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                    <img src="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/var/plain/storage/images/_aliases/wide_266/public_content/politics/general_politics/february_2012/50_say_candidate_can_win_without_criticizing_opponent/664932-1-eng-US/50_say_candidate_can_win_without_criticizing_opponent.jpg" />
                
            
                            February 3, 201250% Say Candidate Can Win Without Criticizing Opponent
Voters have slightly more faith in the power of positive campaigning than they did four years ago during the last presidential campaign cycle.
Fifty percent (50%) of Likely U.S. Voters believe it is possible for a candidate to win an election without criticizing his or her opponent. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 37% think it’s not possible to win that way, and 13% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 31-February 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.
February 3, 2012How Long Is Romney's Road To The Nomination? By Larry J. Sabato, Kyle Kondik and Geoffrey Skelley
The moon over Miami was a blue moon for Newt, a bad moon rising for Gingrich. This moon’s shine was all for Mitt Romney, illuminating a moon river that seems set to eventually carry Romney to the Republican presidential nomination.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
                    <img src="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/var/plain/storage/images/_aliases/wide_266/public_content/most_recent_videos/2012_02/video_despite_talk_of_spending_cuts_cbo_projects_fed_spending_to_increase_every_year/664891-3-eng-US/video_despite_talk_of_spending_cuts_cbo_projects_fed_spending_to_increase_every_year.jpg" />
                
            
                            February 3, 2012Video: Despite Talk of Spending Cuts, CBO Projects Fed Spending to Increase Every Year
Federal spending is predicted to go up every year in the next decade despite talks of spending cuts.  Scott Rasmussen dissects the latest Congressional Budget Office's predictions in the video below.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            February 3, 2012Are the Trends Obama's Friend? By Scott Rasmussen
While much of the focus these days is on the fight for the Republican presidential nomination, there are some developing trends that are likely to have the man already in the White House smiling. Only 29 percent of voters nationwide believe the United States is currently heading in the right direction, while 64 percent believe the nation has gotten off on the wrong track. Those aren't great numbers for a president seeking re-election -- but that 29 percent is up from 24 percent a month ago and 16 percent the month before that.
February 3, 2012The High Cost of Romney's Scorching Victory By Joe Conason
Mitt Romney's convincing victory in the Florida primary erased his earlier defeats and perhaps any serious obstacle to his nomination. The question that still troubles party leaders, however, is the damage he will sustain before returning to Tampa in September for their convention.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            February 2, 201269% Oppose Efforts to Increase Those on Food Stamps
A record 46.2 million Americans were on food stamps by last fall, but the Obama administration is still concerned that some segments of the population are missing out on government food assistance. However, most Americans oppose trying to get more people on food stamps.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults finds that just 11% favor new government efforts to encourage more people to receive food stamps.  Sixty-nine percent (69%) oppose such efforts, while another 21% 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 Adults nationwide was conducted on January 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.
February 2, 2012Arizona GOP Primary: Romney 48%, Gingrich 24%, Santorum 13%, Paul 6%
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has a big lead over his rivals in the first Rasmussen Reports survey of the Republican primary race in Arizona. The state's Republicans vote on February 28. A new telephone survey of Likely Republican Primary Voters in Arizona shows Romney with 48% support, while former House Speaker Newt Gingrich comes in a distant second with 24%. Thirteen percent (13%) prefer former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, and six percent (6%) support Texas Congressman Ron Paul. Two percent (2%) like some other candidate in the race, and six percent (6%) 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 Arizona survey of 750 Likely Republican Primary Voters was conducted on February 1, 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.
February 2, 2012Michigan GOP Primary: Romney 38%, Gingrich 23%, Santorum 17%, Paul 14%
Mitt Romney, coming off his big win in the Florida Primary on Tuesday, is the clear front-runner in the first Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of the Republican presidential race in his home state of Michigan. Voters in this hard hit state see Romney as the much better choice to manage the economy. The Michigan Republican Primary is on February 28.
Romney earns 38% support from Likely Republican Primary Voters in Michigan, with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich a distant second with 23% of the vote. Seventeen percent (17%) prefer former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, and nearly as many (14%) favor Texas Congressman Ron Paul. One percent (1%) like some other candidate in the race, and six percent (6%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here).
This Michigan survey of 750 Likely Republican Primary Voters was conducted on February 1, 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.
February 2, 2012Obama Full-Month Approval Hits Highest Point Since June
When tracking President Obama’s job approval on a daily basis, people sometimes get so caught up in the day-to-day fluctuations that they miss the bigger picture. To look at the longer-term trends, Rasmussen Reports compiles the numbers on a full-month basis, and the results can be seen in the graphics below.
Overall, while the president's numbers improved only slightly in January, he now enjoys his highest monthly approval index since June of last year.
