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                            September 7, 2012Most Voters Still Have an Unfavorable View of Reid, Pelosi
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi continue to be the most disliked leaders of Congress, but none of the top congressional leaders earns high positive reviews from voters. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 29% of Likely U.S. Voters have at least a somewhat favorable impression of Pelosi, while 59% view her unfavorably.  Those figures include a Very Favorable review from 13%, compared to 46% who have a Very Unfavorable opinion of the California Democrat.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on September 3-4, 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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                            September 7, 2012Most Say Childhood Obesity is a Serious Issue But Don't Want Gov't Involvement
American Adults continue to recognize the childhood obesity epidemic as a serious problem, but they don’t believe it’s the government’s job to control it. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 82% of adults say childhood obesity is a serious problem in the United States today, including 43% who say it is Very Serious. Just 13% do not see childhood obesity as a serious issue. That's consistent with findings in November 2010 when Rasmussen Reports first asked this question. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted on September 4-5, 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.
September 7, 2012Discover (R) Consumer Spending Monitor (SM): Consumer Confidence Falls For Third Straight Month in August
Consumer confidence fell in August for the third straight month, as the Discover U.S. Spending Monitor(SM) dropped to its lowest level since March 2009. Since January, the Monitor has been in a freefall, dropping nearly 13 points over the last eight months.
September 7, 201248% Give Obama Good or Excellent Marks for Leadership
President Obama continues to earn positive marks for leadership from nearly half the nation’s voters, but there’s a wide partisan difference of opinion on this question.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 48% of Likely U.S. Voters rate the president’s leadership as good or excellent. Forty percent (40%) think he’s doing a poor job. It’s important to note that these attitudes were measured prior to his prime-time speech Thursday night to the Democratic National Convention. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on September 5-6, 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.
September 7, 2012Democrats Think Clinton & Obama Agree on Economy, Others Disagree
Bill Clinton’s favorables are up after his impassioned promotion of President Obama at this week’s Democratic National Convention, but there is a huge partisan divide over whether the two men actually agree on what’s best for the economy. Most also believe Clinton was a better president than the man he was championing. 
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 59% of Likely U.S. Voters consider Clinton who served from 1993 to 2001 to be a better president than President Obama. Just 19% think Obama is a better chief executive. Twenty-two percent (22%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on September 5-6, 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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                            September 7, 2012Despite Convention Distractions, It's Still All About the Economy By Scott Rasmussen
Mercifully, the political conventions have ended. The political press will keep buzzing over whether Clint Eastwood's unconventional speech helped or hurt Mitt Romney and whether the snafu over Israel and God...

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                            September 6, 201211 Rasmussen Challenge Participants Got It Right This Week
Twenty-nine percent (29%) of American Adults went to concerts or theater events this summer, and 11 Rasmussen Challenge participants correctly predicted that answer this week. They're among 3,500 Rasmussen Reports readers who've participated in the Challenge so far.
Win an IPad by participating in the Rasmussen Challenge. How did you do this week?  Check the leaderboard.
The summer of 2012 is almost over, but it's not forgotten.
In fact, 48% of American Adults give this summer positive marks, including four percent (4%) who believe it was the best summer ever. Thirty percent (30%) say it was a good summer, and 14% more think it was excellent. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 20% rate this summer as poor. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The two surveys of 1,000 Adults each were conducted on August 29-30 and August 31-September 1, 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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                            September 6, 201231% Think Victory Possible in Afghanistan
Half of all voters still support an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and are evenly divided as to whether that nation is a vital national security interest for our nation.  
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that a plurality (49%) of Likely U.S. Voters favor an immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan, while 30% are opposed. Twenty-one percent (21%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on September 1-2, 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.
September 6, 2012Obama Hobbled by Record, Slumping Democratic Brand By Michael Barone
"One question, Mr. President," read the words on the front cover of this week's Economist, behind a silhouette of the back of Barack Obama's head, "just what would you do with another four years?"

