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May 19, 2012

52% Say States Should Be Allowed to Overrule Feds on Drug Approval

Most voters think states should be able to overrule the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and allow sale of a drug the federal agency has rejected.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 52% of Likely U.S. Voters believe that if a state government feels a drug has benefits in some circumstances, it should be able to approve sale of that drug within its borders even though the FDA already has denied approval. Thirty-two percent (32%) disagree. Sixteen percent (16%) 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 nationwide was conducted on May 12, 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.

May 19, 2012

What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending May 19, 2012

Unlike four years ago, Barack Obama now has a record to run on – and run against. The economy, the health care law, bailouts, stimulus spending, the changes from the so-called Arab Spring and much more will be hot topics of discussion in the months ahead.

Right now, Republican challenger Mitt Romney and the president are closely matched in the daily Presidential Tracking Poll, but improving economic perceptions would cheer the Obama camp. “Forget same-sex marriage and the host of other buzz issues,” Scott Rasmussen argues in his latest syndicated column.  “If the economy improves, Obama will be reelected. If it gets worse, he will lose.”

Democrats regard North Carolina as so important to the president’s reelection that they are holding their national convention there this summer. However, Romney has moved out to an eight-point lead over Obama in the Tar Heel State.  More predictably, Romney still posts a double-digit lead over the president in GOP-friendly Nebraska.

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May 19, 2012

The States That Put President's Over The Top By Geoffrey Skelley

We all think we know which states are the pivotal players in the Electoral College. The Crystal Ball's most recent look at the map showed that there are seven "Super Swing States:" Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio and Virginia.

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May 18, 2012

Radio Update: Tepid Support For Nuclear Power in US

Listen to the latest edition of The Rasmussen Report with noted pollster Scott Rasmussen. Stations interested in adding “The Rasmussen Report” features to their lineup should contact Willis Damalt at the WOR Radio Network at 212-798-8376 or via email at wdamalt@worradionet.com.

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May 18, 2012

Radio Update: States Can Provide Checks and Balances for FDA

Listen to the latest edition of The Rasmussen Report with noted pollster Scott Rasmussen. Stations interested in adding “The Rasmussen Report” features to their lineup should contact Willis Damalt at the WOR Radio Network at 212-798-8376 or via email at wdamalt@worradionet.com.

May 18, 2012

58% Favor Selling Pot in Pharmacies Only

Most voters favor the legalization of marijuana if it’s sold only by pharmacies but think such a move is unlikely to reduce use of the drug by people under 18.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 58% of Likely U.S. Voters support legalization if marijuana is regulated and sold only in pharmacies. Thirty-two percent (32%) oppose legalizing marijuana even if its sales are controlled in this way. Ten percent (10%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on May 12, 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.

May 18, 2012

47% Expect Home’s Value To Go Up Over Next Five Years

New reports show home foreclosures dipped in April, but homeowner sentiments about the future of their homes' values remain fairly steady this month. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of U.S. Homeowners shows that 20% believe their home’s value will go up over the next year. Twenty-four percent (24%) expect their home’s value to go down over the next year, while a majority (55%) predicts values will stay about the same. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The national survey of 724 Adult Homeowners was conducted on May 15-16, 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.

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May 18, 2012

Radio Update: Americans Hate Cozy Relationship Between Bankers and Government

Listen to the latest edition of The Rasmussen Report with noted pollster Scott Rasmussen. Stations interested in adding “The Rasmussen Report” features to their lineup should contact Willis Damalt at the WOR Radio Network at 212-798-8376 or via email at wdamalt@worradionet.com.

May 18, 2012

44% Support Building More U.S. Nuclear Power Plants

Support for building more nuclear plants in the United States is still below where it was prior to last year's nuclear plant disaster in Japan. But voters are less enthusiastic about eliminating existing plants in this country.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 44% of Likely U.S. Voters now think more nuclear power plants should be built in the United States. Thirty-eight percent (38%) are opposed to building new plants, while 18% more are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on May 16-17, 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.

May 18, 2012

Nebraska: Romney 53%, Obama 39%

Mitt Romney still posts a double-digit lead over President Obama in Nebraska.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in the Cornhusker State shows Romney earning 53% support, while the president picks up 39% of the vote. Six percent (6%) like another candidate in the race, and three percent (3%) 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 Nebraska survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted May 16, 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.

