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November 7, 2014Yup, It Was a Wave By Larry J. Sabato, Kyle Kondik and Geoffrey Skelley
It might not have been 1994 or 2010, but 2014 was a wave all its own: A late-breaking surge that lifted Republicans to some surprisingly strong performances across the country.
Notably, though, the argument for this election being a “wave” has more to do with the House and gubernatorial races, as opposed to the main event, the Republican Senate takeover.
The GOP is likely to bump up its House majority to its highest total since the one it held after the 1928 election, netting at least a dozen additional House seats.
November 7, 2014Beneath the Republican Wave, Voters Still Reject Right-Wing Ideology By Joe Conason
In the wake of the 2014 midterm "wave election," Americans will soon find out whether they actually want what they have wrought. The polls tell us that too many voters are weary of President Barack Obama, including a significant number who actually voted for him two years ago. Polls likewise suggest that most voters today repose more trust in Republicans on such fundamental issues as economic growth, national security and budget discipline. But do they want what Republicans in control will do now?

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                            November 6, 2014New High: 35% Say Job Market Better Than a Year Ago
As voters headed to the polls this week to express their displeasure with the White House and Congress, Americans were also expressing more optimism in the job market than they have in years. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 35% of American Adults believe the job market is better than it was a year ago. That is up five points from September and is the highest level measured in more than four years of regular tracking. Twenty-three percent (23%) say the job market is worse than it was a year ago, also the lowest negative assessment on record. Another 39% believe the situation is about the same. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls).  Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter and Facebook.
The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on November 1-2, 2014 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.

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                            November 6, 2014Americans Would Choose to Be Superman
Americans say they would choose to be Superman if they could be any superhero, but if they had one super power, it would be the ability to see into the future. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 24% of American Adults say that if they could have a super power it would be to see into the future. Nineteen percent (19%) say they would want the ability to fly. Fourteen percent (14%) would want X-ray vision, while the same amount (14%) would want to be immortal. Ten percent (10%) say they’d want super strength, while just four percent (4%) say they’d want super speed. Eight percent (8%) say they’d want some other power, while six percent (6%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here).

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                            November 6, 2014How Did We Do in the Senate Races?
There were 36 U.S. Senate races this year, and as usual most of them weren’t close and weren’t polled much, if at all. We pride ourselves on polling every race at least once, although we generally looked at ones that weren’t expected to be close only once or twice at most. That was a mistake in the case of Virginia where a popular Democratic incumbent ended up winning by less than a point.
But we clearly saw the Republican wave coming, although the margins in the races in some cases proved to be bigger than some of our final polls projected.

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                            November 6, 201456% of GOP Voters Felt ‘Compelled’ to Vote Vs. 43% of Democrats
Republicans were the most enthusiastic voters this election cycle as the final results indicate. The economy and the overall competence of the government were the two most important issues for all voters.
Fifty-six percent (56%) of Likely Republican Voters say they felt more compelled to vote this year than in previous years, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Forty-one percent (41%) of GOP voters say they didn’t feel this way.
By comparison, just 43% of Democrats felt more compelled to vote this year, but 48% did not. Similarly, among voters not affiliated with either major party, 44% felt more motivated to vote versus 49% who didn’t share this motivation. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls).  Rasmussen Reports updates are also available onTwitter or Facebook.
The survey of 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on November 4-5, 2014 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.
November 6, 2014Progressives Don't Need Washington All That Much by Froma Harrop
The Republican takeover of the Senate majority really shouldn't matter much to progressives. Even when Democrats have the majority, precious little gets done in a body that lets a minority of members obstruct.
But never mind. A modern, future-oriented agenda has been advancing on the state level -- as progressive governors rush into the vacuum of inaction left by Washington. And its supporters are not just Democrats but also independents and Republicans who respect mainstream science and regard the working poor as something more than cheap labor.
Follow Froma Harrop on Twitter @FromaHarrop. She can be reached at fharrop@gmail.com. To find out more about Froma Harrop and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2014 CREATORS.COM

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                            November 6, 201458% Own a Pet and Most Consider it a Joy
More than half of Americans own at least one pet, and they think of their pet as a joy, not a hassle.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 58% of American Adults own a pet, up slightly from a year ago. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on October 30-31, 2014 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.

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                            November 5, 201427% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction
Twenty-seven percent (27%) of Likely U.S. Voters think the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending November 2.
 
The number who say the country is heading in the right direction is up one point from a week ago. This finding has now been in the 23% to 27% range nearly every week since early June and has been below 30% most weeks for the past year.
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
   
The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from October 27-November 2, 2014. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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                            November 5, 201432% Think Doctors Overprescribe Drugs
Most Americans trust their doctor, but one-in-three believe most doctors overprescribe drugs to their patients and a large majority are concerned overuse could lower medications’ effectiveness.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 76% of American Adults have a doctor they see on a regular basis. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on November 3-4, 2014 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.