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                            September 6, 201246% Think Their Pay Will Be The Same A Year From Now
For the first time since early January, working Americans think what they earn is more likely to stay the same over the next year rather than go up.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 40% of employed adults think they will be earning more money a year from now than they are making today. That’s in line with regular tracking since March and up from the low to mid-30s common to surveys since July 2009. But 46% now believe their earnings will be about the same in a year’s time. That’s the highest finding since July of last year and more in line with earlier surveying. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 593 Employed Adults was conducted on September 2-3, 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.
September 6, 2012Better Off Than Four Years Ago? I'd Say By Froma Harrop
Are you better off today than you were four years ago? Ronald Reagan's 1980 campaign zinger is back in 2012.

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                            September 5, 201231% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction
Thirty-one percent (31%) 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 2.
That’s up three points from the week before and the highest finding since early July.
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The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports August 27-September 2, 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.

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                            September 5, 201262% Say They’ll Decide When To Leave Current Job
The number of working Americans who think they, not their employer, will decide when they leave their current job has fallen to its lowest level in nearly three years.
Sixty-two percent (62%) now say that when they leave their current job, it will be their choice. That’s down 12 points from 74% in July. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that nearly one-in-five (19%) think it will be their employer’s decision when they leave their current job. Another 19% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 593 Employed Adults was conducted on September 2-3, 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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                            September 5, 2012Kerry, Caroline Kennedy Earn Raves from Their Fellow Democrats
Democrats are most enthusiastic about John Kerry and Caroline Kennedy when asked about some of the prominent speakers at their party’s national convention this week in Charlotte, North Carolina.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters finds that some of the party’s rising stars like Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren and Newark, NJ Mayor Corey Booker are largely unknown to sizable numbers of Democrats, but this survey was taken before they addressed the convention delegates. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Win an iPad: The Rasmussen Challenge! This week's entries will be accepted until 11:59pm ET tonight. 
Sign up for The Rasmussen Reader, now just $24.95 for a 12-month subscription. Offer good through October 1, 2012.
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on September 3-4, 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.
September 5, 2012What I Ask of Romney and Obama By John Stossel
The Republican Convention ended on the theme "Believe in America." That sounded nice, but it was just another platitude. Mitt Romney's speech was filled with platitudes: "We will honor America's democratic ideals. ... We're united to preserve liberty."

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                            September 5, 2012Just 40% Expect to Get Full Social Security Benefits
Most voters continue to regard Social Security favorably but lack confidence that they will get all the retirement benefits promised to them.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 60% of Likely U.S. Voters have a favorable opinion of Social Security, while 33% view the government retirement system unfavorably. This includes 29% with a Very Favorable opinion and just 12% with a Very Unfavorable one. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 30-31, 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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                            September 4, 2012Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 43%, Democrats 42%
The Republicans now lead the Democrats by just one point on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending Sunday, September 2.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 43% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 42% would choose the Democrat instead.
The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from August 27-September 2, 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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                            September 4, 2012Rasmussen Employment Index Falls to Ten Month Low
The Rasmussen Employment Index fell nine points in August to 72.0, the lowest level of confidence since October 2011. Worker confidence in the labor market is now roughly the same as it was in the month following the Wall Street meltdown in the fall of 2008.
Generally speaking, a decrease in the Rasmussen Employment Index suggests the upcoming government reports on job creation will be weaker than the prior month’s report.
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The survey of 8,563 working Americans was conducted in August 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 1 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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                            September 4, 201250% Favor Repeal of Health Care Law, 41% Opposed
Fifty percent (50%) of Likely U.S. Voters continue to favor repeal of President Obama’s national health care law, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Forty-one percent (41%) oppose repeal.
Enthusiasm remains on the side of repeal supporters, with 43% of voters who Strongly Favor it, compared to 33% who are Strongly Opposed.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on September 1-2, 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.
September 4, 2012Inspiring but Not Slick, Romney Showed Right Stuff By Michael Barone
The 40th Republican National Convention is now history, and political strategists and pundits are poring over the poll numbers to see whether Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are getting a post-convention bounce in what have been very closely divided polls.