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November 14, 2014

32% Think Americans Are Too Stupid to Understand Obamacare

One-out-of-three voters agree that Americans are too dumb to comprehend the new national health care law.

Jonathan Gruber, a key architect of the law, has been caught on video saying the law was deliberately written in a confusing way so “stupid” American voters wouldn’t understand the real cost to them and thus would be less likely to oppose it.

Thirty-two percent (32%) of Likely U.S. Voters agree that the American people are too stupid to understand the true costs associated with Obamacare, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone poll. Just 52% disagree and another 16% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(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 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on November 12-13, 2014 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.

November 14, 2014

68% Say It’s Impossible to Keep Internet Searches Private

Americans are confident in the privacy of their own Internet communications but still agree it's no longer possible to guarantee complete online privacy.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 66% of American Internet Users believe their Internet communications are at least somewhat private now, including 16% who believe they’re Very Private. Twenty-nine percent (29%) do not think their online communications are private, including nine percent (9%) who don’t think they are at all. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

 

(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 1,000 American Adults was conducted on November 11-12, 2014 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.

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November 14, 2014

Is This the Political Map of the Future? by Michael Barone

If you're a political junkie -- or at least if you're a conservative political junkie -- you've probably seen the map. It's a map of the United States showing the congressional districts won by Republicans in red and those won by Democrats in blue.

It looks almost entirely red, except for some pinpoints of blue in major metropolitan areas and a few blue blotches here and there -- in Minnesota, Northern New Mexico and Arizona, Western New England, along the Pacific Coast.

November 13, 2014

Most Want Major Spending Cuts But Don't Expect to Get Them

Most voters still want federal spending cuts across the board but think it’s unlikely they’ll actually happen.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 56% of Likely U.S. Voters think thoughtful spending cuts should be considered in every program of the federal government, consistent with surveying this year but down from a high of 63% in October of last year. Thirty percent (30%) disagree, while another 14% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(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 national survey of 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on November 10-11, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC . See methodology.

November 13, 2014

61% Oppose Federal Regulation of the Internet

Americans really like the online service they currently have and strongly oppose so-called “net neutrality” efforts that would allow the federal government to regulate the Internet.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 26% of American Adults agree the Federal Communications Commission should regulate the Internet like it does radio and television. Sixty-one percent (61%) disagree and think the Internet should remain open without regulation and censorship. Thirteen percent (13%) are not sure.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(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 1,000 American Adults was conducted on November 11-12, 2014 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.

November 13, 2014

Obama Still Stumbles on Fairness, Deficit Issues

President Obama began the year with a State of the Union address that focused on income inequality, but as the year draws to a close, voters still give the president mediocre marks for the job he's doing in the area of economic fairness.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 38% of Likely U.S. Voters voters think the president is doing a good or excellent job handling issues related to economic fairness. Forty-two percent (42%) rate Obama's performance in this area as poor. There's been little change in these numbers since the beginning of last year. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(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 national survey of 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on November 8-9, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC . See methodology.

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November 13, 2014

14 From ’14: Quick Takes on the Midterm By Kyle Kondik and Geoffrey Skelley

After going over the results from last week, we had a number of bite-sized observations to offer — 14, to be exact.

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November 13, 2014

Calling the Bluff on Obamacare by Froma Harrop

There's this game in American politics where folks who fancy themselves conservative often condemn programs that they in fact want very much. Obamacare is one such example.

November 13, 2014

Money Matters When It Comes to Support for Mass Transit

A majority of Americans thinks the federal government should support more mass transit projects - unless the projects lose money.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 52% of American Adults think the federal government should do more to encourage use of mass transit services in this country, including funding more public transportation projects. Thirty-four percent (34%) are opposed to more government promotion of mass transit, while 14% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(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 1,000 American Adults was conducted on November 9-10, 2014 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.

November 12, 2014

27% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

Twenty-seven percent (27%) of Likely U.S. Voters think the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending November 9.
 
The number who say the country is heading in the right direction is unchanged from a week ago. This finding has now been in the 23% to 27% range nearly every week since early June and has been below 30% most weeks since June of last year.

