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September 25, 201248% Think Obama Better Understands Middle Class, 42% Say Romney
Voters in general are slightly more confident that President Obama has a better feel for the middle class than Mitt Romney, but middle class voters give the edge to Romney. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 48% of Likely U.S. Voters think Obama better understands the issues of the middle class. Forty-two percent (42%) believe Romney has a better understanding of the middle class. Ten percent (10%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on September 23-24, 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 25, 2012Swing-state Florida's Up-for-grabs Region By Froma Harrop
LADY LAKE, Fla. -- Lunching at Applebee's in this hyper-groomed shopping center, I'm tempted to buttonhole some of the retirees enjoying their leisure as Fox News jabbers down from the bar. This, after all, is a gathering place near the storied retirement community known as The Villages, a huge conservative enclave smack in the middle of Florida's I-4 corridor.

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                            September 25, 201245% Think U.S.-Muslim Relations Worse Than Four Years Ago
President Obama in June 2009 in one of his first major foreign policy initiatives delivered a highly publicized speech in Cairo reaching out to Muslims worldwide after the conflict of the Bush years. But only 18% of Likely U.S. Voters think U.S. relations with the Islamic world are better now than they were four years ago.
A plurality (45%) of voters believe those relations have gotten worse since then, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Thirty-one percent (31%) say America’s relationship with the Islamic world is about the same. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on September 21-22, 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 24, 2012Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 44%, Democrats 43%
Republicans continue to lead Democrats by just one point on the Generic Congressional Ballot, this time for the week ending September 23, 2012.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 44% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 43% would choose the Democrat instead.
(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 September 17-23, 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 24, 201244% Think Ryan Better Suited to Be President, 44% Say Same of Biden
Voters are evenly divided when asked which of the major vice presidential candidates is more qualified to be president.
Forty-four percent (44%) of Likely U.S. Voters say Vice President Joe Biden is more qualified to serve as the nation's chief executive if need be, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. But just as many (44%) say Mitt Romney's running mate, Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan, is more qualified to serve. Twelve percent (12%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on September 19-20, 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 24, 2012Michigan: Obama 54%, Romney 42%
President Obama now earns over 50% of the vote in Michigan.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in the state finds Obama with 54% support to 42% for Mitt Romney. One percent (1%) prefers some other candidate, while three percent (3%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Be sure to stay tuned for a new question in this week's Rasmussen Challenge.
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This survey of 500 Likely Voters in Michigan was conducted on September 20, 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.
September 24, 201223% Blame Middle East Protests on Anti-Islamic Video
Most voters think the recent protests at U.S. embassies in the Middle East were pre-planned and not a reaction to an anti-Islamic video on YouTube. They also believe overwhelmingly that terrorists are likely to have been involved in the murder of the U.S. ambassador to Libya.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 57% of Likely U.S. Voters feel that the recent embassy protests largely have been planned in advance. Just 23% think they were spontaneous reactions to the anti-Islamic video. Nineteen percent (19%) are not sure.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Sign up for The Rasmussen Reader, now just $24.95 for a 12-month subscription. Offer good through October 1, 2012. 
(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 September 21-22, 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 24, 2012Obama's Unfulfilled Promise Change By Michael Barone
"The most important lesson I've learned is that you can't change Washington from the inside," Barack Obama said in an interview Thursday on the Spanish-language Univision network. "You can only change it from the outside."
A better way to put it is that Barack Obama has proved he can't change Washington from the inside.
One case in point is the comprehensive immigration legislation Obama promised to steer to passage in his first term. The Univision interviewers, who asked tougher questions than the president has been getting from David Letterman or various rappers, zeroed in on this issue.

