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                            December 26, 201310% Likely To Miss or Be Late With Upcoming Mortgage Payment
Most homeowners continue to say they have not missed a mortgage payment in the last six months, but their outlook for the next six months is less optimistic.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just seven percent (7%) of U.S. Homeowners admit to missing a mortgage payment or paying late over the last six months. Ninety-one percent (91%) have not missed or been late on a payment, up slightly from 89% in September which was the first time that number had dipped below 90% since March 2011. (To see survey question wording, click here).
December 26, 2013Drive Free by John Stossel
Regulators want their fingers in everything. A new idea gives them an excuse to draw attention to themselves as "consumer protectors." In addition, existing taxi companies request regulation. They want politicians to regulate new competition out of existence.
Luckily, technology and capitalist innovation sometimes move faster than the lazy dinosaur that is government. Lyft, Uber and Sidecar have quickly become popular, and this may help them avoid being crushed. By contrast, politicians don't hesitate to destroy things that people think of as weird or dangerous.

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                            December 25, 201329% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction
Twenty-nine percent (29%) 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 December 22.
That’s up three points from 26% the previous week and the highest level of confidence since early September. In early October during the federal government shutdown, confidence in the country’s course fell to 13%, the lowest finding in five years. A year ago, 35% 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 December 16-22, 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.

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                            December 25, 201360% Consider Christmas One of the Most Important Holidays
Most Americans continue to see Christmas as one of the nation’s most important holidays and will be spending it at home or with family.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 60% of American Adults consider Christmas to be one of the nation’s most important holidays, while just six percent (6%) consider it one of the least important. Thirty percent (30%) see it as somewhere in between the two. (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 American Adults was conducted on December 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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                            December 24, 201368% Celebrate Christmas As A Religious Holiday
Americans overwhelmingly celebrate the Christmas holiday in their family, and for most it is a religious holiday that honors the birth of Jesus Christ.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 87% of Americans celebrate Christmas in their family, and 68% of these adults celebrate the holiday primarily as a religious one. That’s up eight points from 60% a year ago. For 27%, Christmas is chiefly a secular holiday. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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                            December 24, 201362% Say Their Home Is Worth More Than What They Still Owe
Belief among homeowners that their home is worth more than what they still owe on their mortgage is at its highest level in over four-and-a-half years. Short- and long-term confidence in housing values remains at the higher levels seen all this year.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 62% feel the value of their home is more than what they owe on their mortgage. That's the highest finding since Rasmussen Reports began regular tracking on this question in April 2009. A record low of 24% feel their home is worth less than what they still owe, while 13% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here).

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                            December 23, 2013Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 42%, Democrats 39%
Republicans have taken a three-point lead on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending December 22.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 42% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 39% would choose the Democrat instead. The previous week, the two parties ran dead even with 40% support each.
After running neck-and-neck for several months, Democrats jumped out to a seven-point lead the second week of October as the battle over the government shutdown escalated. However, as problems surrounding the rollout of the new national health care law mounted, the Democrats’ lead vanished.
(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 December 16-22, 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 23, 2013Who Is Really Waging War on Christmas? Look in the Mirror, Scrooges by Joe Conason
Spreading holiday cheer, a Western tradition for hundreds of years, no longer engages our so-called conservatives as the end of the year approaches. In fact, the innocent phrase "happy holidays" only infuriates them. The new Yuletide ritual exciting the right is the "War on Christmas" -- an annual opportunity to spread religious discord and community conflict, brought to us by those wonderful folks at Fox News.

