Election 2012: Presidential Election

Democrats Think Clinton & Obama Agree on Economy, Others Disagree

Bill Clinton’s favorables are up after his impassioned promotion of President Obama at this week’s Democratic National Convention, but there is a huge partisan divide over whether the two men actually agree on what’s best for the economy. Most also believe Clinton was a better president than the man he was championing. 

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 59% of Likely U.S. Voters consider Clinton who served from 1993 to 2001 to be a better president than President Obama. Just 19% think Obama is a better chief executive. Twenty-two percent (22%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on September 5-6, 2012 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.

Kerry, Caroline Kennedy Earn Raves from Their Fellow Democrats

Democrats are most enthusiastic about John Kerry and Caroline Kennedy when asked about some of the prominent speakers at their party’s national convention this week in Charlotte, North Carolina.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters finds that some of the party’s rising stars like Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren and Newark, NJ Mayor Corey Booker are largely unknown to sizable numbers of Democrats, but this survey was taken before they addressed the convention delegates. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on September 3-4, 2012 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.

44% Say Obama Very Liberal, 30% See Romney Very Conservative

More voters than ever consider Mitt Romney a conservative, but President Obama is still viewed as further to the political left than Romney is to the right. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 71% of Likely U.S. Voters describe Obama as a liberal, up just slightly from earlier this year but the highest finding since December 2010. Just as many (72%) now view Romney as conservative. That's up from 56% at the beginning of the year and the highest finding to date.

But 44% of voters think the president is Very Liberal versus 30% who describe his Republican challenger as Very Conservative. The number who think Obama is Very Liberal is consistent with regular tracking for much of his presidency. The percentage who view Romney as Very Conservative is up from 14% in early January. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 24-25, 2012 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.

61% View Michelle Obama Favorably, 54% Say Same of Ann Romney

Voters remain evenly divided on the importance of the candidate’s wives in determining how they will vote for president in November, but favorables for Michelle Obama and Ann Romney are up as the campaign begins in earnest.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 61% of Likely U.S. Voters now have a favorable opinion of Mrs. Obama, with 42% who view her Very Favorably. Only 33% regard the first lady unfavorably, including 17% with a Very Unfavorable opinion of her. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 28-29, 2012 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.

53% Think Obama Will Win, 33% Predict Romney

The race may be neck-and-neck in the daily Presidential Tracking Poll, but voters by 20 points predict that President Obama will be reelected. Republicans are expected to keep control of the House of Representatives, but voters are evenly divided over the future of the Senate.

Fifty-three percent (53%) of Likely U.S. Voters think, regardless of who they want to win, that the president is most likely to be the winner in November. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 33% believe Republican challenger Mitt Romney will come out on top. Thirteen percent (13%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 26-27, 2012 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.

54% Now Excited About Choice Between Obama and Romney

Most voters are now excited about the chance to vote for either Mitt Romney or President Obama. That’s thanks to a big jump in enthusiasm among Republicans since the naming of Paul Ryan to their national ticket.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 54% of Likely U.S. Voters are excited about the Obama-Romney match. However, 41% still say they will be voting for the lesser of two evils. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 26-27, 2012 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.

Most Voters Won’t Be Seeing Much of the Political Conventions

Most voters won’t be watching much of the upcoming national political conventions, and over one-third of independent voters plan to tune them out completely.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 11% of Likely Voters plan to watch all of the GOP convention and another 16% who will watch most. A plurality (44%) expects to watch some of it, and 24% more won’t watch any of the GOP convention held in Tampa, Florida. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 24-25, 2012 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.

16% Have Favorable Opinion of Libertarian Candidate Gary Johnson

Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson is on the ballot in all 50 states but is largely unknown to the nation’s voters.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 16% of Likely U.S. Voters have a favorable opinion of Johnson, while 20% offer an unfavorable view. Only one-out-of-10 have a strong opinion of him: Two percent (2%) have a Very Favorable view of Johnson, while eight percent (8%) have a Very Unfavorable one. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 22-23, 2012 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.

Missouri: Obama 47%, Romney 46%

As the controversy over Republican Senate candidate Todd Akin’s “legitimate rape” comment continues, Mitt Romney’s lead in Missouri has vanished.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Missouri Voters finds President Obama with 47% support to Romney’s 46%. Three percent (3%) favor some other candidate in the race, and three percent (3%) more are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Missouri was conducted on August 22, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Among Entrepreneurs, Romney Leads By 20

Ever since President Obama’s “You didn’t build that” comment, the Obama campaign has fought back against the perception that he values government workers more than small business owners. Regardless of whether the comments were taken out of context or reflect his true beliefs, the president trails badly among the nation’s entrepreneurs.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that among those who are self-employed or own their own business, Mitt Romney enjoys a 20-point lead. Fifty-six percent (56%) favor Romney, and 36% prefer the president.

