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May 15, 201251% Trust Romney’s Economic Judgment More Than Obama’s
Voters now trust likely Republican nominee Mitt Romney more than President Obama on all five issues regularly surveyed by Rasmussen Reports, especially when it comes to money.
A new national telephone survey finds that 51% of Likely U.S. Voters trust Romney more than Obama when it comes the economy, while 39% trust the president more. Ten percent (10%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on May 10-11, 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 15, 2012Silicon Slumming By Froma Harrop
The Victorian era gave birth to a very unpleasant custom called slumming. Parties of swells in London and New York would descend on impoverished neighborhoods as a form of entertainment. In addition to breaking up the tedium of their posh lives, the adventure made them feel superior.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            May 15, 201275% Favor Use of No-Fly List at Airports
The American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of a group of Muslim Americans is challenging the constitutionality of one of the government’s chief anti-terrorism tools, the no-fly list at airports.  Voters strongly support use of a no-fly list, but most also recognize that it may violate the rights of some Americans.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 75% of Likely U.S. Voters favor the government’s use of a no-fly list to block suspected terrorists from flying. Only nine percent (9%) are opposed to the use of a no-fly list. 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 national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters 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 14, 2012Radio Update:  The Economy, Not Same Sex Marriage, Will Determine Who Wins in 2012
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 14, 2012Radio Update:  51% Trust Romney More Than Obama on Economy
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 14, 2012Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 45%, Democrats 38%
Republicans hold a seven-point lead on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending Sunday, May 12. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 45% 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 gap is much larger than it has been for the past three weeks when Republicans led by three but is consistent with the level of support the GOP has been earning since early March.
(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 May 7-12, 2012. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage point 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 14, 201250% Are Confident In Stability of Banking System
Half of Americans are now confident in the stability of the U.S. banking system, but one-in-three are still concerned they’ll lose their money due to bank failure.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 50% of American Adults are at least somewhat confident in the stability of the U.S. banking industry today, but that includes just 13% who are Very Confident.  Forty-seven percent (47%) lack confidence in the banking system, with 15% who are Not At All Confident.  (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.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
                    <img src="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/var/plain/storage/images/_aliases/wide_266/public_content/business/federal_bailout/may_2012/new_high_47_say_auto_bailouts_were_good_for_america/703427-1-eng-US/new_high_47_say_auto_bailouts_were_good_for_america.jpg" />
                
            
                            May 14, 2012New High: 47% Say Auto Bailouts Were Good for America
A plurality of voters nationwide now believes the government bailouts of the automobile industry were good for the country, but they remain less enthusiastic about the financial industry bailouts.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 47% of Likely Voters believe the auto industry bailouts were good for America. Forty-three percent (43%) see the government bailouts of automakers General Motors and Chrysler as bad for the country, while another 10% 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 national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters 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 14, 2012Radio Update: Americans See Global Conflict Between Western Civilization and Islamic Nations
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.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
                    <img src="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/var/plain/storage/images/_aliases/wide_266/public_content/politics/general_politics/may_2012/63_see_conflict_between_islam_and_the_west/703360-2-eng-US/63_see_conflict_between_islam_and_the_west.jpg" />
                
            
                            May 14, 201263% See Conflict Between Islam and the West
Nearly two-out-of-three Likely U.S. Voters (63%) believe there is a conflict in the world today between Western civilization and Islamic nations, but most also think the United States should leave the Islamic world alone.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 18% of voters feel there is not a global conflict now between the West and Islamic nations. Another 19% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on May 10-11, 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 14, 2012Three Different Ways to Look at the 2012 Campaign By Michael Barone
Last week, I wrote about the standings in the presidential race and said it looked like a long, hard slog through about a dozen clearly identified target states, much like the contests in 2000 and 2004. Call it the 2000/2004 long, hard slog scenario.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            May 14, 201256% Favor Repeal of Health Care Law
The majority of voters continue to support repeal of President Obama’s national health care law, and belief that repeal would be good for the economy has edged up to its highest level since late 2010.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 56% of Likely U.S. Voters at least somewhat favor repeal of the health care law, while 37% are at least somewhat opposed. This includes 46% who Strongly Favor repeal of the measure versus 26% who Strongly Oppose it. (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 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.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            May 13, 201277% Plan To Visit Mom on Mother’s Day
Most Americans whose mothers are still alive plan to honor them today with an in-person visit, but only one-in-four of all adults (27%) consider Mother’s Day one of the country’s most important holidays.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults finds that 10% consider it the one of the least important holidays, while 58% say it falls somewhere in between.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)
This nationwide survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on May 9-10, 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 12, 201223% View Harry Reid Favorably, 57% Don't
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker John Boehner are the leaders of their respective legislative chambers, but neither rates very high in the estimation of voters.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 23% of Likely U.S. Voters share a somewhat favorable opinion of Reid, while 57% view him unfavorably. This includes six percent (6%) with a Very Favorable regard for the Nevada Democrat and 37% who see him Very Unfavorably. Twenty-one percent (21%) have no opinion. Reid’s overall unfavorables tie findings in January which marked his highest negatives since the beginning of 2009.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on May 8-9, 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.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
                    <img src="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/var/plain/storage/images/_aliases/wide_266/public_content/archive/weekly_update_archive/may_2012/what_they_told_us_reviewing_last_week_s_key_polls_week_ending_may_11_2012/705181-2-eng-US/what_they_told_us_reviewing_last_week_s_key_polls_week_ending_may_11_2012.png" />
                
            
                            May 12, 2012What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending May 11, 2012
President Obama ended the week with media praise loud in his ears over his endorsement of gay marriage, while his Republican challenger Mitt Romney crossed the 50% threshold against the president for the first time in Rasmussen Reports’ daily Presidential Tracking Poll.
It’s a long way to Election Day, but Romney’s lead was a reminder that this contest is still all about the economy. Just 37% of Likely Voters nationwide give the president good or excellent marks for his handling of economic issues, down from a two-year high of 42% in March. Forty-eight percent (48%) say he’s doing a poor job in this area.
May 11, 2012Radio Update:  Happy Mother's Day
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 11, 2012Radio Update:  Obama's Numbers Down, Romney Up
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 11, 2012Wisconsin:  Obama 49%, Romney 45%
President Obama still leads Mitt Romney in a head-to-head matchup in Wisconsin but by a much narrower margin.
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in the Badger State finds Obama with 49% of the vote to Romney’s 45%.  Four percent (4%) prefer some other candidate, while two percent (2%) 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 Wisconsin survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted May 9, 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.
May 11, 2012Radio Update:  One-In-Three Believe It's Still Possible To Work Hard, Get Rich
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 11, 2012Do Independent Voters Matter? By Todd Eberly
Todd Eberly, a political science professor at St. Mary's College of Maryland, recently wrote a report for the centrist group Third Way about independent voters. Crystal Ball senior columnist Alan Abramowitz addressed that report in a recent article, and Eberly asked to respond. His point of view differs from Abramowitz's and the inclinations of the Crystal Ball staff, but in order to present readers a full view, we agreed to give Eberly a chance to share his views.
-- The Editors
Are independent voters a myth? That is certainly the conclusion of many who study political science. Research has demonstrated that, when pressed, independent voters often reveal significant partisan preferences: They lean Democratic or lean Republican. When leaners are reclassified and grouped among their partisan peers the share of pure independents in the electorate falls -- by some accounts -- to less than 10% of the electorate.