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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December 30, 2008

Stability Was The Hallmark of Election 2008

The beginning and the end of the 2008 General Election campaign were remarkably stable. Initially, after Barack Obama wrapped up the Democratic nomination, he was ahead of John McCain by four to seven points just about every night for the entire month of June. At the other end of the campaign, Obama was consistently up by about five to seven points for the last 40 days of the campaign.

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December 29, 2008

Revisiting the Democratic Primaries: Analysis by Scott Rasmussen

With the country preparing to inaugurate Barack Obama as the next president of the United States next month, it’s hard to remember how improbable the notion of a President Obama seemed just a year ago. In fact, all indications are that Obama himself wasn’t really expecting to win it all in 2008.

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November 6, 2008

Voters Split Over Whether D.C. Politics Will Be More Cooperative

Nearly nine out of 10 voters (88%) are glad the presidential election is over, but voters are evenly divided over whether politics in Washington will become more cooperative despite Barack Obama’s call for change from business as usual.

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November 6, 2008

How Did We Do?

The final Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Election 2008 showed Barack Obama leading John McCain 52% to 46%. We are pleased to report that those figures precisely matched the actual election returns.

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November 5, 2008

McCain’s Fortunes Fell With the Stock Market

For John McCain, the crash of Lehman Brothers on Wall Street was worse than the Crash of 1929. Looking back over the course of the campaign, it seems clear that the financial meltdown in mid-September was the final, decisive, event that secured Obama’s path to the White House.

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November 5, 2008

Most Voters Made Up Their Minds Weeks Ago

So when did voters really decide how they were going to vote?

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November 4, 2008

Majority Say Reporters Tried To Help Obama

As the presidential campaign comes to a close, a majority of voters (51%) say most reporters have tried to help Barack Obama win the presidency.

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November 4, 2008

Palin More Popular With GOP Voters Than McCain

Republicans are happier with their vice presidential candidate than their presidential nominee, while Democrats feel good about both candidates on their ticket, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

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November 4, 2008

59% Expect Obama to Win

On the night before America votes, 59% of likely U.S. voters expect Barack Obama to be elected president.

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November 4, 2008

One-Third of Obama Voters Plan To Be Out Today

Looks like there’ll be a lot fewer Democrats in the office on Election Day.

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November 4, 2008

Election 2008: Daily Presidential Tracking Poll

The final Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Election 2008 shows Barack Obama with 52% of the vote while John McCain is six points back at 46%. One percent (1%) of voters say they’ll select a third-party option while 1% remain undecided.

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November 3, 2008

Electoral College: Obama 260 McCain 160

In the Electoral College projections, Rasmussen Reports now shows Obama leading 260 to 160. When states that are leaning in one way or the other are included, Obama leads 313 to 160. A total of 270 Electoral College votes are needed for victory.

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November 2, 2008

Beware of Exit Polls

Will they or won’t they – take a few minutes to take an exit poll, that is?

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November 1, 2008

New Rasmussen Reports Partisan Weighting Targets: 39.9% 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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October 31, 2008

63% Say Obama More Likely to Restrict Gun Rights

Nearly two-thirds of U.S. voters (63%) say Barack Obama is more likely than John McCain to restrict an individual’s right to own a gun, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

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October 31, 2008

45% Missed All of Obama’s 30-Minute Ad

Forty-five percent (45%) of U.S. voters say they did not watch any of Barack Obama’s 30-minute television advertisement Wednesday night, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

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October 30, 2008

Just 34% Like One-Party Rule in Washington

As Election Day 2008 approaches with the prospect of a Democrat in the White House and Democratic control of the Congress, only one-third (34%) of U.S. voters think rule by one political party is better for the country.

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October 29, 2008

McCain Trusted More on Taxes and Economy

After several weeks of John McCain’s campaign attacks on Barack Obama’s tax plan and idea of “spreading the wealth around”, the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds voters trust McCain more than Obama on taxes, 47% to 45%.

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October 29, 2008

40% Say Hollywood Endorsements Turn Them Off

Now even Opie and the Fonz are for Barack Obama.

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October 25, 2008

New Rasmussen Reports Partisan Weighting Targets: 40.0% Democrat 32.8% 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.