If it's in the News, it's in our Polls. Public opinion polling since 2003.

2008 Presidential Election

Most Recent Releases

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October 5, 2008

59% Would Vote to Replace Entire Congress

Congress was front and center in the national news last week and the American people were far from impressed. If they could vote to keep or replace the entire Congress, 59% of voters would like to throw them all out and start over again.

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October 4, 2008

New Rasmussen Reports Party Weighting Targets: 39.3% Democrat 33.3% Republican

Like all polling firms, Rasmussen Reports weights its data to reflect the population at large. Among other targets, Rasmussen Reports weights data by political party affiliation using a dynamic weighting process.

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October 4, 2008

45% Say Biden Won Debate, 37% Say Palin

The Vice Presidential debate on Thursday night attracted a bigger television audience than the Presidential debate a week earlier, but is not likely to have much of an impact on the results of Election 2008.

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October 3, 2008

59% Agree With Ronald Reagan—Government Is The Problem

In his first inaugural address, President Ronald Reagan delivered a line succinctly capturing the sentiment that elected him: “Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”

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October 2, 2008

34% Say Veep Debate Key To Their Vote

Just over one-third of voters (34%) say tonight’s vice presidential debate is Very Important to how they will vote, and over half (54%) view Joseph Biden as the more skilled debater, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

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October 1, 2008

Most Voters Say Children Motivate Mothers in Political Office

While some debate whether Sarah Palin as a mother of five can be vice president, 67% of voters say children are a motivation for women in political office, not a distraction, and nearly one-third (31%) believe being a good wife and mother is a qualification to run for higher office.

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September 29, 2008

Obama Gets Post-Debate Boost in Voter Trust on All Issues

While the results for the first presidential debate Friday were mixed, voters in surveys this weekend gave a boost in trust to Barack Obama over John McCain on a cross-section of issues.

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September 27, 2008

New Rasmussen Reports Party Weighting Targets: 39.0% Democrat 33.4% Republican

Like all polling firms, Rasmussen Reports weights its data to reflect the population at large. Among other targets, Rasmussen Reports weights data by political party affiliation using a dynamic weighting process.

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September 27, 2008

Winner of the First Debate: Jim Lehrer

The winner of the first Presidential debate was moderator and PBS television personality Jim Lehrer. After earlier polls showing that most voters expect the moderators to be biased, 76% say Lehrer was neutral.

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September 26, 2008

48% Disagree with McCain, Think Debate Should Go On

Nearly half (48%) of voters disagree with John McCain’s request to postpone the first presidential debate tonight because of the country’s ongoing financial problems. Thirty four percent (34%) think McCain is right, and nearly one-out-of-five voters (18%) are undecided.

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September 24, 2008

Palin Still Viewed More Favorably – And Unfavorably – Than Biden

A month after they were named the vice presidential candidates of their respective parties, Sarah Palin is still viewed more favorably by voters than Joseph Biden, 54% to 49%. She also draws stronger feelings - pro and con - in a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

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September 23, 2008

Most Voters say Debate Moderators are Biased

Three out of four U.S. voters (74%) say they are Very Likely to watch the upcoming presidential debates, but over half (56%) think debate moderators are biased in their questioning, according to new Rasmussen Reports national telephone surveys taken Friday and Saturday nights.

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September 20, 2008

New Rasmussen Reports Party Weighting Targets: 39.0% Democrat 33.5% Republican

Like all polling firms, Rasmussen Reports weights its data to reflect the population at large. Among other targets, Rasmussen Reports weights data by political party affiliation using a dynamic weighting process.

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September 18, 2008

McCain, Obama Yet To Convince Voters on Economic Crisis

Neither presidential candidate has convinced a majority of voters that they know how to handle the country's growing economic crisis, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

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September 17, 2008

Just 23% Say Presidential Campaign More Negative Than Most

Most voters (55%) say the tone of this year’s presidential campaign is about the same as in other recent election years, despite complaints from Barack Obama’s side and some in the media that John McCain has been campaigning negatively.

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September 17, 2008

Just Over One-Third Say Palin, McCain, Obama More Ethical Than Most Politicians

Despite both sides running campaigns aimed at changing a climate of special interest corruption in Washington, just over one-third of voters find three of the four major-ticket candidates more ethical than most politicians.

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September 16, 2008

Palin 47%, Biden 44% in Make-believe Presidential Match-up

Sarah Palin bests Joseph Biden 47% to 44% in a hypothetical head-to-head match-up for the presidency, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

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September 15, 2008

Majority of Voters Say Only McCain, Biden Prepared To Be President

Sixty-three percent (63%) of voters say John McCain is prepared right now to be president, and 50% say the same thing about Democratic vice presidential candidate Joseph Biden. Forty-four percent (44%) say the man at the top of Biden's ticket, Barack Obama, is ready, but 45% say he isn’t.

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September 15, 2008

Voters Say No to Obama in McCain’s Cabinet, and Vice Versa

A majority of Americans think it’s a good idea for a president to put members of the opposing political party in his Cabinet, as long as it’s not Barack Obama or John McCain.

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September 14, 2008

New Rasmussen Reports Party Weighting Targets: 38.7% Democrat 33.6% Republican

Like all polling firms, Rasmussen Reports weights its data to reflect the population at large. Among other targets, Rasmussen Reports weights data by political party affiliation using a dynamic weighting process.