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September 16, 2008

Most Adults Like Idea of Four-Day Work Week

Due largely to high gas prices and rising energy costs, many state and local governments have been seriously considering the idea of a four-day work week for employees. A majority of adults (58%) nationwide think it's a good way to curb the government’s use of energy.

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September 16, 2008

Palin 47%, Biden 44% in Make-believe Presidential Match-up

Sarah Palin bests Joseph Biden 47% to 44% in a hypothetical head-to-head match-up for the presidency, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

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September 16, 2008

Democrats Face Historic Voter Hurdle

Much has been made this year about how the fundamentals favor the Democrats. An unpopular Republican president, a war that has dragged on beyond the limits of public tolerance, a declining number of people identifying as Republicans and a worrisome economy all set the stage for the Democrats to reclaim the White House.

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September 15, 2008

Majority of Voters Say Only McCain, Biden Prepared To Be President

Sixty-three percent (63%) of voters say John McCain is prepared right now to be president, and 50% say the same thing about Democratic vice presidential candidate Joseph Biden. Forty-four percent (44%) say the man at the top of Biden's ticket, Barack Obama, is ready, but 45% say he isn’t.

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September 15, 2008

Voters Say No to Obama in McCain’s Cabinet, and Vice Versa

A majority of Americans think it’s a good idea for a president to put members of the opposing political party in his Cabinet, as long as it’s not Barack Obama or John McCain.

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September 14, 2008

TV Fans Want Two and a Half Men & House to Win Emmys

This year’s Emmy award nominees for best comedy and drama include old favorites and first-time nominees. But who fans want to win isn’t necessarily who they think will win.

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September 14, 2008

TV Fans Select Laurie, Field, Carell and Applegate for Emmys

With this year's Emmy Awards just a week away, TV fans already know who they think will win the top acting awards in dramas and comedies, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

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September 14, 2008

Old Enough To Fight, Old Enough To Drink By Debra J. Saunders

At age 18, an American can enlist in the military, vote, sign a contract, get married, have an operation -- hey, in California, a 14-year-old can have an abortion without telling her parents -- but he cannot buy a beer. Not legally, anyway.

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September 14, 2008

New Rasmussen Reports Party Weighting Targets: 38.7% Democrat 33.6% 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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September 14, 2008

35% Expect McCain Victory, 34% Say Obama Will Win

John McCain's convention and his choice of Sarah Palin as a running mate have moved him from 18 points behind to a one-point lead over Barack Obama when voters are asked who is likely to win this year's presidential election, according to a new Rasmussen reports national telephone survey.

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September 13, 2008

McCain Flies His Campaign Past Obama By Michael Barone

John McCain was trained as a fighter pilot. In his selection of Sarah Palin, and in his convention and campaigning since, he has shown that he learned an important lesson from his fighter pilot days: He has gotten inside Barack Obama's OODA loop.

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September 13, 2008

What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending September 12, 2008

Columnist Larry Kudlow calls it the Sarah surge. With excitement now running high on the Republican side, Barack Obama’s campaign and many in the media are reacting like GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is at the top of the ticket. Whatever the view, it appears that Palin drove the polls last week.

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September 13, 2008

A Little Exercise A Day Keeps the Doctor Away

Doctors will tell you that regular exercise is a key to healthy living. A new Rasmussen Reports survey finds that most adults say they heed their doctors’ advice.

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September 12, 2008

Most Adults Give Children’s Schools Good or Excellent Ratings

In a speech in Dayton, Ohio last week, Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama told the crowd the failure of Washington to act on education reform is putting our nation in jeopardy. John McCain asked his audience at the Republican National Convention what the value is of equal access to a failing public education system.

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September 12, 2008

Voters Strongly Favor Offshore Drilling, Alternative Energy Plans

Seven out of 10 voters (69%) support offshore oil drilling, and even more (77%) favor tax incentives for the development of alternative energy sources, which means Congress is on track with the energy bill it is expected to pass in the next two weeks.

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September 12, 2008

Say It Ain't So, Joe By Susan Estrich

Sometimes Joe Biden, bless his good intentions, doesn't know when to stop. I won't recount past instances of this -- I'll leave that to the RNC -- but the most recent is a painful example of what happens when a short answer will do and you give a long-winded one instead.

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September 12, 2008

The Sarah Surge in Black and White By Lawrence Kudlow

It's so much fun reading the newspapers these days. The Sarah surge continues to dominate all the political news, while the Palin-McCain -- er, McCain-Palin -- ticket is forging ahead in the polls.

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September 11, 2008

GOP Gains Small Bit of Ground in Generic Congressional Ballot

The Democrats now lead the GOP by eight points on the Generic Congressional Ballot. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that, if given the choice, 45% of voters would choose their district’s Democratic candidate, while 37% would choose the Republican candidate.

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September 11, 2008

63% Say McCain Likely to Reach Across the Aisle, 51% Say Obama Will

If elected President, 63% of voters say that John McCain is likely to reach across the aisle and work with Democrats to pass important legislation. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 51% say that Barack Obama will do the same if elected.

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September 11, 2008

Two Bridges to Nowhere By Joe Conason

Is Sarah Palin the implacable pit bull of government reform, lipstick and all? The latest Republican campaign commercial pictures her in heroic terms at the side of John McCain as one of the "original mavericks," declaring that she "stopped the bridge to nowhere."