Toplines - Rhode Island Governor - February 25, 2010

Rhode Island State Survey of 500 Likely Voters
Conducted February 25, 2010
By Rasmussen Reports

1* How would you rate the job Barack Obama has been doing as President… do you strongly approve, somewhat approve, somewhat disapprove, or strongly disapprove of the job he’s been doing?

38% Strongly approve
24% Somewhat approve
11% Somewhat disapprove
26% Strongly disapprove
1% Not sure

2* How would you rate the job Don Carcieri has been doing as Governor… do you strongly approve, somewhat approve, somewhat disapprove, or strongly disapprove of the job she’s been doing?

15% Strongly approve
29% Somewhat approve
20% Somewhat disapprove
34% Strongly disapprove
2% Not sure

3* 2010 Rhode Island Governor Race

John Robitaille (R)	22%
Patrick Lynch (D)	24%
Lincoln Chafee (I)	38%
Not sure	16%

John Robitaille (R)	19%
Frank Caprio (D)	27%
Lincoln Chafee (I)	37%
Not sure	17%

4* I’m going to read you a short list of people in the News. For each, please let me know if you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable, or very unfavorable impression.

Candidate for the RI Governor’s Race	Very Favorable	Somewhat Favorable	Somewhat Unfavorable	Very Unfavorable	Not sure
Robitaille	4%	27%	22%	9%	38%
Caprio	21%	31%	20%	8%	21%
Chafee	26%	29%	15%	22%	8%
Lynch	12%	25%	23%	25%	14%

5* How would you rate your own personal finances these days?

8% Excellent

30% Good

42% Fair

17% Poor

4% Not sure

6* Are your personal finances getting better these days, or worse?

18% Better

45% Worse

35% About the same

2% Not sure

7* Is it possible to balance the federal budget without raising taxes?

48% Yes
29% No
23% Not sure

8* Do you favor or oppose an income tax cut for all Americans?

45% Favor
37% Oppose
18% Not sure

9* Which is a better way to create new jobs – cutting taxes or increasing government spending?

52% Cutting taxes

17% Increasing government spending

24% Neither

8% Not sure

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

57% United States and its allies

15% Terrorists

20% Neither

8% Not Sure

11* Is the United States today safer than it was before the 9/11 terrorist attacks?

46% Yes
31% No
24% Not sure

12* Generally speaking, when it comes to important national issues, whose judgment do you trust more—the American people or America’s political leaders?

66% The American people

16% America’s political leaders

18% Not sure

13* Some people believe that the federal government has become a special interest group that looks out primarily for its own interests. What do you think? Has the federal government become a special interest group?

59% Yes

24% No

16% Not sure

14* Do government and big business often work together in ways that hurt consumers and investors?

65% Yes

15% No

20% Not sure

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