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                            December 23, 201322% Still Have Not Started Their Holiday Shopping
There’s nothing like waiting until the last minute for some.
One-in-five American Adults (22%) still have not started their holiday gift shopping as of the last weekend before Christmas. Seventy-four percent (74%) have now started, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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                            December 23, 201326% Favor Use of Drones to Deliver Commercial Packages
Most voters continue to support the U.S. government’s use of unmanned drones to kill terrorists overseas but remain wary of drones in American skies, even for delivery of commercial packages.
Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon, made headlines early this month with his proposal to use drones for commercial deliveries in this country. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 26% of Likely U.S. Voters favor the use of unmanned drone aircraft for commercial purposes such as package delivery, but nearly twice as many (50%) oppose that idea. Twenty-four percent (24%) 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 20-21, 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 23, 2013Reality Has Its Risks by Froma Harrop
The honchos at A&E, professing shock that an old Southern redneck from their reality TV hit "Duck Dynasty" made the sort of homophobic remarks one would expect from an old Southern redneck, yanked Phil Robertson off the show. A culture war skirmish ensued.
Gay rights groups condemned Robertson, who shared his raw opinions in a GQ Magazine interview. Religious conservatives, meanwhile, accused A&E of censoring the Louisiana duck hunter. What Robertson said, they noted, is right there in scripture, in Corinthians I.

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                            December 23, 201327% Say Their Insurance Has Changed Because of Health Care Law
Most voters remain unhappy with the new national health care law, with more than one-in-four continuing to say the law has changed their health insurance coverage.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 41% of Likely U.S. Voters share at least a somewhat favorable opinion of the health care law, while 54% view it unfavorably. This includes 20% with a Very Favorable opinion of the law and 42% 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 survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 20-21, 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 22, 201375% Think Parents Should Decide If There Is Prayer in Their Child's School
Most voters still strongly believe parents should have a choice on uniforms, prayer in school and calendar schedules when sending their children to school.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 59% of Likely U.S. Voters think parents should have a choice between sending their children to a school where uniforms are required and one where they are not. Twenty-three percent (23%) disagree, while 18% 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 18-19, 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 21, 2013What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending December 21, 2013
Americans need a little holly jolly time as the year comes to an end.

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                            December 20, 201342% Give Obama Poor Marks for Leadership
Positive reviews of President Obama’s leadership fell again this month and now stand at their lowest level in two years.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 39% of Likely U.S. Voters now give Obama good or excellent marks for leadership. That's down a point from November, down 16 points from last December and his lowest positives since December 2011. Slightly more (42%) rate the president’s leadership as poor. That's down a bit from 44% last month which was the president's highest negative rating since September 2010. (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 18-19, 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 20, 201342% Give Obama Poor Marks for Leadership
Positive reviews of President Obama’s leadership fell again this month and now stand at their lowest level in two years.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 39% of Likely U.S. Voters now give Obama good or excellent marks for leadership. That's down a point from November, down 16 points from last December and his lowest positives since December 2011. Slightly more (42%) rate the president’s leadership as poor. That's down a bit from 44% last month which was the president's highest negative rating since September 2010. (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 18-19, 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 20, 201329% Have Favorable Opinion of Federal Government
Unfavorable views of the federal government continue to climb.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 68% of Likely U.S. Voters now view the federal government at least somewhat unfavorably. That's up from 64% in October and 63% in November of last year. Just 29% view the feds favorably. This includes five percent (5%) who view the government Very Favorably and 29% who view it Very Unfavorably. (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 Facebook.
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 16-17, 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 20, 201313% Give Senate Positive Marks, 15% Say Same of the House
The bad news for Congress is that most voters think both the Senate and the House of Representatives are doing a lousy job. The good news for them is that a surprising number don’t know which party controls each of the respective chambers.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 15% think the House is doing a good or excellent job, while 52% rate its performance as poor.
Similarly, only 13% give the Senate good or excellent marks for its job performance. Fifty-one percent (51%) think the senators are doing a poor job. (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 18-19, 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 20, 2013Security Versus Privacy by Froma Harrop
This week, a guard insisted on looking into my handbag as I entered Radio City Music Hall to see the Christmas Spectacular. He had absolutely no reason to suspect me or the hundreds of other patrons whose bags he similarly inspected of carrying guns or explosives. But none of us objected to the incursion.
Speaking for myself, I didn't want to get blown up by a terrorist or other psychopath bent on mayhem in this iconic and people-packed venue. A minor invasion of my handbag seemed a fair trade-off.
December 20, 2013Obamacare Shows America's Aversion to Big Government Policies By Michael Barone
As the fifth year of the Obama presidency draws to a close, it may be time to examine the unspoken but powerful assumption behind the policies of the president and his party.