Arkansas Toplines - May 12, 2008

Arkansas

Survey of 500 Likely Voters

May 12, 2008

1* How do you rate the way that George W. Bush is performing his role as President? Excellent, good, fair, or poor?

12% Excellent

15% Good

17% Fair

55% Poor

1% Not sure

2* How do you rate the way that Mike Beebe is performing his role as Governor? Excellent, good, fair, or poor?

25% Excellent

38% Good

25% Fair

11% Poor

2% Not sure

3* 2008 Presidential General Election Match-Ups

McCain	39%	McCain	57%
Clinton	53%	Obama	33%
Other	6%	Other	6%
Not sure	3%	Not sure	3%

4* Favorable Ratings

	Clinton	McCain	Obama
Very Favorable	35%	14%	19%
Somewhat Favorable	25%	43%	19%
Somewhat Unfavorable	16%	26%	20%
Very Unfavorable	24%	15%	41%
Not sure	0%	2%	1%

5* When thinking about how you will vote in the presidential election, which of the following issues is most important—the economy, the War in Iraq, immigration, national security, health care, Social Security, or government ethics and corruption?

47% Economy

14% War in Iraq

5% Immigration

11% National security

6% Health care

5% Social Security

6% Government ethics and corruption

2% Some other issue

5% Not sure

6* We’re just about finished… Currently, there is a federal tax of 18 cents per gallon on gasoline. Proposals have been made for a gas tax holiday that would eliminate the gas tax for the summer. Do you favor or oppose a tax holiday to eliminate the federal gas tax for the summer?

54% Favor

36% Oppose

10% Not sure

7* Two of the three major Presidential candidates favor ending the federal gas tax for the summer. One opposes the federal gas tax holiday. Which candidate is opposed to eliminating the federal gas for the summer?

11% Hillary Clinton

13% John McCain

55% Barack Obama

21% Not sure

8* Does the federal government need more tax revenue to fund important national programs such as highway repairs and health care reform?

32% Yes

57% No

11% Not sure

9* Some people are worried that the next President will raise taxes so much that it will harm the economy. How worried are you that the next President will raise taxes too much?

38% Very worried

30% Somewhat worried

25% Not very worried

4% Not at all worried

3% Not sure

10* Some people are worried that the next President will cut taxes so much that it will harm important government programs. How worried are you that the next President will cut taxes too much?

8% Very worried

23% Somewhat worried

42% Not very worried

23% Not at all worried

4% Not sure

11* A proposal has been made to increase the capital gains tax from 15% to 28%. Do you favor or oppose increasing the capital gains tax to 28%?

17% Favor

64% Oppose

19% Not sure

12* If the capital gains tax is increased to 28%, will that help the economy or hurt the economy?

16% Help

54% Hurt

17% No impact

12% Not sure

13* Do you own more than $5,000 of stocks, bonds, or mutual funds?

42% Yes

49% No

9% Not sure

14* Generally speaking, would you say things in this country are going in the right direction or have they gotten off on the wrong track?

11% Right direction

85% Wrong track

4% Not sure

NOTE: Margin of Sampling Error, +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence