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December 13, 2011Election 2012:  Obama 43%, Paul 35%
Texas Congressman Ron Paul's support remains unchanged since September as he continues to run several points behind President Obama in a hypothetical Election 2012 matchup. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters finds Obama earning 43% support to Paul’s 35%.
The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 10-11, 2011 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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                            December 13, 2011Voters Like Romney Best, But GOP Voters Give Edge to Gingrich
Mitt Romney is still the Republican candidate that voters like the most, while Texas Governor Rick Perry remains the GOP hopeful they like the least. Among Republican voters, however, Romney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich are running neck-and-neck, but Gingrich has the edge when it comes to enthusiasm.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 53% of Likely U.S. Voters share at least a somewhat favorable opinion of Romney and 38% regard the former Massachusetts governor unfavorably.
(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 December 8-9, 2011 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.
December 13, 2011Obama’s Big Class-Warfare Theme By Lawrence Kudlow
Following the GOP debate that nearly the whole world watched on Saturday night, the president on Sunday made it very clear that he will not back off his class-warfare vision in the coming year. Obama told Steve Kroft on 60 Minutes that middle-class inequality will be his big theme, and that somehow successful earners, investors, and small-business owners are to blame.
December 13, 2011Other Reasons Why French Women Don't Get Fat By Froma Harrop
Yes, there are those charming reasons "French Women Don't Get Fat," as outlined in the popular book of that name by Mireille Guiliano.  Portion control is key. Frenchwomen may eat their famously rich sauces and fatty pates with gusto, but only in dainty amounts. They go for quality over quantity and avoid "diet" foods -- said to drain off the hearty flavors that sate appetites. And, of course, they walk more.
December 13, 2011Obama Runs Second to Republicans In Voter Trust On Key Issues
Just over one-third of Likely U.S. Voters trust President Obama more than the Republican candidates for president when it comes to the handling of the economy, national security and health care. However, the president does have the trust of more voters than any individual GOP candidate at this time.
December 12, 2011Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 42%, Democrats 39%
Republicans hold a three-point advantage over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending Sunday, Dec. 11. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 42% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 39% would choose the Democrat instead.

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                            December 12, 201121% Have Finished Their Holiday Shopping; 35% Haven't Begun Yet
One-in-five Americans have now finished their holiday shopping, but one-third of adults haven't even started.  
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 21% of American Adults say they now have finished their holiday gift shopping.  That means another 10% have gotten finished in the past two weeks since only 11% were done just after Black Friday. 
December 12, 2011Election 2012: Romney 45%, Obama 42%
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, earning his highest level of support to date, has edged ahead of President Obama in a hypothetical 2012 matchup. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters shows Romney with 45% of the vote to Obama’s 42%.
The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 8-9, 2011 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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                            December 12, 2011Voters See Gingrich, Romney As Strongest GOP Opponents for Obama
Voters rate Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney evenly when asked which Republican presidential candidate would run strongest against President Obama, but among GOP voters, Gingrich is the clear favorite.
December 12, 2011Obama, Romney Change Tacks in Week of Political Risks By Michael Barone
It was a week of risk-taking in the 2012 presidential race.
Barack Obama, his job approval languishing in the low 40s, delivered a much heralded speech in Osawatomie, Kan., framing the choice between the parties in class-warfare terms.

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                            December 12, 201155% Favor Repeal of Health Care Law
Most voters still want to repeal the national health care law, even though they tend to believe the law won’t force them to change their own health insurance coverage.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 55% of Likely U.S. Voters at least somewhat favor repeal of the health care law passed by Congress in March 2010, while 35% at least somewhat oppose repeal. The intensity remains on the side of the law’s opponents since these findings include 42% who Strongly Favor repeal versus 26% who are Strongly Opposed. (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 December 10-11, 2011 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.
December 11, 201148% Rate Obama’s Handling of Economy As Poor
Although President Obama changed his holiday vacation plans to push Congress on economic issues, voters have not changed their views of how the president is performing when it comes to the economy.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 48% of Likely U.S. Voters rate Obama’s handling of economic issues as poor.

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                            December 11, 201181% Who Celebrate Christmas Celebrate as a Religious Holiday
More Americans than ever say they celebrate the upcoming holiday of Christmas as a religious one. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 88% of American Adults say they celebrate Christmas, and 81% of this group celebrate it as a religious holiday. Just 16% of those celebrants regard it as a secular holiday.
December 10, 2011What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending December 10, 2011
Maybe it’s the holiday season or maybe it’s an indicator of things to come. Last month, the Rasmussen Employment Index signaled a slight drop in the national unemployment rate, subsequently borne out by government figures. Now consumer and investor confidence are improving.
 
 The Rasmussen Consumer Index, which measures the economic confidence of consumers on a daily basis, is up five points from a month ago. Consumer confidence for the full month of November was the highest it has been since June. Its companion Rasmussen Investor Index, which measures daily confidence among investors, is also up several points from three months ago. Yet more than 60% of both groups believe the country remains in a recession.

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                            December 10, 201158% Say America’s Overseas Alliances Make Country Stronger
Most U.S. voters now believe America’s alliances do more good than harm.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters shows that 58% think America’s overseas alliances make the country stronger.
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 2-3, 2011 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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                            December 9, 2011Most Americans Don’t Mind Being Wished “Happy Holidays”
Whether Americans celebrate Christmas or not, most are not offended by the type of holiday greeting they receive this time of year.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 88% celebrate Christmas, while eight percent (8%) do not.

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                            December 9, 201144% Favor Tax Credits for Buyers of Alternative-Energy Cars, 38% Oppose
Americans are growing even less enthusiastic about tax breaks for those who buy alternative-energy cars, and most oppose a proposal to give purchasers of electric cars a $10,000 tax credit to offset the high price of those vehicles. Still, most see a future with a lot more alternative-energy vehicles on the road.
(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 December 5-6, 2011 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.
December 9, 201152% Say America’s Best Days Are In The Past
Most voters now share the pessimistic view that America's best days are behind us. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters finds that just 32% say the country’s best days are in the future, down five points from late October. 
The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 4-5, 2011 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.
December 9, 201140% View Biden Favorably, 52% Don’t
Will he or won’t he run for the presidency in 2016? Only Vice President Joe Biden knows for sure, refusing to rule out another run for the White House in an interview earlier this month on NBC’s “Today” show. Right now, however, the vice president is earning some of the highest unfavorables since he took office in late January 2009.
December 9, 2011Will Popular Reformer Cuomo's Plan Tax the 1 Percent? By Joe Conason
Held aloft by the highest approval ratings of any governor in America, Andrew Cuomo scarcely seemed to worry about angering his state's progressives, who were disappointed by his refusal to extend a state surtax on New York's millionaires.