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                            June 9, 201261% in Colorado Favor Legalizing, Regulating Marijuana
Coloradoans will be voting whether to legalize marijuana this November, a ballot initiative that some say could impact the presidential race there. Most Colorado voters are in favor of legalizing the drug under certain conditions. 
 
Sixty-one percent (61%) of Likely Voters in Colorado favor legalizing marijuana if it is regulated the way alcohol and cigarettes are. A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the Centennial State shows that 27% of voters oppose legalization even with government regulation, while 12% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Colorado was conducted on June 6, 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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                            June 9, 2012What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls For The Week Ending June 8, 2012
Americans want a little less government in their lives, and they definitely don’t like the government telling them how big a Coke they can drink.
While surveys for years have told us that Americans prefer a government with fewer services and lower taxes, just over half (51%) also continue to believe the government is more of a threat to individual rights than a protector of them. At the same time, 51% think it’s more important for the government to protect individual rights than to promote economic growth.

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                            June 8, 201237% Say It’s Bad For U.S. When Candidates Criticize President’s Foreign Policies
In the early years of the Cold War, most politicians subscribed to the adage that "politics stops at the water's edge," but since the Vietnam war, partisan sniping at a president's foreign policy has become commonplace. Just over a third (37%) of Likely U.S. Voters think it's bad for the country when candidates for the presidency criticize the foreign policy of the sitting president, but, not surprisingly, there's a partisan component to the findings.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 16% say such criticism is good for the United States, while 30% say it has no impact. Seventeen percent (17%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 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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                            June 8, 201249% Favor Public Employee Unions, 46% Oppose
This week’s unsuccessful effort to recall Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is expected to prompt more states to cut the benefits of public employee unions in an effort to reduce sizable budget deficits. Americans still have mixed feelings about those unions but would much rather reduce their benefits than pay more taxes to fund them.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey, taken since Tuesday’s recall vote, finds that 49% of American Adults at least somewhat favor unions for public employees, including 23% who Strongly Favor them. Nearly as many (46%) oppose those unions, with 30% who Strongly Oppose them. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on June 6-7, 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.
June 8, 2012Missouri: McCaskill’s Top GOP Challengers Again Hit the 50% Mark
Missouri Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill’s three leading Republican challengers all now earn 50% or more of the vote in matchups with her.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Missouri Voters shows former State Treasurer Sarah Steelman with the widest lead. She’s ahead of McCaskill by 12 points, 51% to 39%. Three percent (3%) like another candidate, and seven percent (7%) 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 Missouri survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted on June 7, 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.
June 8, 2012Silent Running: The Burgeoning Wisconsin Scandal That Major Media Ignored By Joe Conason
If the Wisconsin recall is truly second in importance only to the presidential race, as many media outlets have trumpeted lately, then why have those same outlets so badly neglected one of that election's most salient aspects?
June 8, 2012Missouri: Romney 49%, Obama 42%
Mitt Romney’s support continues to hover around the 50% mark in Missouri.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey shows that 49% of Likely Missouri Voters prefer Romney, while 42% support the president. Six percent (6%) favor some other candidate, 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.
The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Missouri was conducted on June 7, 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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                            June 8, 2012The Government Insists on Cutting Us Down to Size By Scott Rasmussen
Mayor Michael Bloomberg ignited a firestorm of debate with his proposal to ban super-size sugary drinks in New York City. Critics bashed his nanny-statism, but supporters like first lady Michelle Obama hailed his courage.