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                            November 5, 2014What’s Next on Obama’s Agenda?
Where does the president go from here?
The Republican takeover of the Senate is seen by many as a repudiation of President Obama. There’s no doubt that voters don’t approve of much of what they see out of the White House these days.
Just 36% of Likely U.S. Voters now give the president good or excellent marks for his handling of both the economy and of national security, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Forty-three percent (43%) say he’s doing a poor job when it comes to the economy, and slightly more (45%) rate his handling of national security issues as poor.(To see survey question wording, click here.)

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                            November 5, 2014Grown Children Living With Parents Seen As Bad for Families, Economy
An overwhelming majority of Americans continue to believe that it’s more common for grown children to live with their parents these days, and most think that’s a bad thing for families and the economy.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 80% believe it is more common for grown children to live with their parents compared to 20 years ago, up slightly from 77% a year ago but down six points from 2011. Only 11 percent disagree. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update ? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter  or Facebook .
The national survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on October 28-29, 2014 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.

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                            November 4, 2014Rasmussen Employment Index Down a Point in October
The Rasmussen Employment Index, which measures worker confidence, fell slightly for the second straight month in October.
At 99.4, worker confidence is down one point from 100.3 last month, and well below August’s six-year high. The index fell to a recent low of 81.2 last October but gained steadily after that.
Generally speaking, a decrease in the Rasmussen Employment Index suggests the upcoming government report on job creation will be weaker than the prior month’s reports.
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 9,452 working Americans was conducted in October 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 1 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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                            November 4, 2014America’s Got the Blues
Americans are a pessimistic lot these days.
With Election Day upon us, most predictions see a Republican Congress in the making, and certainly our final surveying suggests that. Changes in the nation’s governorships are likely to be a bit less dramatic.
But some things are more definite, attitudes we've seen again and again that aren't subject to partisan projections and day-to-day news events.
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls).  Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

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                            November 4, 2014Just 4% Say Candidates Keep Their Campaign Promises
After all the partisan debating leading up to today’s elections, voters of all parties agree that the candidates won’t deliver on what they promise. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only four percent (4%) of Likely U.S. Voters think most politicians keep their campaign promises. Eighty-three percent (83%) say most don’t keep the promises they make on the campaign trail. Thirteen percent (13%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook. 
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on November 2-3, 2014 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.
November 4, 2014Obama Will Leave the Democrats in Shambles by Michael Barone
Before the election results are in, and keeping in mind that there may be some unpleasant surprises for one party or the other -- or both -- it's possible to assess how the Democratic Party has fared under the leadership of President Obama. To summarize the verdict: not so well.
November 4, 2014The Crystal Ball’s Final 2014 Picks By Larry J. Sabato, Kyle Kondik and Geoffrey Skelley
As is our longstanding tradition, we at the Crystal Ball attempt to call every election for House, Senate, governor, and in presidential years, the Electoral College. After studying these campaigns for months or years, we believe we owe you our best judgment about the outcomes. While we’re proud of our overall record over the years, we always miss a few calls, sometimes more than a few. Toss-ups are vexing, and the massive amounts of intelligence from polls, analysts, campaign managers, and party officials can be exceptionally contradictory. Not many of our sources have ever attempted to mislead us; they sincerely believe this candidate or that one will win — and smart people on the other side of the aisle are equally convinced their nominees will triumph.
The day after any election (or runoff or recount), when the actual winners are known, it all seems so obvious in retrospect. But of course it isn’t, pre-election. We apologize in advance — and we’ll do it again post-election — for all the races we will inevitably miscall. Our goal is perfection, and we’ll achieve it on the proverbial twelfth of never.

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                            November 4, 2014Just 51% Think Most Immigrants Work Hard to Pursue the American Dream
While most voters continue to have a favorable opinion of those who move to this country to work hard, support their family and pursue the American Dream, barely half believe most immigrants are like that.
Seventy-one percent (71%) of Likely U.S. Voters have a favorable opinion of immigrants who come to the United States to do just that, in line with surveys dating back to May 2013. Just 13% have an unfavorable opinion of such immigrants, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Sixteen percent (16%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 29-30, 2014 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.
November 4, 2014Palm Greasing Now Has an App by Froma Harrop
Uber, the car-summoning service, got some flak not long ago for "surge" pricing. Customers complained about its policy of raising prices charged for trips at times of high demand. That might happen on New Year's Eve, in the teeth of a monsoon or, less dramatically, during an especially busy lunch hour.
I never minded. Surge pricing seemed a fair way to deal with a short supply in a period of high demand. Those who badly wanted a ride would pay extra. And because the app clearly stated when surge pricing was in effect, the consumer could make an informed decision on whether or not to accept the deal.

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                            November 3, 2014Governor Races Scramble Down to the Wire
While they may not determine which party controls the U.S. Senate, 2014’s gubernatorial races have provided plenty of excitement and will have significant consequences for their states.
Overall, there are 36 governor races this year, including nine Toss-Ups, five that Lean Republican, two that Lean Democrat, 11 that are Safe Republican, eight that are Safe Democrat and one that Leans Independent.