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                            January 19, 2012Election 2012:  Obama 48%, Santorum 38%
President Obama now holds a 10-point lead over former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum in a hypothetical 2012 presidential election matchup.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters shows Obama with 48% of the vote to Santorum’s 38%. Nine percent (9%) prefer some other candidate, and five percent (5%) remain 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 was conducted on January 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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                            January 19, 2012South Carolina: Gingrich 33%, Romney 31%, Paul 15%
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has now surged ahead of Mitt Romney in the final Rasmussen Reports survey of the South Carolina Republican Primary race with the vote just two days away.
The latest telephone survey of Likely GOP Primary Voters in the state finds Gingrich with 33% support to Romney’s 31%. Two days ago, before the last debate, it was Romney by 14 percentage points.
Texas Congressman Ron Paul now runs third with 15% of the vote, followed by former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum at 11%. Paul's support is steady while Santorum's support has dropped five points since Monday.  At the beginning of the month, just after Santorum’s strong showing in the Iowa caucuses, he ran second to Romney with 24% of the vote. 
Texas Governor Rick Perry continues to run last with two percent (2%) support. He has dropped out of the race today and endorsed Gingrich. One percent (1%) of likely primary voters like some other candidate in the contest, and six percent (6%) remain 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 South Carolina survey of 750 Likely Republican Primary Voters was conducted on January 18, 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.
January 19, 2012Only 35% Support U.S. Military Action If Sanctions Won’t Stop Iran
Most voters don’t expect economic sanctions to discourage Iran from continuing its development of nuclear weapons, but most also don’t support U.S. military action if those sanctions fail.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that just 27% of Likely U.S. Voters believe it is even somewhat likely that stiff economic sanctions will force Iran to disband its nuclear program. That includes only six percent (6%) think it’s Very Likely. Sixty-three percent (63%) feel the sanctions are unlikely to stop Iran’s nuclear weapons development, with 17% who say they’re Not At All Likely to do so. (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 U.S. Likely Voters each were conducted on January 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.
January 19, 2012How "Downton Abbey" Is More Democratic Than We Are By Froma Harrop
Every Sunday night, the mega-carriages drop millions of us off at "Downton Abbey," the hit PBS series about an aristocratic family, its English country estate and the complexities of being Them at the dawn of the 20th century. We revel in the patricians' finery, their posture, their free time and their skill at draping the sharpest remarks in tempered rhetoric. And we marvel at their access to over a dozen specialized servants meeting every need. The servants live off the kitchen or with the horses.
January 19, 2012South Carolina Hoping to Pick Next President By Michael Barone
The crowd at the Fox News/Wall Street Journal debate in Myrtle Beach was feisty, with whoops and cheers for Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Rick Perry, though not so much for Ron Paul.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            January 19, 201244% Worry Government Will Do Too Much To Counter Bad Economy
Concern that the government will do too much responding to the bad economy has reached its highest level in seven months after falling to a three-year low in December. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 44% of Likely U.S. Voters are now more concerned that the government will do too much in reacting to the nation's economic problems rather than not enough. (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 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on January 13-14, 2011 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.
January 18, 201224% Say U.S. Heading In Right Direction
Twenty-four percent (24%) 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, Jan. 15.
The latest finding shows no change from the previous week, which marked the highest level of confidence measured since the first week in July.  From July 25 through Dec. 11, the number of voters who were confident in the nation's current course had resembled levels measured in the final months of the Bush administration, with voter confidence remaining in the narrow range of 14% to 19%. But the finding has been in the low 20s since then.
The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports January 9-15, 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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                            January 18, 201250% Expect Higher Interest Rates Next Year
Though a majority of Americans say they’re paying the same interest rates as they were last year, half think the rates they’ll be paying a year from now will be higher.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults finds that 50% believe they will be paying higher interest rates one year from now. Only six percent (6%) think interest rates will be lower next year, while 31% expect them to be about the same. Fourteen percent (14%) 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 survey of 1,000 American Adults nationwide was conducted on January 8-9, 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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                            January 18, 201239% Say U.S. Has Crony Capitalist System
With Republicans debating Mitt Romney’s record as a venture capitalist, Americans continue to agree that capitalism is better than socialism, but they give mixed marks to the type of capitalism practiced in this country.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 64% of American Adults now rate capitalism as a better system than socialism. Just 15% think socialism is the better way to go, with another 21% who are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 American Adults nationwide was conducted on January 14-15, 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.
