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November 2, 201117% Say U.S. Heading In Right Direction
Seventeen percent (17%) 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, October 30.    
The latest finding is up a point from a a week ago,  but is down a point from a month ago and 14 points from this time last year. 
The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports October 24-30, 2011. 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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                            November 2, 201141% Favor 10% Pay Cuts for State Workers, 42% Oppose
Though three out of four Americans nationwide acknowledge that their state is in a budget crisis, they are evenly divided when it comes to cutting the salaries of state workers.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 41% favor a 10% pay cut for all state employees in order to help reduce spending in their state. Forty-two percent (42%) are opposed to the idea while 17% more are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
November 2, 2011South Carolina: Cain 33% Romney 23% Gingrich 15%
In South Carolina, businessman Herman Cain leads the GOP field with former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney ten points behind. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is the only other candidate in double digits. The survey was conducted on Tuesday night following two days of media coverage concerning allegations of sexual harassment against Cain.
In polling conducted before the latest allegations, Cain led in Iowa with Romney second while Romney led in New Hampshire with Cain second.
(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 770 Likely Republican Primary Voters was conducted on November 1, 2011 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.
November 2, 2011Obama Full-Month Approval Index in October Dips To Lowest Level Yet
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.
In October, 20% of voters Strongly Approved of the president’s job performance.  That’s the lowest level found during the Obama presidency to date and the second time in the last three months that the finding has fallen to a record low.  Prior to last month, the number who Strongly Approved of the president’s performance ranged from a low of 21% to a high of 31% since July 2009.  By comparison, 43% Strongly Approved of Obama's performance when he assumed office in January 2009.
November 2, 2011A Time for Statesmen By Tony Blankley
Now is a particularly dangerous moment for American national security interests. Not just because threats are growing. Not just because the current administration is making a historic bungle from China to Iraq to Iran to Russia to Europe to Mexico to our historic allies in the Middle East -- both Jewish and Muslim. All that would be bad enough.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            November 2, 201179% See Political Correctness As Serious Problem in America
Hank Williams Jr. won’t be singing the opening song for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” anymore as a result of a comment he made about President Obama. Some consider him the latest prominent victim of political correctness.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 79% of American Adults think political correctness is a serious problem in America today, up five points from a year ago.  Just 16% feel it’s not a problem for the country. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            November 2, 2011Scott Discusses New Hampshire GOP Primary on Fox News
Scott talks with Host Megyn Kelly about the Republican Presidential Primary in New Hampshire and its impact on the rest of the GOP race.
November 1, 2011Generic Republican 47%, Obama 42%
For nearly four months, a generic Republican candidate has led President Obama in a hypothetical 2012 matchup.  A GOP candidate now holds a five-point advantage over the incumbent for the week ending Sunday, October 30.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters finds the generic Republican earning 47% support, while the president picks up 42% of the vote.
The survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted October 24-30, 2011 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.
November 1, 2011October Employment Index Shows Less Confidence Among Workers
The Rasmussen Employment Index, which measures workers’ perceptions of the labor market each month, slipped two points in October to 71.7.
The Employment Index is still up two points from August’ recent low of 69.3, but worker confidence is down five points from the beginning of 2011 and six points from last October. Generally speaking, a decrease in the Rasmussen Employment Index suggests the upcoming government reports on job creation will be worse than prior months.
(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 8,501 working Americans was conducted in October 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 1 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC . See methodology .
November 1, 2011Obama 43%, Cain 38%
Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain, who is dealing with a media firestorm surrounding past accusations of sexual harassment, earns the same level of support against President Obama as he did a week ago.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters shows the president picking up 43% of the vote to Cain’s 38%.
The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 30-31, 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.
November 1, 2011Partisan Trends: 34.3% Republican, 33.1% Democrat
The number of Republicans increased by half a percentage point in October, while the number of Democrats decreased by a similar amount.