In January, 24% of voters Strongly Approved of the president’s job performance, up a point from the previous month.   The number who Strongly Disapproved of the job Obama is doing was at 39% in January, down one point from December.
His full-month Presidential Approval Index rating for January was -15, up two points from December and the president’s best showing since June.  However, the president started 2011 with a rating of -11 and enjoyed a positive index of 23 when he first assumed office in January 2009.
Daily tracking results are collected via telephone surveys of 500 likely voters per night. The monthly numbers in this article are based on approximately 15,000 interviews each month with likely voters. The margin of sampling error is less than +/- 1 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.
February 2, 2012Immigration and 'Obamacare' Join as Issue By Froma Harrop
Two of the hottest topics on the political circuit are illegal immigration and "Obamacare." They can come together into a third steaming discussion: How the Democrats' Affordable Care Act of 2010 would hasten America's journey toward a more orderly immigration program.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            February 2, 201239% Say Unions Bad for Business, 31% Say Good
Most voters don’t view labor unions as a plus for the economy these days.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 31% of Likely U.S. Voters, in fact, think, generally speaking, that unions are good for business. Thirty-nine percent (39%) regard them as bad for business, while another 21% say they’re neither. (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 January 29-30, 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.
February 2, 2012After Big Win, Romney Faces Tough Opponents in a Long War By Michael Barone
Mitt Romney's impressive victory Tuesday makes it very likely that we will look back on the Florida primary as the contest that determined the 2012 Republican nomination.
To be sure, the campaign fight will go on, and Romney is by no means assured of a sweep of the relatively few February contests.
February 1, 201229% Say U.S. Heading In Right Direction
Twenty-nine percent (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, Jan. 29.  That’s the highest level of optimism measured in weekly tracking since May of last year.
The latest finding is up three points from the previous week. 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 Bush administration, with voter confidence remaining in the narrow range of 14% to 19%. But that finding has steadily climbed since then.
(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 January 23-29, 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.
February 1, 201248% Give Obama Positive Marks On Leadership
In a survey conducted a week after President Obama’s third State of the Union Address, positive reviews for the president’s leadership are the highest measured since late 2009.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters shows that 48% now give Obama good or excellent marks as a leader, including 20% who give him an excellent grade. Thirty-four percent (34%) rate his leadership as poor. (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 January 29-30, 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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                            February 1, 2012Federal Deficit For 2012 Closer to $4 Trillion Rather Than Official Estimate of $1.1 Trillion
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) yesterday reported that the federal budget deficit is projected to reach $1.1 trillion in 2012. That number is troubling enough but the reality is much worse. The United States will actually go about $4 trillion further in debt during the year.
February 1, 2012Partisan Trends: The Number of Democrats Falls To New Low
The number of Republicans in the country inched up half a percentage point in January, while the number of Democrats dipped to the lowest level ever recorded by Rasmussen Reports.
During January, 35.9% of Americans considered themselves Republicans. That’s up from 35.4% in December and the highest number of Republicans measured since December 2010.
Rasmussen Reports tracks this information based on telephone interviews with approximately 15,000 adults per month and has been doing so since November 2002. The margin of error for the full sample is less than one percentage point, with a 95% level of confidence.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            February 1, 201253% Favor Fingerprinting Requirement For Food Stamp Applicants
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is aiming to end New York City’s policy of requiring food stamp applicants to be fingerprinted, a policy the city’s mayor, Michael Bloomberg, wants to keep in place.  A new survey shows that a majority of Americans nationwide favor requiring food stamp applicants to be fingerprinted in order to be eligible.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 53% believe Americans applying for food stamps should be required to be fingerprinted in order to be eligible. More than a third (36%) disagrees, while 11% 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 Adults was conducted on January 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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                            February 1, 201279% Give Their Boss Positive Marks
Here’s some good news for employers. U.S. workers have even more confidence in their bosses than they did two years ago.
Seventy-nine percent (79%) of Employed Adults rate their boss or supervisor as good or excellent. That’s up 12 points from 67% in May 2010. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just six percent (6%) rate that person as poor.  (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 336 Employed Adults was conducted on January 28-29, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 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.
February 1, 2012Policing the World By John Stossel
With an election approaching and at least some Americans upset about irresponsible spending, the president has finally expressed a political interest in cutting something. He says the Pentagon will spend "only" $525 billion next year. That's slightly less than the current $531 billion.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            January 31, 201269% Say Domestic Animals Are Treated Well In The U.S.
In an era where animal videos on YouTube get just as many views as a speech by the president, most American pet owners say domestic animals in this country are treated well.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of U.S. pet owners finds that 69% say, generally speaking, most domestic animals are well-treated here.   Seventeen percent (17%) disagree, and another 14% are not sure.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 640 Pet Owners was conducted on January 26-27, 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.