The debt ceiling debate has highlighted the political difficulty of coming to grips with the federal government’s massive debt. Voters now are almost evenly divided over whether they prefer a congressman who would reduce that debt with spending cuts only or opt for a mix of spending cuts and tax increases.
Most voters nationwide continue to favor repeal of the national health care law, but those who already have health insurance are less convinced the new law will force them to change their coverage.
The inclusion of likely candidate Rick Perry has tightened the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination dramatically, with former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney still ahead – but just barely.
Everyone seems pretty cross at this juncture in the fight over raising the debt limit. As this is written, the House has just passed the bill that Speaker John Boehner yanked from the floor Thursday night and then revised with a balanced-budget amendment on Friday. The Senate has yet to pass Majority Leader Harry Reid's measure that in many but not all respects is not that much different.
The world is becoming unbalanced. In pockets across the globe, women are giving birth to too many boys. In China, the sex ratio is 121 boys to 100 girls. In India, it's 112-to-100. Sex selection also is a force in the Balkans, Armenia and Georgia. In her eye-opening book, "Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys Over Girls, and the Consequences of a World Full of Men," journalist Mara Hvistendahl estimates that ultrasound and abortion have "claimed over 160 million potential women and girls -- in Asia alone." That's more than the entire female population of the United States.
The number of voters who see President Obama's leadership style as too confrontational has reached its highest level since the health care issue was front and center.
The global impact of the American debt crisis -- and the likelihood of permanent damage to American interests -- are already visible to Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., from his perch as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Indeed, he is not only seeing but hearing those effects.
San Francisco is considering a new law that would prohibit employers from inquiring about an individual’s criminal history before hiring them. Hawaii, New York, Massachusetts and Philadelphia already have similar laws. But just 18% of American Adults favor a law that would prohibit employers from considering an applicant’s criminal record when making a hiring decision.
Take this economy, puh-leez. And while you’re at it, take this Congress and this president with you, too. That’s the message from most Americans these days.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chicago, IL/ Washington DC– July 27, 2011 – Public opinion pollster and analyst Scott Rasmussen will release his latest findings from the hotly contested race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination during a new hour-long radio program this Sunday on WMAL 630AM in Washington, DC and WLS 890AM in Chicago, two of the nation’s top news talk radio stations. The show will be streamed live online as well.
Americans still believe a college degree is a helpful tool in today’s economy, but they also continue to feel life experience is more valuable.
While the ongoing debt ceiling debate hasn’t helped matters, Americans still list being a member of Congress as the least favorable on a list of nine professions.
House Speaker John Boehner is the only congressional leader whose favorables are up noticeably this month, but his negatives have risen even more as the debate over raising the federal debt ceiling drags on.
They were texting their parents as they were being killed.
With the debate over the nation’s debt ceiling dragging on and consumer confidence near two-year lows, voters are souring even more on President Obama's handling of economic issues.
Women run companies and countries. Some even play on co-ed football teams. But there's one glaring gender disparity that never gets better and only seems to grow: comfort.
Most Americans continue to believe that what you learn inside the classroom is more valuable than what’s learned on the outside.
Positive ratings for the U.S. health care system peaked last year in the midst of the health care reform debate, but they have fallen since.
With less than five days left until the federal government could begin defaulting on its debts, voters continue to express unhappiness with both sides of the debt ceiling debate. While most voters continue to believe the debt ceiling will be raised before the government defaults, most don’t think the president and Congressional Republicans will agree on significant long-term spending cuts before the 2012 elections.
Standard & Poor's government-credit-ratings guru David Beers played his cards close to the vest on the topic of a U.S. downgrade in our CNBC interview this week. However, this head of S&P's global sovereign-ratings business -- with a staff of 80 covering 126 countries -- issued three strong warnings to the debt-ceiling negotiators in Washington.
