Consumers' confidence sharply rebounded in January, fueled by a surge in the number of middle-income consumers who see improvement in the U.S. economy and in their personal finances are improving, according to the Discover U.S. Spending Monitor.
Most U.S. voters believe America's military is the most powerful in the world.
Voters give mixed marks to President Obama’s response to the crisis in Egypt, and many think United Nations involvement would make things worse.
How did Obama ever think that his program would pass constitutional muster? How could he imagine that the Interstate Commerce clause could cover something that wasn't interstate (health insurance cannot be sold over state lines) and wasn't commerce (failure to buy insurance is not commerce) would stand up in court? He was so sure that he would win any constitutional challenge that he arrogantly failed to put a severability clause in the bill so that it would survive even if parts were stricken down.
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.
Decades of autocratic government and a lack of free elections are, of course, the main drivers of the political upheaval in Egypt. But did the sinking dollar and skyrocketing food prices trigger the massive unrest now occurring in Egypt -- or the greater Arab world for that matter?
Most Americans hold 92-year-old Nelson Mandela in high regard as the iconic South African leader recovers from a respiratory infection that put him in the hospital last week.
Whatever may happen in the hours after I write this column, two things are certain: The next chapter in the magnificent and ancient civilization of the Nile will be yet to be known. And the role that America plays in Egypt's great, unfolding story remains also in doubt.
At the State of the Union address, some Democrats and Republicans sat together to encourage more political civility, but when it comes to policy making, few voters are confident of much cooperation between the two parties.
President Lyndon Johnson once reportedly said of certain right-wing dictators who were U.S. allies at the time, “They may be bastards, but they’re our bastards.” Most Americans seem to share the late president’s realistic assessment of U.S. foreign policy.
Voters are fairly evenly divided as to whether the federal government spends too much or too little on national defense, but most also appear to dramatically underestimate how much is actually spent.
Billy the Kid was a psycho. It took the balm of time and multiple retelling of Old West sagas to turn this killing machine into a folk figure. You may recall former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson's causing a fuss when he considered granting the little monster a posthumous pardon. Among the Kid's many victims were officers of the law. Richardson wisely decided to take a pass.
"We don't have a revenue problem. We have a spending problem." That's a Republican mantra often used to explain why the answer to Washington's deficit spending is not a tax increase, but more spending cuts.
Voters remain concerned that the new health care law will cause some employers to drop their health insurance coverage, and most still question the exemptions to the law the Obama administration is granting to some businesses.
The Rasmussen Employment Index made a modest gain in January to reach 77.2.
The number of American Adults identifying themselves as Republicans in January fell roughly a percentage-point-and-a-half from December to 35.4%. Also in January, the number calling themselves Democrats inched up just over one point to 35.0%.
"I have a successful retail business that I want to take online with a killer website and a social media marketing campaign on Facebook and Twitter. The problem, of course, is money. I need to raise $100,000 to build the website and launch the campaign, but am having trouble finding the money.
After falling in December, confidence among small business owners rebounded in January as more see the economy and economic conditions for their businesses improving, according to the Discover(R) Small Business Watch(SM). The monthly index rose to 91.0 this month, up 9.4 points from December 2010 and 5.5 points higher than one year ago, the highest the index has been since December 2007 when it stood at 92.7.
Republicans hold a seven-point lead over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending January 30, 2011.
Most Republican Primary voters are looking for experience in both the private sector and government in a potential presidential candidate. Private sector experience carries a bit more weight. They are also looking for someone who shares their views rather than simply picking someone who is electable.
