Toplines - New York Presidential Election - August 4, 2008

New York Survey of 500 Likely Voters
Conducted August 4, 2008
By Rasmussen Reports

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

10% Excellent

17% Good

10% Fair

63% Poor

0% Not sure

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

11% Excellent

40% Good

33% Fair

13% Poor

2% 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	32%	36%
Obama	52%	55%
Other	8%	5%
Not sure	8%	4%

4* Favorable Ratings

	Obama	McCain
Very Favorable	32%	13%
Somewhat Favorable	27%	36%
Somewhat Unfavorable	16%	27%
Very Unfavorable	23%	22%
Not sure	2%	2%

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?

24% National Security Issues

47% Economic Issues

12% Domestic Issues

5% Cultural Issues

7% Fiscal Issues

5% Not sure

6* Governor Paterson went on television this week to address the state's serious budget crisis. How confident are you in his abilities to solve the state’s financial problems?

10% Very confident

50% Somewhat confident

26% Not very confident

10% Not at all confident

3% Not sure

7* What is the best way for the state to solve its serious financial problems…tax increases, cuts in state services and jobs, cuts in funding for municipalities or a combination of all three?

6% Tax increases

21% Cuts in state services and jobs

18% Cuts in funding for municipalities

43% Combination of all three

12% Not sure

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

52% Reducing the price of gas and oil

37% Protecting the environment
12% Not sure

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

46% United States and its allies

29% Terrorists

19% Neither

5% Not sure

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

19% Yes

66% No

15% Not sure

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

40% Yes

37% No

23% Not sure

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

26% Iraq

47% Afghanistan

27% Not sure

13* 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?

27% Offer unbiased coverage
59% Try to help the candidate they want to win
14% Not sure

14* 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?

40% Try to help Barack Obama
26% Offer unbiased coverage
14% Try to help John McCain
19% Not sure

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

36% Yes

52% No

12% Not sure

16* 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?

38% Worse than it really is

28% Better than it really is

25% They present and accurate picture

9% Not sure

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