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                            September 24, 2012Most Still Favor Health Care Repeal, 42% Say It’s Likely
Most voters still want to repeal President Obama’s national health care law, but voters are now evenly divided over whether repeal is likely. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 52% of Likely U.S. Voters favor repeal of the health care law, and 41% are opposed. This includes 41% who Strongly Favor repeal of the law and 32% who Strongly Oppose it. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Win an IPad: Take the Rasmussen Challenge.
Sign up for The Rasmussen Reader, now just $24.95 for a 12-month subscription. Offer good through October 1, 2012. 
(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 September 21-22, 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 23, 2012Pennsylvania Senate: Casey (D) 49%, Smith (R) 42%
Incumbent Democrat Bob Casey, Jr. still holds the lead in Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race.
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Pennsylvania Voters finds Casey with 49% support to 42% for his Republican challenger Tom Smith. Two percent (2%) like some other candidate in the race, and seven percent (7%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
How did you do in this week’s Rasmussen Challenge? Check the leaderboard. 
Sign up for The Rasmussen Reader, now just $24.95 for a 12-month subscription. Offer good through October 1, 2012. 
(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 Pennsylvania survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted on September 19, 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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                            September 23, 201229% Think Poverty Very Severe in America Today
An overwhelming majority of Americans think poverty is a major problem in the United States today, and just one-in-four think the current government-set poverty line is right.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 80% of American Adults believe poverty is at least somewhat severe in the United States, although that includes only 29% who say it is Very Severe. Just 16% think poverty is not severe in the nation, with four percent (4%) who believe it is Not At All Severe. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
How did you do in this week’s Rasmussen Challenge? Check the leaderboard.
Sign up for The Rasmussen Reader, now just $24.95 for a 12-month subscription. Offer good through October 1, 2012. 
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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on September 18-19, 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 22, 2012New Hampshire Governor:  Lamontagne (R) 48%, Hassan (D) 44%
Rasmussen Reports' first look at New Hampshire's gubernatorial race since the state's party primaries finds Republican Ovide Lamontagne slightly ahead of Democrat Maggie Hassan.  A new telephone survey of Likely Voters in the Granite State shows Lamontagne earning 48% of the vote, while Hassan picks up 44% support.  Two percent (2%) prefer some other candidate, and seven percent (7%) are undecided.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)
How did you do in this week’s Rasmussen Challenge? Check the leaderboard.
Sign up for The Rasmussen Reader, now just $24.95 for a 12-month subscription. Offer good through October 1, 2012. 
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This New Hampshire survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted on September 18, 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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                            September 22, 2012What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending September 21, 2012
Mitt Romney’s newly aired comment that 47% of Americans are dependent on the government and locked in to vote for President Obama has prompted debate all week. Scott Rasmussen argues in his latest newspaper column that Romney’s remark like Obama’s notorious comment about small-town voters bitterly clinging to their guns and religion highlights the condescending attitude the political elites have towards voters.  “If he wins the White House, the only way for Romney to succeed will be to side with the nation's voters and throw out the club in Washington,” Scott writes. “That will be great news for the country but bad news for political insiders on both sides of the partisan aisle.”

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                            September 21, 201251% in Wisconsin Approve of Governor Walker's Job Performance
Wisconsin voters are almost evenly divided over how the governor they almost removed from office is doing these days. A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Wisconsin Voters finds that 51% at least somewhat approve of Governor Scott Walker's job performance, including 41% who Strongly Approve. But 49% disapprove, with Strong Disapproval from 41%. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
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(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 on September 17, 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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                            September 21, 2012Pennsylvania: Obama 51%, Romney 39%
President Obama has jumped to a double-digit lead over Mitt Romney in the battleground state of Pennsylvania.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in Pennsylvania shows Obama with 51% of the vote to Romney’s 39%. Three percent (3%) prefer some other candidate in the race, and seven percent (7%) remain undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
How did you do in this week’s Rasmussen Challenge? Check the leaderboard. 
Sign up for The Rasmussen Reader, now just $24.95 for a 12-month subscription. Offer good through October 1, 2012.
This Pennsylvania survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted on September 19, 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.
September 21, 2012Economy Continues to Top List of Most Important Issues
The economy remains by far the top issue on voters’ minds as the November elections near. Health care and government corruption are a distant second on a list of 10 top issues regularly surveyed by Rasmussen Reports.
A new national telephone survey finds that 80% of Likely U.S. Voters rate the economy as Very Important to how they will vote in the next election. That's consistent with regular tracking since January 2008. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Surveys of 1,000 Likely Voters each were conducted on September 13-14 and 17-18, 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 21, 201246% Expect Romney, GOP To Cut Spending, Not So Sure on Taxes
Voters continue to think tax and spending hikes are more likely under President Obama and the Democrats than under President Romney and the Republicans. But most still don’t expect tax cuts if the GOP wins the White House and Congress, although spending cuts are now viewed as more likely.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 51% of Likely U.S. Voters think government spending will go up if Obama is reelected and Democrats win control of the entire Congress. Only 11% believe spending will go down, while 31% say it will stay about the same. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Sign up for The Rasmussen Reader, now just $24.95 for a 12-month subscription. Offer good through October 1, 2012. 
(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 September 19-20, 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 21, 2012Wisconsin Senate: Baldwin (D) 49%, Thompson (R) 46%
Democratic Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin now has a slight lead over former Republican Governor Tommy Thompson in Wisconsin’s volatile U.S. Senate race.
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Wisconsin Voters finds Baldwin with 49% support to Thompson’s 46%. Two percent (2%) like some other candidate in the race, and four percent (4%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
How did you do in this week’s Rasmussen Challenge? Check the leaderboard. 
Sign up for The Rasmussen Reader, now just $24.95 for a 12-month subscription. Offer good through October 1, 2012. 
This Wisconsin survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted on September 17, 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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                            September 21, 2012Wisconsin Senate: Baldwin (D) 49%, Thompson (R) 46%
Democratic Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin now has a slight lead over former Republican Governor Tommy Thompson in Wisconsin’s volatile U.S. Senate race.
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Wisconsin Voters finds Baldwin with 49% support to Thompson’s 46%. Two percent (2%) like some other candidate in the race, and four percent (4%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
How did you do in this week’s Rasmussen Challenge? Check the leaderboard. 
Sign up for The Rasmussen Reader, now just $24.95 for a 12-month subscription. Offer good through October 1, 2012. 
This Wisconsin survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted on September 17, 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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                            September 21, 2012Romney May Be the End of the Line for the Republican Establishment By Scott Rasmussen
Mitt Romney's comments about 47 percent of Americans being dependent on government and locked in to vote for President Obama highlight a fundamental reality in American politics today...