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                            June 7, 201249% Say Medicare Is a Good Deal for Working Americans
More voters than ever feel Medicare is beneficial to working Americans, but most still lack confidence that the government-run health insurance program will make good on all its promised benefits. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 49% of Likely U.S. Voters think Medicare is a good deal for working Americans today. Twenty-eight percent (28%) disagree, and 23% more are not sure.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 3-4, 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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                            June 7, 201229% Expect Cure for Cancer in Next 10 Years
A new breast cancer drug known as a “smart bomb” is making headlines as the next big thing in treating the disease.  But most Americans are still not optimistic that a cure for cancer will be found in the near future.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 29%of American Adults think there will be a cancer cure in the next 10 years, unchanged from October 2009.  Forty-four percent (44%) do not think there will be a cure in the next decade, up six points from the earlier survey. Twenty-seven percent (27%) 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 national survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on June 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.
June 7, 2012Colorado: Obama 45%, Romney 45%
President Obama and Mitt Romney are neck-and-neck in Rasmussen Reports’ first look at the presidential race in Colorado.
A new statewide telephone survey of Likely Voters shows both the president and his likely Republican challenger receiving 45% support in the Centennial State. Six percent (6%) prefer some other candidate in the race, and five percent (5%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Colorado was conducted on June 6, 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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                            June 7, 2012Voter Support for U.S. Involvement in Syria Remains Low
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton again today called on Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down as anti-government violence continues in his country. But most U.S. voters still think America should stay out of the situation in Syria.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that just 20% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the United States should get more involved in the Syrian crisis. Fifty percent (50%) say America should leave the situation there alone, although that’s down six points from February. Thirty percent (30%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 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.
June 7, 2012West of Wisconsin By Froma Harrop
My right-wing friend, ginned up (literally) from his team's impending "victory" in Wisconsin, called me on Tuesday night. I took some of his glow off by noting that I, too, would have been hard-pressed to remove a governor who had committed no crime. Opposition to the recall did not necessarily signal affection for Gov. Scott Walker. Furthermore, I expressed my satisfaction in the electoral reforms being tried in California, changes that would weaken the partisan clubhouse in which my friend found political and social refuge.
June 7, 2012Walker Changes Attitudes on Public Employee Unions By Michael Barone
The results are in, and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has beaten Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett in the recall election. That's in line with pre-election polling, though not the Election Day exit poll. Even before the results came in, we knew one thing, and that is that the Democrats and the public employee unions had already lost the battle of ideas over the issue that sparked the recall, Walker's legislation to restrict the bargaining powers of public employee unions.

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                            June 7, 2012New High: 41% Favor One-Party Rule in Washington, D.C.
Partisan feelings are at an all-time high this election year: More voters than ever like the idea of one party running the whole show in Washington, D.C.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 41% of Likely U.S. Voters think it’s better for the country with one political party in charge of both the White House and Congress. Thirty-four percent (34%) disagree and feel the country is better off with each branch of government being run by a different party. One-in-four voters (25%) 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 survey of 1,000 Likely Voters U.S. Voters was conducted on June 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.
June 6, 201231% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction
For the second week in a row, 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, June 3.
From July 25 through December 11 of last year, the number of voters who were confident 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, along with gains in economic confidence, to a high of 34% in the second week of February and has hovered around 30% ever since.
The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports May 28-June 3, 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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                            June 6, 201269% View Queen Elizabeth II Favorably
Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating her Diamond Jubilee this week after serving 60 years on the throne of the United Kingdom. It’s a momentous occasion for Great Britain, in particular, and even though Americans aren’t following as closely, they still feel the royal family is an important British symbol.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 69% of American Adults share at least a somewhat favorable opinion of Queen Elizabeth, including 23% with a Very Favorable one. Just 15% view her somewhat or Not Very Favorably, while slightly more (17%) have no opinion of the long-serving monarch. (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 American Adults was conducted on June 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.

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                            June 6, 201234% Say Government Should Do Nothing for Long-Term Unemployed
As the national jobs rate continues to show little movement, most Americans still prefer short-term government solutions for the unemployed or none at all.
Twenty-seven percent (27%) of Americans believe in ongoing federal aid for those who can’t find work over an extended period of time, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. This number includes 13% who think the government should hire those people and 14% who support extending unemployment benefits indefinitely. Another 27% believe the government should pay for their retraining, while 34% say the government should do nothing at all. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on June 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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                            June 6, 2012Voters Think Obama, Dems More Likely To Raise Taxes, Spending Than Romney, GOP
Voters are much more convinced that taxes and spending will go up if President Obama is reelected and Democrats regain control of Congress than if Republicans win in November. But they’re not so sure the GOP will cut taxes and spending if it’s in charge. Fifty-one percent (51%) of Likely U.S. Voters think taxes will go up if Obama is returned to the White House and Democrats take over Congress, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Just 31% expect taxes to go up if Mitt Romney is elected and Republicans take control of the House and Senate. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 3-4, 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.
June 6, 2012Uncertainty Paralysis By John Stossel
President Obama would do us all a big favor if he'd ask himself this: "Would I start or expand a business without knowing what regulations or taxes government will impose next year?"