January 18, 2012National GOP Poll: Romney 30%, Gingrich 27%
The race for the Republican presidential nomination is now nearly even with Mitt Romney still on top but Newt Gingrich just three points apart.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Republican Primary Voters nationwide shows Romney with 30% support and Gingrich with 27% of the vote. Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, who was running second two weeks ago, has now dropped to 15%. (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 Likely Republican Primary Voters was conducted on January 17, 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.
January 18, 2012Obama's Veep? Voters Like Clinton More Than Biden
Speculation has risen once again about President Obama dumping Vice President Joe Biden and replacing him with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as his running mate this year, and Rasmussen Reports polling shows why some of the president's supporters consider that a good move.
Forty-two percent (42%) of Likely U.S. Voters share a favorable opinion of Biden, including 15% who view the Delaware Democrat Very Favorably, according to a recent national telephone survey. But most voters (52%) view Biden unfavorably, including Very Unfavorable reviews from 30%. (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 Likely Voters was conducted on January 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.
January 17, 2012Election 2012:  Generic Republican 47%, Obama 42%
A generic Republican candidate now holds a five-point lead over President Obama in a hypothetical Election 2012 matchup for the week ending Sunday, Jan. 15.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 47% of Likely U.S. Voters would support the generic Republican candidate if the presidential election were held today, while 42% would vote for Obama.  Three percent (3%) prefer some other candidate, and eight percent (8%) are undecided.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted January 9-15, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
January 17, 2012South Carolina: Romney 35%, Gingrich 21%, Santorum 16%, Paul 16%
Jon Huntsman’s endorsement seems to be already paying off for Mitt Romney in South Carolina. With the former Utah governor’s decision to drop out of the Republican presidential race, Romney moves even further ahead in the latest Rasmussen Reports survey of Saturday’s South Carolina Primary.
The former Massachusetts governor now earns 35% support from likely South Carolina GOP Primary Voters, according to the latest telephone survey in the state. That’s up from 28% late last week. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich remains in second place with 21% of the vote, followed by former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum and Texas Congressman Ron Paul, each with 16%. The vote totals for Gingrich, Santorum and Paul are unchanged from the previous survey. (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 South Carolina survey of 750 Likely Republican Primary Voters was conducted on January 16, 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.
January 17, 2012Election 2012:  Obama 47%, Gingrich 38%
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, working hard to convince South Carolina Republicans that he is the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney, remains within single digits of President Obama in their latest national 2012 matchup.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. voters shows Obama grabbing 47% of the vote to Gingrich’s 38%. Eleven percent (11%) prefer some other candidate, while four percent (4%) are undecided. This survey was taken prior to Jon Huntsman's decision to drop out of the GOP race. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
January 17, 201217% Think Talks with Taliban Could Bring War in Afghanistan To A Satisfactory Close
The Obama administration is reportedly considering negotiating with the fundamentalist Taliban to help bring the war in Afghanistan to an end, particularly following reports of Marines urinating on dead Taliban fighters. But most voters don’t believe negotiations with the enemy could end the war in Afghanistan satisfactorily.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 17% of Likely U.S. Voters feel it’s possible negotiations with the Taliban could bring the war in Afghanistan to a satisfactory conclusion.  Fifty-six percent (56%) disagree and do not think negotiations with the group that America drove from power could wrap up the war satisfactorily. Twenty-six percent (26%) 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 survey of 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on January 15-16, 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.
January 17, 2012Obama's Biggest Threat Was Huntsman By Froma Harrop
Politically astute Republicans, including many social conservatives, see Mitt Romney as the strongest candidate to beat President Obama in November. The former Massachusetts governor may not be their kind of Republican, but any Republican would be better than Obama, in their opinion. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            January 17, 201261% View American Society as Fair and Decent
The national Occupy movement is the latest to question the fairness of U.S. society, but most Americans continue to reject that point of view.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 61% of Likely Voters think U.S. society is generally fair and decent. Just 29% disagree and think it is basically unfair and discriminatory. Another 10% 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 survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 11-12, 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.
January 16, 2012Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 44%, Democrats 38%
For the second week in a row, Republicans hold a six-point lead over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot, this time for the week ending Sunday, Jan. 15.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds 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 38% would choose the Democrat instead.
January 16, 201233% Say Race Relations in America Getting Better, 32% Worse
As Americans celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, their perceptions of race relations in the United States have grown a bit more negative.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 33% now believe race relations in America today are getting better, while 32% say they are getting worse. Twenty-nine percent (29%) say race relations are staying about the same. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            January 16, 2012Who Are The Tea Partiers Now?
A recent column by Scott Rasmussen noted that "the conventional wisdom suggests that Tea Party supporters have a 'my way or the highway' attitude and Establishment Republicans just want a winner, but the data shows that the opposite is true."