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                            December 2, 2013Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 43%, Democrats 38%
Republicans have jumped to a five-point lead on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending December 1.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 43% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 38% would choose the Democrat instead.
This is the largest lead Republicans have held since June 17, 2012, and the highest level of support the GOP has earned since just before Election Day in early November of last year. Republicans edged ahead of Democrats by one point two weeks ago, the first time they had led since early August, but Democrats regained the lead by one last week. 
(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 November 25-26 and December 1, 2013. 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. 
December 2, 2013Welcome to the Kludgeocracy By Michael Barone
How is it possible that Barack Obama did not know that his beloved healthcare.gov website was a botch? That's a question many thoughtful people (including thoughtful Democrats) are asking.
We heard him say that he wouldn't have boasted that it would be as easy to use as amazon.com or obitz.com had he known that it wouldn't. I'm not "stupid enough," he said at his Nov. 14 press conference. Most Americans agree that's true.

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                            December 2, 2013Obama’s Full-Month Approval Hits Two-Year Low in November
When tracking President Obama’s job approval on a daily basis, people sometimes get so caught up in the day-to-day fluctuations that they miss the bigger picture. To look at the longer-term trends, Rasmussen Reports compiles the numbers on a full-month basis, and the results can be seen in the graphics below.  
The president’s total job approval dipped four points to 45% in November. That is down 11 points from last December’s recent high of 56% and is the president's lowest monthly approval in two years. The president's rating inched up a point to 49% in October following the government shutdown but took a hard hit in November from the problems surrounding the rollout of the new national health care law. In recent weeks, the president's daily job approval ratings have been at the lowest levels of his presidency.
(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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                            December 2, 201351% Oppose Health Law’s Contraceptive Mandate
Half of voters now oppose a government requirement that employers provide health insurance with free contraceptives for their female employees. But they remain closely divided when asked if a business should be allowed to opt out of such a mandate for religious reasons - the subject of a legal challenge of Obamacare now before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 38% of Likely U.S. Voters still believe businesses should be required by law to provide health insurance that covers all government-approved contraceptives for women without co-payments or other charges to the patient.  Fifty-one percent (51%) disagree and say employers should not be required to provide health insurance with this type of coverage. Eleven percent (11%) 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 December 1, 2013 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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                            December 2, 201356% Expect Health Care System To Get Worse Under New Law
Though the Obama administration yesterday tried to assure Americans that many of the problems associated with the health care enrollment website were fixed, a majority of voters continue to believe the health care system will get worse under the new law. Voter ratings for the current system also are slightly higher than they’ve been all year.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 56% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the health care system is likely to get worse under the new national health care law. That’s up from 52% in October and is more similar to the level of pessimism measured from May through August. Just half as many (28%) expect the health care system to get better, while nine percent (9%) think it will remain 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 or Facebook.
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 1, 2013 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.
December 2, 2013Data Debris and the Time of Our Lives By Froma Harrop
An elderly friend I'll call Jeff perfectly summed up the stress of digital living. He'd read an article on the race by cyber-merchants to get online purchases into consumers' hands within an hour of their pushing the "place your order" button. One such service, eBay Now, has its own app enabling shoppers to follow the delivery people as they bike or drive to their address.

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                            December 1, 201337% Believe U.S. Doesn’t Spend Enough on Military, National Security
The United States spends more on defense annually than the next 10 countries combined, but more voters than ever don’t think that’s enough.
Thirty-seven percent (37%) of Likely U.S. Voters believe the United States does not spend enough on the military and national security, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. That’s the highest level measured since tracking began in February 2011. Just 29% now say the United States spends too much money in this area, while nearly as many (27%) say it spends about the right amount. (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 25-26, 2013 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 30, 2013What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending November 30
No wonder men age so noticeably in the job. Things are pretty rough for President Obama these days.

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                            November 29, 201351% Believe A Home Is A Family’s Best Investment
While only one-in-three Americans think now is a good time to sell a house, just over half still believe that purchasing a home is a family’s best financial move.
Fifty-one percent (51%) of American Adults say buying a home is the best investment most families can make, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Twenty-six percent (26%) disagree, while 23% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

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                            November 28, 201385% Have A Lot to be Thankful For This Thanksgiving
Americans overwhelmingly believe they have a lot to be thankful for, and roughly half still consider Thanksgiving one of the nation's most important holidays.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 85% of American Adults think they have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Just nine percent (9%) do not, the lowest of pessimism since 2009.  (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. 
This survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted on November 24-25, 2013 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 27, 201326% Say Country is Heading in the Right Direction
Twenty-six percent (26%) 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 24.
This marks little change from the previous week when 25% felt the country was headed the right way. Still, it’s an improvement from early last month when confidence in the country’s course fell to 13% during the partial federal government shutdown. It was the lowest finding in five years. The week before Election Day a year ago, 43% said the country was heading in the right direction.
(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 November 18-24, 2013. 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.
November 27, 2013Thankful for Property By John Stossel
Had today's politicians and opinion-makers been in power four centuries ago, Americans might celebrate "Starvation Day" this week, not Thanksgiving.
The Pilgrims started out with communal property rules. When they first settled at Plymouth, they were told: "Share everything, share the work, and we'll share the harvest."
The colony's contract said their new settlement was to be a "common." Everyone was to receive necessities out of the common stock. There was to be little individual property.

