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October 7, 2012

In Crowded Field, Football Fans Make 49ers Top Super Bowl Pick

There’s a lot of football to be played before the replacement referees are forgotten and the Super Bowl champion is determined, but the early fan favorites are the San Francisco 49ers. However, there are a lot of teams in the hunt.

Fifteen percent (15%) of National Football League fans expect the ‘Niners to rebound from last year’s tough loss in the NFC Championship game and go all the way this year, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Twelve percent (12%) think Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are likely to win yet another title this year. The Patriots won the AFC last year before losing in the Super Bowl. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Eleven percent (11%) pick the Houston Texans. The Baltimore Ravens (10%) and Green Bay Packers (10%) are the only other teams with double digit support.

Five percent (5%) think the defending champs, the New York Giants, will win for the second year in a row.

How did you do in this week’s Rasmussen Challenge? Check the leaderboard.

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 643 Professional Football Fans was conducted on October 4, 2012 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.

October 7, 2012

Ohio Senate: Brown (D) 46%, Mandel (R) 46%

The U.S. Senate race in Ohio is now a tie.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Ohio Voters finds incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown and his Republican challenger Josh Mandel each earning 46% support. Two percent (2%) like another candidate, and six percent (6%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Ohio now shifts back from Safe Democrat to a Toss-up in the Rasmussen Reports Senate Balance of Power rankings.  With the addition of Ohio, seven Senate races nationwide are Toss-Ups, but at this point it still appears likely that Democrats will retain control of the Senate.

How did you do in this week’s Rasmussen Challenge? Check the leaderboard.

(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 500 Likely Voters in Ohio was conducted on October 4, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

October 6, 2012

75% Say Frivolous Lawsuits Are Driving Up Health Care, Insurance Costs

Most Americans think it’s too easy to file a lawsuit nowadays, and even more believe dubious lawsuits are driving up the price of health care, insurance and other products and services.

October 6, 2012

What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending October 6, 2012

Close as the presidential race has been for months, it doesn’t take much to make a difference, and Mitt Romney’s debate win this past week appears to have impacted the numbers in the Key Three Swing States – Florida, Ohio and Virginia. It’s too early to say what impact Friday’s government jobs report will have.

New Rasmussen Reports polling taken after the debate finds Romney up two in Florida, up one in Virginia and down one in Ohio. It is virtually impossible for Romney to win the White House without winning at least two of these three states. They remain Toss-Ups in the Rasmussen Reports Electoral College Projections

Romney remains slightly ahead in Missouri and North Carolina, while Obama has more comfortable leads in New Mexico and Washington State.

October 5, 2012

22% Predict Yankees Will Win World Series

Playoff action begins tonight for Major League Baseball’s wildcard teams, but the American League East champion New York Yankees are the slight favorite to win the World Series this year. However, that’s not necessarily the outcome many baseball fans are hoping for.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 22% of baseball fans believe the Bronx Bombers will win their 28th World Series title this year. Right behind are the Washington Nationals, a team that 17% of fans think will win its first-ever championship. Fourteen percent (14%) believe the Texas Rangers will win the World Series after two unsuccessful trips over the past two seasons. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

October 5, 2012

Florida: Romney 49%, Obama 47%

Mitt Romney now has swung back into the lead in the first post-debate survey of the presidential race in Florida.

The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Florida Likely Voters shows Romney with 49% of the vote to Obama’s 47%. Three percent (3%) are undecided at this point. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

How did you do in this week’s Rasmussen Challenge? Check the leaderboard.

(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 500 Likely Voters in Florida was conducted on October 4, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is  onducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

October 5, 2012

Virginia Senate: Kaine (D) 52%, Allen (R) 45%

Democrat Tim Kaine has now pulled away from Republican rival George Allen and has crossed the 50% mark for the first time.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Virginia Voters finds Kaine with 52% support to 45% for Allen.  Three percent (3%) are still 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 500 Likely Voters in Virginia was conducted on October 4, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

October 5, 2012

Ohio: Obama 50%, Romney 49%

The critical battleground state of Ohio remains a draw, with President Obama holding a one-point lead in the first post-debate survey of the contest there.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Ohio Voters, taken last night, finds Obama with 50% support to Mitt Romney’s 49%. One percent (1%) likes another candidate, and another one percent (1%) is undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

How did you do in this week’s Rasmussen Challenge? Check the leaderboard.

(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 500 Likely Voters in Ohio was conducted on October 4, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is  onducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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October 5, 2012

Gubernatorial And House Ratings Update By Kyle Kondik

While other gubernatorial races may get closer as Election Day nears, right now the top gubernatorial tilts in the country are in two small but politically active states: New Hampshire and Montana.

