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June 9, 2014

50% Say Health Care Law Has Not Impacted Them

Though one-in-three voters say their personal health care coverage has changed because of the national health care law, half still say the law hasn’t impacted them positively or negatively.

Forty-four percent (44%) of Likely U.S. Voters have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of the health care law, while 52% regard it unfavorably, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. This includes 19% who view the law Very Favorably and 41% who have a Very Unfavorable opinion of it. (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 June 6-7, 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.

June 8, 2014

South Dakota Governor: Daugaard (R) 55%, Wismer (D) 35%

Republican incumbent Dennis Daugaard posts a 20-point lead over Democratic challenger Susan Wismer, the winner of her party's primary last Tuesday, in South Dakota's race for governor.

A new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey finds Daugaard picking up 55% of the vote to Wismer’s 35%. Three percent (3%) prefer some other candidate, while seven percent (7%) 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 750 Likely Voters in South Dakota was conducted on June 4-5, 2014 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.

June 7, 2014

What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls: Week Ending June 7

Voters have made it clear for years that the economy is their number one concern, and if President Obama’s approval ratings are any indication, money appears to be talking louder that the numerous controversies the administration finds itself in.

June 6, 2014

56% Want Federal Spending Cuts Across the Board

Most voters still recognize a need for spending cuts in the federal budget, but few are convinced they’ll actually happen. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 56% of Likely U.S. Voters think thoughtful spending cuts should be considered in every program of the federal government. That’s down from 59% in February and 63% in October 2013. One-in-three (31%) disagree, while another 13% 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 national survey of 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on May 29-30, 2014 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.

June 6, 2014

Iowa Governor: Branstad (R) 49%, Hatch (D) 40%

Republican Governor Terry Branstad leads his Democratic opponent Jack Hatch by nine points in his bid for reelection in Iowa.

Branstad picks up 49% of the vote to Hatch’s 40% in a new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Iowa Voters. Two percent (2%) prefer some other candidate in the race, while eight percent (8%) 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 750 Likely Voters in Iowa was conducted on June 4-5, 2014 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.

June 6, 2014

What America Thinks About Negotiating with Terrorists

Prisoner of war Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was released in Afghanistan last week as a result of ongoing negotiations between the Obama administration and the Taliban. In exchange for Berghdahl’s freedom, the administration released five Taliban leaders from Guantanamo Bay. The decision is considered controversial on many points, including whether it’s acceptable for the United States to negotiate with terrorists. We decided to find out what America thinks.

June 6, 2014

Iowa Senate Ernst (R) 45%, Braley (D) 44%

The U.S. Senate race in Iowa is a dead heat.

The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Iowa Voters finds Republican Joni Ernst, the winner of Tuesday’s crowded party primary, with 45% support to Democratic Congressman Bruce Braley’s 44%. Three percent (3%) prefer some other candidate in the race, while nine percent (9%) 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 750 Likely Voters in Iowa was conducted on June 4-5, 2014 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.

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June 6, 2014

Veterans Affairs Scandal Further Discredits Obama's Big Government Policies By Michael Barone

President Obama evidently was caught by surprise by the scandal at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

So, apparently, was VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, who evidently took at face value the corrupt VA statistics -- and who, after a distinguished military career, resigned last week.

One who was probably not taken by surprise is longtime Yale Law Professor Peter Schuck, who identified the problems at the VA before the scandal broke in his recently published book, "Why Government Fails So Often and How It Can Do Better."

June 6, 2014

21% Think EPA Actions Help the Economy

Fewer voters than ever believe the actions of the federal Environmental Protection Agency help the economy. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 36% of Likely U.S. Voters have a favorable opinion of the EPA, while 39% view the agency unfavorably. Twenty-five percent (25%) 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 June 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.

June 5, 2014

45% Think Media Coverage Encourages Copycat Killers

Americans tend to believe the media pay too much attention to mass murders and that their coverage prompts others to commit violent crimes.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 44% of American Adults believe the media cover mass murders like the one in southern California too much, while just 13% say they don’t cover them enough. One-in-three (33%) says the level of media coverage is about right. (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 May 30-31, 2014 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.

