Election 2012: Presidential Election

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                            October 28, 2011Romney Still Seen as GOP Candidate Most Qualified for White House
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney remains the Republican presidential contender who voters consider most qualified to be president, but he still falls short of the number who feel that way about President Obama. But most GOP voters think all four top hopefuls for their party’s presidential nomination have what it takes, although they’re a little less sure about Herman Cain.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters finds that 52% feel Obama is qualified to be president. Forty-three percent (43%) disagree and say the current occupant of the White House is not fit for the job. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on October 26-27, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
October 27, 2011New Hampshire: Romney 41% Cain 17% Paul 11%
The latest look at the Republican Primary race in New Hampshire shows former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney remains the clear frontrunner.
The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely GOP Primary voters shows Romney with 41% support. Georgia Businessman Herman Cain comes in a distant second with 17% of the vote while Texas Congressman Ron Paul picks up 11% support.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich receives support from eight percent (8%) while former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman attracts seven percent (7%). No other candidate reaches five percent (5%) support. Two percent (2%) prefer some other candidate, and five percent (5%) more are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
October 24, 2011Election 2012: Obama 44%, Cain 38%
Herman Cain's surge to front-runner status prompted his Republican rivals to pile on during last Tuesday night's debate and also brought on a lot more media coverage about him. After taking a very slight lead over President Obama last week, Cain now trails the incumbent by six points in the latest hypothetical Election 2012 matchup.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Voters shows Obama picking up 44% of the vote, while Cain earns 38%.
October 20, 2011Obama 44% Perry 36%
Following a fiery debate Tuesday night, Texas Governor Rick Perry now trails President Obama by eight points in the latest 2012 hypothetical matchup.
October 20, 2011Iowa: Cain 28% Romney 21% Paul 10%
Reflecting national trends, businessman Herman Cain has now jumped to the front of the Republican pack in Iowa.
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Iowa caucus-goers shows that Cain is in front with 28% followed by former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney at 21%. Congressman Ron Paul is a distant third at 10% followed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at 9%, Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann at 8%, and Texas Governor Rick Perry at 7%. The sixth place finish for Perry is a sharp decline from early September when Perry was the frontrunner both nationally and in Iowa. (To see survey question wording, click here).
Former Senator Rick Santorum picks up 4% of the vote and former Governor Jon Huntsman is at 2%. Another 4% would prefer some other candidate and 8% are not sure.
Only one-third of the caucus-goers (32%) are certain of their vote and don’t expect to change their mind. Among these voters, 30% prefer Cain, 22% Romney, and 17% Paul.
Among those absolutely certain they will show up and participate in the caucus, Cain leads Romney 31% to 18%. Many have criticized the Cain campaign for not having a strong organization in Iowa which is seen as essential to turning out the vote. According to such conventional analysis, Cain might be at risk of raising expectations too high and then underperforming.
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls).   Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 800 Likely Iowa Republican Caucus Participants was conducted on October 19, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
October 18, 2011Generic Republican 47%, Obama 43%
A generic Republican now leads President Obama by four points in a hypothetical 2012 match-up for the week ending Sunday, October 16.
October 18, 2011Obama 43%, Romney 42%
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and President Obama continue to run virtually even in a hypothetical Election 2012 matchup as they have for the past several weeks. Herman Cain is now the only Republican who has any kind of lead over the president.
October 17, 2011Cain 43%, Obama 41%
Whether Herman Cain’s surge in the polls is temporary or has staying power, he’s enjoying a big enough bounce to take a very slight lead over President Obama in a hypothetical 2012 matchup. At the moment, the Georgia businessman is the only Republican with a lead of any kind over Obama, although former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has held a similar advantage several times and is currently trailing the president by just two points.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            October 10, 2011Scott Rasmussen Interviews Herman Cain
An exclusive interview with GOP hopeful, Herman Cain.
October 1, 2011Virginia: Obama Leads Perry by 10, Runs Even with Romney
In 2008, Barack Obama became the first Democrat to win Virginia’s Electoral College votes since the Beatles were a brand new act in America in 1964. However, an early look at the 2012 race in the Old Dominion suggests winning twice in a row is not a sure thing for the president.
The first Rasmussen Reports Election 2012 survey in Virginia shows that 46% of the state’s Likely Voters would cast a ballot for former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, while 45% would opt for President Obama. Four percent (4%) prefer some other candidate, while five percent (5%) are undecided.
September 30, 2011Obama 44%, Christie 43%
Few expect him to run, but New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is essentially even with President Barack Obama in an early look at a hypothetical Election 2012 matchup. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters shows that Obama earns 44% support in the matchup, while Christie attracts 43%. Six percent (6%) prefer a third option, and eight percent (8%) are undecided.
September 28, 2011Obama 39% Cain 34%
Herman Cain did well in last week’s GOP debate and won a decisive straw poll victory in Florida, but his numbers in a general election match-up against President Obama are little changed.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            September 28, 2011Plurality Says Romney Qualified To Be President, Voters Divided on Cain
Out of a list of five Republican candidates running for the White House in 2012, Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is the only one a plurality of all voters considers qualified for the job. But Republican voters tend to see three top candidates as qualified.
September 27, 2011Election 2012: Generic Republican 46%, Obama 43%
A generic Republican candidate has fallen into a near tie with President Obama in a hypothetical 2012 election match-up for the week ending Sunday, September 25.
September 27, 2011Obama 44%, Paul 34%
A month ago, they were neck-and-neck. Now President Obama has a 10-point lead over Texas Congressman Ron Paul in a hypothetical Election 2012 matchup.
September 23, 2011Obama 48%, Bachmann 32%
Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann continues to fade in the latest hypothetical 2012 matchup with President Obama.
September 23, 2011New Hampshire GOP Primary: Romney 39%, Perry 18%, Paul 13%
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is the runaway leader in the race for the 2012 Republican nomination in New Hampshire, home of next year’s first presidential primary.
September 22, 2011GOP Voters Strongly Believe Perry, Romney Can Beat Obama in 2012
More than 80% of likely Republican Primary voters say it is likely Texas Governor Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney are likely to beat President Obama in the general election, but they are less confident about Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and Texas Congressman Ron Paul doing the same.
September 20, 2011Election 2012: Generic Republican 47%, Obama 42%
A generic Republican candidate holds a five-point advantage over President Obama in a hypothetical 2012 election match-up for the week ending Sunday, September 18.  This is the 11th week in a row the Republican has led the incumbent.
September 16, 2011Obama 46%, Perry 39%
Before he entered his first debate as a presidential candidate, Texas Governor Rick Perry was the Republican frontrunner and held a modest lead in a hypothetical matchup against President Obama. Perry was the target for all the other candidates in the two most recent GOP debates, however, and he now trails the president by single digits.