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                            November 27, 201343% Will Have Thanksgiving Dinner At Home
Most Americans will eat their Thanksgiving dinner at home or at a relative's house again this year.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 43% of American Adults plan to have Thanksgiving dinner at home tomorrow. Just as many (42%) will celebrate at a relative’s home, generally unchanged from last year. Six percent (6%) will eat at a friend’s home, while three percent (3%) each will dine at a restaurant or will not have Thanksgiving dinner at all. (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. 
This survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted on November 24-25, 2013 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 27, 201341% Favor Nuclear Deal with Iran, 43% Oppose
Voters are almost evenly divided over a treaty the United States has reached with Iran to slow that country’s nuclear weapons program and tend to think the arrangement is likely to make things worse in the Middle East.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 41% favor the short-term deal that ends some economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for verifiable cutbacks in the Iranian nuclear weapons program. Forty-three percent (43%) oppose that deal. Sixteen percent (16%) 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 25-26, 2013 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 27, 201325% Still Haven’t Heard of HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius
Favorable opinions of U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius have improved slightly from a month ago, but one-in-four voters still hasn't even heard of the government official in charge of the unpopular new national health care law. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 43% of Likely U.S. Voters hold an unfavorable impression of Sebelius, showing little change from late October. But 30% now view Sebelius favorably, up from 25% last month. These findings include nine percent (9%) with a Very Favorable opinion of the HHS secretary and 28% with a Very Unfavorable one. 
Twenty-five percent (25%) of voters still haven't heard of Sebelius, while another two percent (2%) don't know enough about her to venture even a soft opinion. That compares to 31% who had no opinion of her a month ago. This is the first survey to give respondents the option of saying they have never heard of her. (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 21-22, 2013 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 26, 201322% Are Planning to Travel This Thanksgiving
Although an early winter storm has threatened much of the East Coast, more Americans plan to travel this Thanksgiving, compared to last year.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 22% of American Adults intend to travel away from home for the holiday, up from 18% a year ago. Seventy-six percent (76%) have no travel plans, but three percent (3%) haven't decided yet. (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. 
This survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted on November 24-25, 2013 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 26, 2013Voters Still Trust GOP More Than Democrats on Economy
Voters continue to trust Republicans more when it comes to the economy and also have more confidence in the GOP when it comes to another eight of the 15 major issues regularly tracked by Rasmussen Reports. 
The economy remains the most important issue to voters in terms of how they will vote in the next congressional election, and Republicans have a 44% to 40% lead in voter trust in that area, according to new national telephone surveying. Since June 2009, the GOP has led in voter trust on the economy in all but one survey. (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 13-14, November 17-18 and November 21-22, 2013 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 26, 201347% Think It’s Negative To Compare A Candidate to Obama or George W. Bush
Comparing a candidate to President Obama is as bad these days as comparing one to George W. Bush as far as voters are concerned. For most voters, Ronald Reagan remains the best president of the last 30 years to compare a politician to.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 47% of Likely U.S. Voters consider it a negative to describe a candidate as being like Barack Obama. Just as many (48%) view a comparison to Bush as a negative.
For 29%, comparing a political candidate to Obama is a positive, while 19% consider it somewhere in between a positive and a negative. Similarly, 24% say describing a candidate as being like his Republican predecessor in the White House is a positive, while 26% think it’s somewhere in between. (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 23-24, 2013 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 26, 2013The Greatness of Obamacare By Froma Harrop
During the botched rollout of the Affordable Care Act, it's been hard to defend the law, much less to call it "great." But great it is -- for the American economy and for the American people, rich ones included.

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                            November 26, 201335% Expect Their Home's Value To Increase Over Next Year
Homeowner confidence in the short- and long-term future of housing values is down slightly from last month’s highs but remains relatively steady.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 35% of Homeowners now believe the value of their home will go up over the next year. That’s down from last month’s all-time high of 38% but remains well above confidence measured from 2009 through 2012.Just 13% expect home values to go down over the next year, while a plurality (49%) thinks they will remain 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 or Facebook.
The survey of 710 Homeowners was conducted on November 22-23, 2013 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.