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May 18, 2012

The Only True Way to Save Marriage From Obama By Joe Conason

For honoring his conscience on the issue of marriage equality, President Obama earned angry rebukes from all quarters on the right, including the Uncle Toms of the Log Cabin Republicans, who said he was "a day late and a dollar short"; teenage mom Bristol Palin, who mocked him for invoking his daughters in changing "thousands of years of thinking about marriage"; and 50-year-old virgin Ann Coulter, often engaged but never wed, who called his decision "a sign of desperation."

May 18, 2012

It's the Economy, Stupid By Scott Rasmussen

Mitt Romney has pulled a point or two ahead of President Obama in polls of likely voters. In polls of registered voters, Obama has the advantage. The president's job approval ratings are hovering in the upper 40 percent range, which suggests a close race.

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May 17, 2012

Radio Update: Blame Johnson and Nixon for Federal Budget Crisis

Listen to the latest edition of The Rasmussen Report with noted pollster Scott Rasmussen. Stations interested in adding “The Rasmussen Report” features to their lineup should contact Willis Damalt at the WOR Radio Network at 212-798-8376 or via email at wdamalt@worradionet.com.

May 17, 2012

71% Say Government Hasn’t Been Tough Enough On Wall Street

With JPMorgan Chase's enormous recent trading losses again raising questions about government oversight of the financial industry, more Americans than ever feel the government has not done enough to hunt down potential criminal activity on Wall Street.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 14% of American Adults now believe the federal government has been aggressive enough in pursuing possible criminal behavior by major Wall Street bankers. Seventy-one percent (71%) disagree and think the government has not been aggressive enough. That's up from 64% last May.  Another 16% 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 American Adults nationwide was conducted on May 14, 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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May 17, 2012

Radio Update: Most Say Legalize Pot, but Regulate

Listen to the latest edition of The Rasmussen Report with noted pollster Scott Rasmussen. Stations interested in adding “The Rasmussen Report” features to their lineup should contact Willis Damalt at the WOR Radio Network at 212-798-8376 or via email at wdamalt@worradionet.com.

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May 17, 2012

Radio Update: Most Skeptical About Fed's Ability to Control Inflation

Listen to the latest edition of The Rasmussen Report with noted pollster Scott Rasmussen. Stations interested in adding “The Rasmussen Report” features to their lineup should contact Willis Damalt at the WOR Radio Network at 212-798-8376 or via email at wdamalt@worradionet.com.

May 17, 2012

New High: 40% Owe Less Money Than They Did A Year Ago

More Americans than ever now say they're less in debt than they were this time last year, but a plurality still expects higher interest rates in the near future.

Forty percent (40%) of adults now say they owe less money than they did a year ago, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.  That's up seven points from last month and is the highest finding since tracking on the question began in April 2009. 

Twenty-four percent (24%) still say they owe more money than a year ago, and one-in-three (32%) owe about as much as they did this time last year. These numbers are generally in line with findings for the past few years. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 American Adults nationwide was conducted on May 11-12, 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.

May 17, 2012

56% Favor Legalizing, Regulating Marijuana

A solid majority of voters nationwide favor legalizing and regulating marijuana similar to the way alcohol and tobacco cigarettes are currently regulated. Most also don’t believe it should be a crime for people to smoke marijuana in the privacy of their own homes.

A new national telephone survey of Likely Voters shows that 56% favor legalizing and regulating marijuana in a similar manner to the way alcohol and tobacco cigarettes are regulated. Thirty-six percent (36%) are opposed to such a legalizing and regulating pot. (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 nationwide was conducted on May 12, 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.

May 17, 2012

Nebraska Senate: Fischer (R) 56%, Kerrey (D) 38%

State Senator Deb Fischer holds an 18-point lead over Democrat Bob Kerrey in the first Rasmussen Reports survey of the Nebraska U.S. Senate race since her upset win in this week’s state Republican primary.

A new telephone survey of Likely Voters in Nebraska shows Fischer with 56% support to 38% for Kerrey who is trying to reclaim the Senate seat he retired from in 2001. Two percent (2%) prefer some other candidate in the race, and three percent (3%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

This Nebraska survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted May 16, 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.