Maryland General Election

Survey of 500 Likely Voters

August 18, 2008

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

14% Excellent

18% Good

17% Fair

51% Poor

0% Not sure

2* How do you rate the way that Martin O’Malley is performing his role as Governor? Excellent, good, fair, or poor?

6% Excellent

31% Good

29% Fair

31% Poor

3% Not sure

3* If the Presidential Election were held today, would you vote for Republican John McCain or Democrat Barack Obama?

	Without Leaners	With Leaners
McCain	41%	43%
Obama	53%	53%
Other	2%	1%
Not sure	4%	3%

4* Favorable Ratings

	Obama	McCain
Very Favorable	38%	24%
Somewhat Favorable	23%	32%
Somewhat Unfavorable	14%	25%
Very Unfavorable	25%	18%
Not sure	0%	1%

5* In terms of how you will vote for President, are you primarily interested in National Security issues such as the War with Iraq and the War on Terror, Economic issues such as jobs and economic growth, Domestic Issues like Social Security and Health Care, Cultural issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion, or Fiscal issues such as taxes and government spending?

26% National Security Issues

39% Economic Issues

12% Domestic Issues

7% Cultural Issues

10% Fiscal Issues

5% Not sure

6* What is more important, reducing the price of gas and oil or protecting the environment?

46% Reducing the price of gas and oil

46% Protecting the environment
9% Not sure

7* Who is winning the War on Terrorism…the United States and its allies or the terrorists?

52% United States and its allies

18% Terrorists

24% Neither

7% Not sure

8* Is Iraq the central front in the War on Terror?

27% Yes

55% No

19% Not sure

9* Is Afghanistan the central front in the War on Terror?

44% Yes

32% No

24% Not sure

10* Which is a greater threat to the security of the United States—Iraq or Afghanistan?

30% Iraq

46% Afghanistan

24% Not sure

11* When covering a political campaign, do most reporters try to offer unbiased coverage or do they try to help the candidate they want to win?

22% Offer unbiased coverage
67% Try to help the candidate they want to win
11% Not sure

12* Looking ahead to the campaign between Barack Obama and John McCain, will most reporters try to help Barack Obama, offer unbiased coverage, or try to help John McCain?

45% Try to help Barack Obama
32% Offer unbiased coverage
11% Try to help John McCain
12% Not sure

13* Despite current difficulties, does the United States still have the best economy in the world?

47% Yes

43% No

10% Not sure

14* When covering economic issues, do most reporters and media outlets try to make the economy seem worse than it really is, better than it really is, or do they present an accurate picture of the economy?

48% Worse than it really is

20% Better than it really is

22% They present and accurate picture

9% Not sure

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