Voters are increasingly skeptical of the level of spending on the military and national security, and they feel more strongly than ever that the United States should remove its troops from Western Europe.
Fifty-five percent (55%) of Likely U.S. Voters now say America should bring home the troops that have been stationed in Europe since the end of World War II.
One of the loudest demands by the Occupy Wall Street protesters is for forgiveness of the nearly $1 trillion worth of student loans, but Americans strongly oppose forgiving that debt. Even as President Obama talks about easing the burden on those with student loans, in fact, Americans are more inclined to think the government should help those who haven’t gone to college instead.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 21% of American Adults think the federal government should forgive the nearly $1 trillion in loans it made or guaranteed to help students pay for a college education. Sixty-six percent (66%) oppose the forgiveness of all student loans.Thirteen percent (13%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Herman Cain's surge to front-runner status prompted his Republican rivals to pile on during last Tuesday night's debate and also brought on a lot more media coverage about him. After taking a very slight lead over President Obama last week, Cain now trails the incumbent by six points in the latest hypothetical Election 2012 matchup.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Voters shows Obama picking up 44% of the vote, while Cain earns 38%.
The Occupy Wall Street protesters have been compared by some with the Tea Party protests that erupted more than two years ago in reaction to Washington’s big government spending plans. Americans are evenly divided in their opinions of those currently protesting against Wall Street but tend to see their own views as more in line with those of the Tea Party.
The bad economy, a change in presidents, bailouts, health care, the Tea Party and now another presidential cycle, you name it. Still, the basic fiscal and social ideologies of U.S. voters remain largely unchanged.
Polls show a bounce in support for President Obama’s policy in Libya following the death of the country’s longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi, but most voters still don’t expect the new Libyan government to become an ally of the United States.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey, taken following news reports of Gadhafi’s death, finds that 44% of Likely U.S. Voters now rate the Obama administration’s response to the situation in Libya as good or excellent, up 12 points from a week ago.
Not much hope and a strong desire for change – it sounds like 2008 all over again. Will Herman Cain ride that wave into the White House like Barack Obama before him?
Just 15% of Likely U.S. Voters now say the country is heading in the right direction, down 15 points from this time last year. Since the third week in July, the number of voters who are confident in the nation’s current course has resembled levels measured in the final months of the Bush administration.
While Canada and Great Britain are still seen as America’s top allies, most Americans also continue to think of Iran and North Korea as the nation’s worst enemies.
Following a fiery debate Tuesday night, Texas Governor Rick Perry now trails President Obama by eight points in the latest 2012 hypothetical matchup.
Reflecting national trends, businessman Herman Cain has now jumped to the front of the Republican pack in Iowa.
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Iowa caucus-goers shows that Cain is in front with 28% followed by former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney at 21%. Congressman Ron Paul is a distant third at 10% followed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at 9%, Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann at 8%, and Texas Governor Rick Perry at 7%. The sixth place finish for Perry is a sharp decline from early September when Perry was the frontrunner both nationally and in Iowa. (To see survey question wording, click here).
Former Senator Rick Santorum picks up 4% of the vote and former Governor Jon Huntsman is at 2%. Another 4% would prefer some other candidate and 8% are not sure.
Only one-third of the caucus-goers (32%) are certain of their vote and don’t expect to change their mind. Among these voters, 30% prefer Cain, 22% Romney, and 17% Paul.
Among those absolutely certain they will show up and participate in the caucus, Cain leads Romney 31% to 18%. Many have criticized the Cain campaign for not having a strong organization in Iowa which is seen as essential to turning out the vote. According to such conventional analysis, Cain might be at risk of raising expectations too high and then underperforming.
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The survey of 800 Likely Iowa Republican Caucus Participants was conducted on October 19, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
Canada and Great Britain are still viewed by most as America’s top allies, and more Americans view Germany and Japan that way.
Describing a political candidate as being “like Bill Clinton” isn’t up there in popularity with a comparison to Ronald Reagan, but it’s much better than being called “a centrist,” a phrase often used for politicians willing to compromise.
Thirty-eight percent (38%) of Likely U.S. Voters consider it a positive label if a candidate is compared to Clinton, the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 24% consider such a comparison a negative, and 35% rate it somewhere in between the two.
A generic Republican now leads President Obama by four points in a hypothetical 2012 match-up for the week ending Sunday, October 16.
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and President Obama continue to run virtually even in a hypothetical Election 2012 matchup as they have for the past several weeks. Herman Cain is now the only Republican who has any kind of lead over the president.
Most voters still strongly agree with automatic immigration status checks when a police officer pulls someone over for a routine traffic stop. They also continue to favor tough sanctions on employers who hire illegal immigrants and landlords who rent or sell to them.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 63% of Likely U.S. Voters say if a police officer pulls someone over for a traffic violation, the officer should automatically check to see if that person is in the country legally. Thirty-one percent (31%) disagree.
Whether Herman Cain’s surge in the polls is temporary or has staying power, he’s enjoying a big enough bounce to take a very slight lead over President Obama in a hypothetical 2012 matchup. At the moment, the Georgia businessman is the only Republican with a lead of any kind over Obama, although former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has held a similar advantage several times and is currently trailing the president by just two points.
Most voters are aware that the United States has accused Iran of attempting to assassinate the ambassador from Saudi Arabia in this county and think there’s a good chance America will be at war with Iran in the near future.
Fifty-five percent (55%) of Likely U.S. Voters believe it is at least somewhat likely that the United States will end up in a war with Iran in the next five years or so. However, only 17% think it’s Very Likely. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 32% feel a war with Iran is unlikely in the next five or so years, but that includes only five percent (5%) who think it is Not At All Likely.
Most voters still want to see the national health care law repealed, and confidence that its days are numbered is at an all-time high.
Most voters continue to believe as they have for years that immigration legislation should focus on border control. They also remain supportive of a welcoming immigration policy with a few key restrictions.
Republican presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman quipped at last Tuesday night’s debate that at first he thought rival Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 plan was the price of a pizza. Cain, the former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, wasn’t amused, but for now at least he’s having the last laugh.
