Libertarians Favor Obama and Other Looks at Election 2008
Libertarian voters make up 4% of the nation’s likely voters and they favor Barack Obama over John McCain by a 53% to 38% margin.
Politics
Most Recent Releases
July 5, 2008
July 3, 2008
Only 17% See Working For Government As A Higher Calling
Even as both presidential candidates urge Americans to undertake more public service, over half of U.S. voters reject the idea that such duty is better than working in the private sector, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Only one out of six voters view work for the government as a higher calling.
July 3, 2008
Most Americans Still Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident
In the early summer days of 1776, a group of men gathered in Philadelphia to craft a document that has become one of history’s great declarations of liberty. In an time and place where challenging the King was considered treason, the Continental Congress declared that the King had no right to claim authority over them.
July 3, 2008
59% of voters say Constitution is Just Fine; 39% Say it Doesn’t Restrict Government Enough
Three out of five Americans think the U.S. Constitution is fine as is, but 39% fear it doesn't place enough restrictions on the government, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.
July 2, 2008
Most Voters Disagree With Harry Reid’s Fossil Fuel Comments
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's pronouncement that using coal and oil is making us sick may be the number one video on YouTube, but most voters disagree, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.
July 2, 2008
Most Americans Proud of U.S. History, Say Other Nations Should Follow America’s Lead
Three out of four Americans are proud of their country’s history, and nearly as many feel the world would be a better place if more nations were like ours.
July 1, 2008
42% Think Obama’s Public Funding Decision Was Smart, 40% Find it Hypocritical
Americans’ opinions are split on Barack Obama’s recent decision to opt out of public funding for his presidential campaign. A recent Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 42% of adults believe his decision was smart, while 40% think it was hypocritical.
June 30, 2008
McCain, Obama Talk Immigration, Media Misses the Point
Following the lead of the United States Senate, most media coverage of the immigration debate misses the point. For example, a recent Associated Press story noted that since both Presidential candidates support a path to citizenship, immigration reform won’t be a “major point of differentiation” between them.
June 29, 2008
Support for Offshore Drilling Dips Slightly to 59%
The good news for Barack Obama is that support for offshore drilling of oil wells has declined just a bit over the past week. The bad news for the presumptive Democratic Presidential Nominee is that only Democrats are changing their mind.
June 28, 2008
What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - June 28, 2008
The United States Supreme Court generated plenty of news this past week by releasing its end of session rulings. For the most part, voters weren’t terribly impressed. Just 26% gave the Justices good or excellent marks for their work down from 31% two weeks ago and 41% a month ago.
June 27, 2008
Voters Agree With Court Gun Ruling and Think McCain Does Too
On the evening the Supreme Court announced its landmark decision on the Second Amendment and gun control issues, 68% of voters said they followed news coverage of the story Somewhat or Very Closely.
June 26, 2008
Why Polls Sometimes Show Different Results
Since Barack Obama clinched the Democratic Presidential Nomination, most polls have shown the Illinois Senator with a modest lead over John McCain, typically around five percentage points. However, two recent polls, one by Newsweek and one by the Los Angeles Times, have shown Obama with a double digit lead.
June 25, 2008
Just 37% Believe Clinton Wants Obama to Win
Just 37% of voters nationwide think that Hillary Clinton wants Barack Obama to win the White House this November. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 33% disagree and say that Clinton does not want an Obama victory. Thirty percent (30%) are not sure.
June 24, 2008
58% Favor Financial Incentives for Private Companies to Reduce Oil Costs, but McCain Incentive Plans Get Lukewarm Reviews
Sixty-five percent (65%) of voters say that the federal government should get “actively involved in efforts to reduce the price of gas and oil.” The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey also found that 58% believe the most effective way for the government to get involved is to provide financial incentives that will encourage private companies to find solutions.
June 23, 2008
Most Still See United States as Land of Opportunity
Fifty-five percent (55%) of American adults say that just about anyone who really wants to work can find a job in the United States. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 31% disagree.
June 22, 2008
Voters Split on Need for Stricter Gun Control Laws, but Oppose City Handgun Ban
American voters are evenly divided on the need for stricter gun control laws but don’t think city government should have the right to prevent citizens from owning handguns in their city. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 44% say stricter gun control laws while another 44% disagree and 12% are not sure. Most African-American and Hispanic voters believe stricter gun control laws are needed while a plurality (47%) of White voters disagree.
June 22, 2008
71% Know Pelosi is a Democrat, but Most Don’t Know Other Congressional Leaders
Seventy-one percent (71%) of American voters know that Nancy Pelosi is a Democrat, but most don’t know enough about other Congressional leaders to even hazard a guess.
June 22, 2008
63% Say McCain Sees U.S. as Fair and Decent Society, 45% Say Obama Holds That View
Sixty-three percent (63%) of Likely Voters in the United States say that John McCain views American society as generally fair and decent. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 14% think McCain views the nation as primarily unfair and discriminatory.
June 21, 2008
What They Told Us: Week Ending June 20, 2008
John McCain started it all on Monday when he let it be known that he wanted the nearly three decade-old ban on offshore oil drilling lifted to help offset skyrocketing prices at the pump. Barack Obama, hewing to the traditional Democratic Party line, said no way.
June 20, 2008
56% Want NAFTA Renegotiated, Americans Divided on Free Trade
Over half of U.S. voters think the North American Free Trade Agreement needs to be renegotiated even as Republican presidential candidate John McCain prepares for a speech Friday in which he will hammer Barack Obama for saying the same thing.
