May Need a Reagan Comeback By Scott Rasmussen

The first presidential debate of 2012 is now behind us. The reviews suggest that many were surprised at how well Mitt Romney did and how weakly President Obama performed.

Debates Seldom Change the Dynamic By Scott Rasmussen

The presidential debate season is upon us with President Obama and his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, scheduled to square off Wednesday night in the Political Class version of a cage match.

Romney May Be the End of the Line for the Republican Establishment By Scott Rasmussen

Mitt Romney's comments about 47 percent of Americans being dependent on government and locked in to vote for President Obama highlight a fundamental reality in American politics today...

Let Individuals, Not Politicians, Make Health Care Decisions By Scott Rasmussen

The health care debate is a great example of why Americans hate politics. Both Republicans and Democrats pursue their plans with ideological zeal and reckless disregard for the truth....

Despite Convention Distractions, It's Still All About the Economy By Scott Rasmussen

Mercifully, the political conventions have ended. The political press will keep buzzing over whether Clint Eastwood's unconventional speech helped or hurt Mitt Romney and whether the snafu over Israel and God...

Conventions Don't Matter -- and Mean Even Less By Scott Rasmussen

Political junkies get excited about the Republican and Democratic national conventions, but for many Americans they provide a stark reminder of how out of touch our political system has become. The strange rituals and bad jokes seem oddly out of place in the 21st century, almost as strange as seeing an engineer use a slide rule rather than an iPad to perform some complex calculation.

Romney, Obama Both Struggle to Connect By Scott Rasmussen

When Republicans formally nominate Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan next week, the race against President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will be officially underway. Yet while the two teams represent different ideological views, different upbringings, different faith backgrounds and different experiences, neither of them has yet inspired any confidence among voters.

Reaction to Ryan: A Gap Between Mainstream America and Official Washington By Scott Rasmussen

One of the things Mitt Romney's selection of Paul Ryan as his running mate ensures is a series of polling questions over the coming months asking voters what's more important: creating jobs or cutting government spending; helping the economy or cutting deficits; repealing the president's health care law or focusing on the economy.

Government Has No Business Dabbling in Business By Scott Rasmussen

Just 16 percent of voters nationwide believe it was a good idea for the government to provide Solyndra with loan guarantees. The solar power company went bankrupt and stuck taxpayers with the tab for a half-billion dollars. 

The Heavy Burden of Government By Scott Rasmussen

In my hometown, everyone is required to have a landline telephone so local officials can reach us with a reverse 911 call.    

It's a nice idea, but it doesn't work. In my family, we never use the landline. We talk on cellphones. Occasionally, telemarketers call. So do people looking for someone named "Danny," but we no longer answer. So, if a call came from our local government, we'd never hear their message. But when you're building a house and need to pass inspection, it's easier to put in the phone than fight city hall.

Declining Views of the Economy Put Obama's Reelection at Risk By Scott Rasmussen

Consumer confidence fell to the lowest levels of 2012 this past week. Most Americans believe that both the economy and their own personal finances are getting worse. Just 25 percent believe the economy is getting better, and only 22 percent say the same about their personal finances.

Bain Attacks Fail to Shake Up Presidential Race By Scott Rasmussen

Over the past few weeks, President Obama and his campaign team have launched a furious attack on Mitt Romney's record as head of Bain Capital, a highly successful venture capital firm.

Why Obama's Still in the Race Despite the Bad Economy By Scott Rasmussen

There are plenty of reasons that the economy is the most important issue of Election 2012. Unemployment has remained high for a long time, and even 27 percent of those who have a job are worried about losing it.

To Fix Health Care System, Put Consumers in Charge By Scott Rasmussen

Democrats were riding high in the polls in 2006 and 2008, and one of their big issues was health care. Then, after passing the president's health care law, the politics shifted, and the issue helped sweep the GOP to victory in the 2010 midterm elections. A few months later, Republicans had a 14-point advantage in terms of voter trust on the health care issue.

Supreme Court Keeps Health Care Law on Life Support By Scott Rasmussen

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision that President Obama's health care law is constitutional keeps it alive for now. But it's important to remember that the law has already lost in the court of public opinion. The Supreme Court ruling is a temporary reprieve more than anything else.

The Introduction Is Key to a Successful Romney Veep Pick By Scott Rasmussen

Every summer, millions of Americans enjoy baseball, summer camps and vacation plans. But for the nation's political junkies, every fourth summer is filled with guessing games about the vice presidential nomination.

Collapse of Household Net Worth Isn't News to Most Americans By Scott Rasmussen

The new Federal Reserve report showing that household net worth collapsed between 2007 and 2010 quickly became campaign fodder for both sides.