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August 23, 2012

36% Say Economy Will Be Weaker A Year From Now

Short- and long-term confidence in the nation’s economy continues to hover around 2012 lows. 

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 32% of American Adults think the U.S. economy will be stronger a year from today, but slightly more (36%) believe it will be weaker in a year's time.  Seventeen percent (17%) think economic conditions in the country will stay about the same. Fifteen percent (15%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted on August 21-22, 2012 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.

August 23, 2012

69% Think Most Politicians Break the Rules for Big Contributors

Money talks as far as most voters are concerned. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 69% of Likely U.S. Voters believe most politicians break the rules to help people who give them a lot of money. That’s up slightly from 63% four years ago. Just 13% disagree and don’t think most politicians are for sale. Eighteen percent (18%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 18-19, 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.

August 23, 2012

New Mexico Senate: Heinrich (D) 48%, Wilson (R) 41%

Democratic Congressman Martin Heinrich receives his highest level of support yet against former Congresswoman Heather Wilson in New Mexico’s U.S. Senate race.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of New Mexico Likely Voters shows Heinrich with 48% of the vote to Wilson’s 41%. Five percent (5%) prefer some other candidate, and seven percent (7%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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This New Mexico survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted on August 21, 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.

August 23, 2012

New Mexico Senate: Heinrich (D) 48%, Wilson (R) 41%

Democratic Congressman Martin Heinrich receives his highest level of support yet against former Congresswoman Heather Wilson in New Mexico’s U.S. Senate race.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of New Mexico Likely Voters shows Heinrich with 48% of the vote to Wilson’s 41%. Five percent (5%) prefer some other candidate, and seven percent (7%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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This New Mexico survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted on August 21, 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.

August 23, 2012

Missouri Senate: McCaskill (D) 48%, Akin (R) 38%

What a difference one TV interview can make. Embattled Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill has now jumped to a 10-point lead over her Republican challenger, Congressman Todd Akin, in Missouri’s U.S. Senate race. Most Missouri Republicans want Akin to quit the race while most Missouri Democrats want him to stay.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in the Show Me State finds McCaskill earning 48% support to Akin’s 38%. Nine percent (9%) like some other candidate in the race, and five percent (5%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

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The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Missouri was conducted on August 22, 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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August 23, 2012

Akin's Consistency Is GOP's Real Problem By Froma Harrop

The political convulsion over Missouri Republican Todd Akin's bizarre talk of "legitimate rape" highlights an issue that the GOP had buried in its campaign.

While the U.S. senatorial candidate's grasp of reproductive science is shockingly lacking -- he said real rape victims rarely get pregnant -- his position that abortions be banned with no exception for rape happens to be in the new Republican Party platform. It is a stance that most Americans, including most registered Republicans, disagree with and probably didn't know was an official party position. Now they do.

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August 23, 2012

Award-Winning Director Matthew Cohen Joins What America Thinks

Rasmussen Reports and Telco Productions are pleased to announce that Matthew Cohen has joined What America Thinks With Scott Rasmussen as director of the new nationally syndicated half-hour weekly television show scheduled to debut the weekend of September 8. Top stations already signed to feature the program include WCBS in New York and KCBS in Los Angeles.

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August 23, 2012

GM Goes From Bad to Worse Despite Obama Bailout by Michael Barone

Readers with long memories may recall that Charles E. Wilson, president of General Motors and nominee for secretary of defense, got into trouble when he told a Senate committee, "What is good for the country is good for General Motors, and what's good for General Motors is good for the country."

August 23, 2012

Connecticut: Obama 51%, Romney 43%

President Obama posts an eight-point lead over Mitt Romney in Rasmussen Reports’ first look at the presidential race in Connecticut.

A new telephone survey of Likely Connecticut Voters shows the president with 51% support, while Romney picks up 43% of the vote. Three percent (3%) prefer some other candidate in the race, and another three percent (3%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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This Connecticut survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted on August 21, 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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August 22, 2012

29% Say U.S. Heading In Right Direction

For the second week in a row, 29% of Likely U.S. Voters say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, August 19.

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 has been in the high 20s to low 30s in weekly tracking ever since.

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The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports August 13-19, 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.