During the month of October, 34.3% of Americans considered themselves to be Republicans, up from 33.9% in September.  The number of Democrats fell to 33.1% from 33.7% the month before. September marked the smallest gap between the parties in nearly nine years of monthly tracking.
November 1, 2011Romney Still Viewed As Most Mainstream of Presidential Candidates
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney continues to be regarded by voters as closer to the political mainstream than other leading candidates running for the White House. Voters are evenly divided on whether President Obama, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, or businessman Herman Cain are in the political mainstream but tend to see Texas Governor Rick Perry’s views as extreme.
Forty-eight percent (48%) see Romney’s views as mainstream. Only 23% think his views are extreme while 29% aren’t sure.
(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 October 30-31, 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.
November 1, 2011Keeping the Silent Majority on the Occupiers' Side By Froma Harrop
Conditions at some of the "Occupy" tent sites started going downhill at a most inopportune time. A New York Times/CBS poll had just reported that 47 percent of the public said that the movement's views reflect those of most Americans (with only 34 percent saying they do not). On the ground, the homeless were moving into several encampments, joined by various hangers-on drawn to the excitement.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            November 1, 2011Only 22% Support Giving States $35 Billion to Prevent Teacher, First Responder Layoffs
President Obama is pushing Congress to pass his plan to give $35 billion to state and local governments to prevent layoffs of teachers and first responders such as firemen, policemen and rescue squad workers. But most Americans think state and local governments should tighten their financial belts instead.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 22% of Americans think the federal government should give states and localities $35 billion to prevent such layoffs. Nearly three times as many adults (64%) believe that the best way for state and local governments to avoid these layoffs is to cut back on other spending. Fourteen percent (14%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
October 31, 2011Generic Congressional Ballot:  Republicans 43%, Democrats 40%
Republicans remain ahead of Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot but only by three points for the week ending Sunday, October 30. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 43% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election was held now, while 40% 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.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            October 31, 2011Wisconsin: Perry 46%, Obama 42%
Barack Obama carried Wisconsin easily in the 2008 presidential election, but he is slightly behind Texas Governor Rick Perry and runs just ahead of two other top Republican hopefuls in Rasmussen Reports’ first Election 2012 look at the Badger State.
Perry earns 46% support from Likely Wisconsin Voters to Obama’s 42% in a new statewide telephone survey. Six percent (6%) prefer some other candidate, and another six percent (6%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Wisconsin was conducted on October 26, 2011 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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                            October 31, 2011Scott Rasmussen Discusses Government Deficit Reduction on Fox News
Scott Rasmussen talks to Patti Ann Browne on America's Newsroom about spending cuts and voter confidence in the bipartisan super committee to reduce the federal deficit.
October 31, 2011Obama 44%, Paul 35%
President Obama continues to lead Texas Congressman Ron Paul in a hypothetical Election 2012 matchup. 
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters finds Obama earning 44% support to Paul’s 35%.  Thirteen percent (13%) prefer some other candidate, and eight percent (8%) are undecided.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            October 31, 201172% Think Middle-Class Tax Hike Likely In Any Budget-Cutting Deal
Voters have very little confidence that the bipartisan congressional super committee will find a way to significantly cut the federal deficit and believe overwhelmingly that taxes will be raised on the middle class in whatever budget-cutting deal Congress and the president reach.
As a result of last summer’s debt-ceiling deal, the 12-member super committee was created to find a way by Thanksgiving to cut the deficit by $1.2 trillion over the next 10 years, but just 19% of Likely U.S. Voters think the group is even somewhat likely to agree on a deficit-cutting plan by then.
The national telephone survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 28-29, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points witha 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
October 31, 201154% Favor Repeal of Health Care Reform Law
Most voters nationwide still favor repeal of the national health care law, but fewer than half of those who already have health insurance think the law will force a change in their coverage.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters shows that 54% at least somewhat favor repeal of the health care law, with 42% who Strongly Favor it. Thirty-nine percent (39%) at least somewhat oppose repeal, with 27% 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 October 28-29, 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.