October 5, 2012

Virginia: Romney 49%, Obama 48%

Virginia remains a nail-biter in the first post-debate survey of the key battleground state, with Mitt Romney edging slightly ahead.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Virginia Voters, taken last night, shows Romney earning 49% support to Obama’s 48%. Three percent (3%) remain undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

How did you do in this week’s Rasmussen Challenge?  Check the leaderboard.

The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Virginia was conducted on October 4, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 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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October 5, 2012

When The Whole Map Was In Play By Rhodes Cook

Throughout this year’s presidential campaign, the competitive portion of the electoral map has been limited to about 12 or 13 states. There are the nine that flipped from Republican George W. Bush in 2004 to Democrat Barack Obama in 2008, plus four or so others -- Michigan, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin come quickly to mind -- that voted Democratic the last two presidential elections but narrowly so in 2004.

October 5, 2012

Obama May Need a Reagan Comeback By Scott Rasmussen

The first presidential debate of 2012 is now behind us. The reviews suggest that many were surprised at how well Mitt Romney did and how weakly President Obama performed.

October 4, 2012

37% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

Thirty-seven percent (37%) of Likely U.S. Voters now say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, September 30.

That’s up a point from 36% the week before and matches the highest level of optimism since late June 2009, reached early last month.

From July 25 through December 11 of last year, voter confidence in the nation's current course resembled levels measured in the final months of the George W. Bush administration, remaining in the narrow range of 14% to 19%. That finding began climbing in early January of this year to a high of 34% in the second week of February and then regularly tracked in the high 20s to low 30s until the week of September 3-9.

(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 September 24-30, 2012. 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.

October 4, 2012

Washington Senate: Cantwell (D) 57%, Baumgartner (R) 37%

Democratic incumbent Maria Cantwell holds a commanding lead over Republican challenger Michael Baumgartner in Washington State’s U.S. Senate race.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Washington Voters finds Cantwell earning 57% support, while Baumgartner, a state senator, draws 37% of the vote. One percent (1%) prefer some other candidate, and five percent (5%) 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.

This Washington survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted on September 26, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

October 4, 2012

North Carolina Governor: McCrory (R) 54%, Dalton (D) 38%

Former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory has taken his biggest lead yet over his Democratic rival, Lieutenant Governor Walter Dalton, in North Carolina’s gubernatorial race.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely North Carolina voters shows McCrory, a Republican, with 54% support to Dalton’s 38%. One percent (1%) prefers another candidate in the race, and seven percent (7%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

How did you do in this week’s Rasmussen Challenge? Check the leaderboard.

(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 500 Likely Voters in North Carolina was conducted on October 2, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

October 4, 2012

48% Know Someone Who’s Quit Looking for Work in Bad Job Market

Confidence in the U.S. job market remains near record lows for the year.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 21% of American Adults think the job market is better than it was a year ago. That’s down three points from early August and the lowest finding since February. Forty-one percent (41%) think the job market is worse than it was this time last year, down slightly from the previous survey but only the second time this year that pessimism has climbed into the 40s.

Thirty-six percent (36%) say the employment picture 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 or Facebook.

The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on October 2-3, 2012 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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October 4, 2012

At the House of Kennedy, Arnold Shrugs By Froma Harrop

Leslie Stahl's face evinces shock as Arnold Schwarzenegger talks about cheating on his wife, Maria Kennedy Shriver, on a CBS "60 Minutes" interview. The former bodybuilder and California governor was sorry that "I inflicted tremendous pain on Maria" -- but obviously not very. There was no show of like or dislike for the wife, but the most infuriating response of all -- indifference.   

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October 4, 2012

Romney Wins Debate, But How Much Does It Matter By Geoffrey Skelley, Kyle Kondik and Larry J. Sabato

It’s pretty obvious who turned in a stronger performance in the first presidential debate last night. And it certainly wasn’t the incumbent. This may have been Mitt Romney’s best debate ever, and it almost certainly was Barack Obama’s worst. The question is, will it matter and, if so, how much will it matter?

October 4, 2012

Missouri: Romney 49%, Obama 46%

Mitt Romney still holds a modest lead over President Obama in Missouri.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Missouri Voters, taken just before Wednesday night’s first presidential debate, shows Romney with 49% support to Obama’s 46%. Two percent (2%) prefer some other candidate, and three percent (3%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

How did you do in this week’s Rasmussen Challenge? Check the leaderboard.

This Missouri survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted on October 2, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC.  See methodology.

October 3, 2012

65% Think Media Reports More on Negative Campaigning Than on Issues

Most Americans already think there are more negative campaign advertisements on television this year, but they also feel the media focuses more on negative campaigning. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 65% of American Adults believe the media reports more on negative campaigning than on issues raised by candidates. Just 18% think the media reports on the issues more, but just as many (17%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Win an iPad: The Rasmussen Challenge! This week's entries will be accepted until 11:59 pm ET tonight.

The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on September 26-27, 2012 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.