August 22, 2012

26% Say Their Home Worth Less Than When They Bought It

Most U.S. homeowners are confident they know the current value of their home and think it’s worth more than when they bought it. But one-in-four say their home is worth less now.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 82% of Americans who own a home are confident they know how much the house is worth in today’s market. That includes 43% who are Very Confident. Just 16% are not very or Not At All Confident that they know what their house is worth. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 743 Adult Homeowners was conducted on August 19-20, 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.

August 22, 2012

Connecticut Senate: McMahon (R) 49%, Murphy (D) 46%

Former wrestling executive Linda McMahon holds a narrow lead over Democratic Congressman Chris Murphy in Rasmussen Reports’ first look at Connecticut’s U.S. Senate race.

A new telephone survey of Likely Voters in Connecticut shows McMahon with 49% of the vote to Murphy’s 46%.  One percent (1%) prefer some other candidate, and five percent (5%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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This Connecticut survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted on August 21, 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.

August 22, 2012

47% Fear Health Care Law More Than Ryan’s Medicare Reform Plan

Democrats hope to make inroads in the senior vote by raising concerns about Mitt Romney running mate Paul Ryan’s Medicare reform proposal, but most seniors are more fearful of President Obama’s health care law than they are of Ryan’s plan.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that when it comes to the future of Medicare, 47% of Likely U.S. Voters are scared more of the health care law than of Ryan’s proposal.  Forty-one percent (41%) are more scared of what Ryan has proposed. Twelve percent (12%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 20-21, 2012 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.

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August 22, 2012

Who Is Paul Ryan? By John Stossel

I wanted to like Paul Ryan. Before he was nationally known, Rep. Ryan visited me at ABC, and we went to lunch. He was terrific. He was a rare politician, one who actually cared about America's coming debt crisis and the unfairness of entitlements. He even talked about F.A. Hayek's "The Road to Serfdom"! If only more politicians thought that way.

August 22, 2012

Montana: Romney 55%, Obama 38%

Montana remains Romney country.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Montana Voters shows Mitt Romney earning 55% support to President Obama’s 38%. Four percent (4%) prefer some other candidate in the race, and another four percent (4%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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This Montana survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted on August 20, 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.

August 21, 2012

66% Say Americans Less Honest Than They Used to Be

Most Americans still think their fellow citizens are honest, but even more agree that Americans aren’t as honest as they used to be.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 58% of American Adults believe most Americans are basically honest. That’s up slightly from 52% in August 2010, the first time we asked the question. But 25% don’t think most Americans are honest, and 17% more are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 American Adults nationwide was conducted on August 17-18, 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.

August 21, 2012

New Mexico: Obama 52%, Romney 38%

President Obama remains well ahead of Mitt Romney in New Mexico.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone of Likely Voters in the state finds Obama earning 52% support, while Romney receives 38% of the vote.  Nine percent (9%) prefer some other candidate, and one percent (1%) are undecided.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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This New Mexico survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted on August 21, 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

August 21, 2012

24% Think Their House Will Be Worth Less Five Years From Now

Short- and long-term confidence in housing values remains low.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 23% of homeowners believe the value of their home will go up over the next year.  That’s up from 18% last month but more in line with findings earlier this year. Slightly more (29%) think the value of their home will go down. That's the highest level of pessimism since March but less negative than views for most of 2011. A plurality (45%) believes their home value will stay about the same. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 743 Adult Homeowners was conducted on August 19-20, 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.

August 21, 2012

Montana Senate: Rehberg (R) 47%, Tester (D) 43%

Republican Congressman Denny Rehberg continues to hold a modest lead over incumbent Jon Tester in Montana’s U.S. Senate race.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Montana Voters shows Rehberg with 47% support to Tester’s 43%. Five percent (5%) prefer some other candidate, and five percent (5%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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This Montana survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted on August 20, 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.

August 21, 2012

Americans More Optimistic About Their Financial Security In August

Americans are feeling better about their finances this month than one year ago when their confidence hit an all-time low, according to the COUNTRY Financial Security Index®. The Index inched up 0.8 points to 65.9 in August after slipping 1.1 points in June. This comes exactly one year after the Index reached its lowest reading ever at 62.4. This uptick in confidence also marks the first August increase since 2008 and the highest August Index reading since that year.