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The national telephone survey of 7,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from August 6-19, 2012. The sample included 815 government workers and 1,040 entrepreneurs. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 1 percentage point with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Better Qualified To Serve As President? 42% Say Ryan, 40% Biden

Voters are evenly divided as to whether Paul Ryan or Joe Biden is better qualified to serve as president. Not surprisingly, there’s a huge partisan divide on the issue. Forty-two percent (42%) of Likely U.S. Voters say Ryan’s more qualified to be the chief executive, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. But nearly as many (40%) think Biden is a better fit for the job. Eighteen percent (18%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 14-15, 2012 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.

Most Voters Don’t Expect Tax, Spending Cuts From Obama or Romney

Voters still think there’s a greater chance of higher taxes and more government spending if President Obama wins the election and his fellow Democrats take full control of Congress.  But most voters don’t expect Mitt Romney and congressional Republicans, even with budget hawk Paul Ryan on board, to cut taxes and spending if they take over.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 54% of Likely U.S. Voters expect government spending to go up if Obama is reelected and Democrats regain control of Congress. Only eight percent (8%) think spending will go down, and 32% predict that it will stay about the same. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Florida: Romney 45%, Obama 43%

Mitt Romney and President Obama still run nearly even in Florida just days after the Republican named Congressman Paul Ryan to be his running mate.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in Florida shows Romney earning 45% support to the president’s 43%. Three percent (3%) like some other candidate, and eight percent (8%) are undecided.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Florida was conducted on August 15, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Ohio: Obama 45%, Romney 45%

Rasmussen Reports’ latest look at the presidential race in Ohio shows President Obama and Mitt Romney running dead even at 45% each.

A new telephone survey of Likely Ohio Voters finds that six percent (6%) prefer some other candidate and four percent (4%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Ohio was conducted on August 13, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

50% Now View Paul Ryan Favorably; 43% Say He Was Right Choice

Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan’s favorables are up after the first blush of national media exposure following Mitt Romney’s selection of him as his vice presidential running mate. But as is generally the case with running mates, Ryan gives only a slight boost to Romney.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 50% of Likely U.S. Voters now have a favorable opinion of Ryan, while 32% view him unfavorably. This includes 29% with a Very Favorable view of Romney’s vice presidential pick and 13% with a Very Unfavorable one.  Only 13% are now unfamiliar with Ryan, and five percent (5%) are not sure about him. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Ohio: 51% Have Favorable Opinion of Paul Ryan

Early reactions to Mitt Romney’s new running mate are modestly positive in Ohio.

Fifty-one percent (51%) have a favorable opinion of the GOP’s Vice Presidential running mate. A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in Ohio finds that 39% have an unfavorable view. Those figures include 33% with a Very Favorable opinion and 24% with a Very Unfavorable view.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Ohio was conducted on August 13, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

39% Have Favorable Opinion of Paul Ryan, 25% Unfavorable

Mitt Romney announced this morning that Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan will be his running mate. 

Earlier polling found that 39% of all voters had a favorable opinion of Ryan, while 25% offered a negative review. Thirty-five percent (35%) express no opinion of Ryan. The congressman is relatively unknown to the nation at large. Only a third of voters have a strong opinion in either direction. 

Wisconsin is a state both sides consider key to the presidential election. Right now, President Obama has a modest three-point lead over Romney in the state, and it remains a Toss-Up in the Rasmussen Reports Electoral College Projections. 

Voters Split on Whether Romney or Obama Would Make Better Foreign Policy Leader

Mitt Romney’s campaign portrayed his quick overseas trip as a success. President Obama’s team described the trip as an embarrassment and a gaffe-fest. When it ended, voters remain evenly divided between the candidates on foreign policy issues.  Forty-four percent (44%) of Likely U.S. Voters believe the president is better able to deal with America’s allies. Another 44% say Romney is better for that task. A Rasmussen national telephone survey also found virtually identical results on the question of who is better poised to deal with our enemies—44% picked Romney and 43% named the president. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

37% Consider Romney’s Views Extreme, 47% Say Same of Obama’s

Voters are more likely to believe Mitt Romney’s views are in the mainstream than extreme, but are evenly divided on President Obama’s views.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Voters shows that 51% regard Romney’s views as mainstream. Thirty-seven percent (37%) say it would be more accurate to describe the presumptive GOP nominee’s views as extreme. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Views of the president are more evenly divided. While 44% believe it’s accurate to describe President Obama’s views as mainstream, 47% describe his views as extreme.

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The survey of 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on July 29-30, 2012 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.

46% Will Be Voting For Lesser of Two Evils This Presidential Election

The 2012 presidential race has grown more contentious over the past few months, but voters’ opinions on the choice between President Obama and Mitt Romney haven’t changed.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters shows that 45% say the choice between Obama and Romney is one they are excited about. Just as many (46%) say they will simply be voting for the lesser of two evils this November. (To see survey question wording, click here.)