June 5, 2014

42% Think Their Next Job Will Be Better

With worker confidence at its highest level in several years, fewer workers are willing to commit to their current job. Confidence that their next job will be better is at its highest level in two years.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 30% of Employed Adults are looking for a job outside of their current company, up four points from April and the highest finding since March 2011. Sixty-four percent (64%) still aren't looking, but that's down from 71% as recently as February. (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 617 Employed Adults was conducted on June 1-2, 2014 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.

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June 5, 2014

Not Much to Lose in Move From Coal By Froma Harrop

Barack Obama need not ask how well he's doing in coal country, because the answer is always the same: Not well. 

Gil C / Shutterstock.com
June 5, 2014

42% Think Snowden Is A Spy

Edward Snowden said in a recent television interview that he is a patriot, but a sizable number of voters think the man who disclosed the National Security Agency’s domestic phone and email surveillance program should be considered a spy instead.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 31% of Likely U.S. Voters have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of the 30-year-old Snowden, while 48% view him unfavorably. This includes seven percent (7%) with a Very Favorable view of the former NSA intelligence analyst and 20% with a Very Unfavorable one. Eight percent (8%) say they have never heard of Snowden, while 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 May 31-June 1, 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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June 5, 2014

Mcdaniel’s ‘Friends and Neighbors’ By Kyle Kondik and Geoffrey Skelley

In his classic book Southern Politics in State and Nation, V.O. Key Jr. wrote about the importance of “friends and neighbors” in one-party southern elections. More than half a century after the book was written, strength at home powered yet another Deep South candidate.

Tuesday night featured about as dramatic a race as we’ve seen in recent years, which not only delighted the political hacks on Twitter but, more importantly, produced a result that suggests a victory for the more conservative wing of the Republican Party.

June 5, 2014

Fewer Americans Will Cut Their Summer Vacation Spending

Just as many Americans will be taking a summer vacation this year, but fewer will be cutting back on how much they spend.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 44% of American Adults plan to take a summer vacation this year. That's consistent with surveying for the last couple years. The number of summer vacationers fell into the 30s following the Wall Street meltdown in 2008. (To see 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 American Adults was conducted on May 26-27, 2014 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.

June 4, 2014

30% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

Thirty percent (30%) 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 June 1.

This is up one point from the week before. The number who say the country is heading in the right direction has been in the narrow range of 28% to 30% for 20 out of the 24 weeks since mid-December.

(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 on May 26-June 1, 2014. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

June 4, 2014

Idaho Governor: Otter (R) 50%, Balukoff (D) 36%

Republican incumbent C.L. “Butch” Otter holds a 14-point lead over his Democratic opponent in Idaho's 2014 gubernatorial race.

Otter draws 50% of the vote against businessman A.J. Balukoff’s 36%, according to a new statewide telephone survey of Likely Idaho Voters. Eight percent (8%) prefer some other candidate in the race, while seven percent (7%) 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 750 Likely Voters in Idaho was conducted on May 28-29, 2014 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.

June 4, 2014

40% Approve of POW/Taliban Prisoner Swap, 43% Oppose

Most voters oppose hostage negotiations with terrorist groups like the Taliban, but voters are almost evenly divided over the prisoner swap that freed the only known U.S. military POW in Afghanistan.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 40% of Likely U.S. Voters agree with the U.S. government’s decision to release five Taliban leaders from the Guantanamo terrorist prison camp in exchange for the one U.S. military prisoner of war behind held by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Slightly more voters (43%) disagree with that decision. Seventeen percent (17%) 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 June 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.

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June 4, 2014

Popular Nonsense by John Stossel

"Young people are exploited!" "Income mobility is down!" "Poor people are locked into poverty!"

Those are samples of popular nonsense peddled today.

John Stossel is host of "Stossel" on the Fox Business Network. He's the author of "No They Can't: Why Government Fails, but Individuals Succeed." To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2014 BY JFS PRODUCTIONS INC.

DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM

June 4, 2014

Boehner, Pelosi Are Still Most Unpopular Congressional Leaders

House Speaker John Boehner is now the overall most unpopular leader in Congress, surpassing even House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi who has long held that title. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 26% of Likely U.S. Voters have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of Boehner, while 60% view him unfavorably. This includes four percent (4%) with a Very Favorable view of the Ohio Republican and 30% with a Very Unfavorable one. (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 Likely Voters was conducted on May 27-28, 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.