(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 national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from November 3-9, 2014. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

November 12, 2014

Americans Overwhelmingly Say Mass Transit Is Not An Option

Very few Americans would willingly take public transportation over driving their own car somewhere, and most rarely use mass transit at all. A new Rasmussen Reports national survey finds that 70% of American Adults rarely or never use mass transit like buses, trains, subways or ferries, and another 11% only use it every few months. Just 12% use mass transit services at least once a week, with seven percent (7%) who use them every day or nearly every day. Six percent (6%) use mass transit two or three times a month. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(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 1,000 American Adults was conducted on November 9-10, 2014 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.

November 12, 2014

Voters Show Tepid Support For Fighting ISIS With Iran

Voters give a lukewarm endorsement to President Obama's proposal that Iran join in the fight against the radical Islamic group ISIS, but they don't expect it to improve relations between the two countries anytime soon.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 42% of Likely U.S. Voters favor cooperation between the United States and Iran in fighting the extremist Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. Thirty-three percent (33%) are opposed to such cooperation, while 24% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(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 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on November 10-11, 2014 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.

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November 12, 2014

Democracy Delusions By John Stossel

When the Berlin Wall came down 25 years ago this week, people in the Soviet Bloc gained something even more valuable than a right to vote: a free market. 

November 12, 2014

Voters See Election As Rejection of Democrats

Half of U.S. voters say the Republican takeover of Congress was a repudiation of President Obama’s party rather than an endorsement of the GOP. Democrats don’t disagree.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 30% of Likely U.S. Voters believe last week’s election results were more a vote for the Republicans than a vote against the Democrats. Forty-nine percent (49%) disagree and say the election results were a vote against the Democrats instead. But one-in-five (21%) aren’t sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(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 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on November 8-9, 2014 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.

November 11, 2014

Americans Drink Domestic Beer, Red Wine and Vodka

When it’s time for Happy Hour, most Americans are ordering a beer or wine.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that among America Adults who drink alcohol, 36% are most likely to drink wine, while nearly as many (33%) go for beer. One-in-four (24%) would choose hard liquor first. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(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 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted on November 5-6, 2014 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.

November 11, 2014

Voters Continue To Feel U.S. Doesn't Spend Enough on National Security

With a sympathetic Republican Congress coming in January, voters continue to feel the country isn't spending enough on national security and are more reluctant than they have been in several years to remove U.S. troops from Europe. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 38% of Likely U.S. Voters think the United States does not spend enough on the military and national security. This is down five points from 43% in August, the highest finding in three years of regular tracking, but is more in line with voter attitudes for the past couple years. Twenty-two percent (22%) still believe the United States spends too much on defense, but this view has been trending downward since January 2013 when it reached a record high of 40%. Thirty-one percent (31%) say the country spends about the right amount in this area. (To see survey question wording, click here).

(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 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on November 6-7, 2014 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.

November 11, 2014

43% Will Do Something Special to Observe Veterans Day

Many Americans plan today to honor those who have served in the U.S. military, but participation is down slightly from previous years.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 43% of American Adults plan to do something special to celebrate Veterans Day and honor those who have given their lives for America. Forty percent (40%) do not, but 17% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(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 1,000 Adults was conducted on November 7-8, 2014 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.

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November 11, 2014

Two Hidden Factors in the 2014 Campaign by Michael Barone

Looking back on the 2014 election cycle, I see two largely unnoticed turning points that worked against Democrats and in Republicans' favor.

The first came in response to the October 2013 government shutdown. This was blamed, as shutdowns usually are, on Republicans, partly because of their skepticism about big government, and partly because media professionals tend to fault the GOP in any partisan fight.

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November 11, 2014

Voters Say ‘No’ to Lame Duck Congress, ‘Maybe’ on Obama’s Nominees

The current Congress is expected to return this week for a final lame duck session, but most voters consider such sessions a waste of time. They’re almost evenly divided over whether any of President Obama’s nominations should be handled by this Congress or put off until the next one. 

Fifty-one percent (51%) of Likely U.S. Voters agree that the time between Election Day and the swearing-in of the new Congress should be shorter, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Thirty-two percent (32%) disagree and think the current two-month wait is fine. Seventeen percent (17%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(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 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on November 8-9, 2014 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.

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November 11, 2014

There's Something About Paper by Froma Harrop

Interesting that the tech website CNET has started publishing an old-fashioned magazine -- you know, on paper, like Time and Life. To complete the retro circle, CNET's periodical is carrying print ads for Ford, Gillette and other brands already at home in the "Mad Men" era.

But wasn't the digital technology that CNET touts supposed to do away with paper? Parent company CBS Interactive explains the seeming contradiction: The magazine simply gives people yet another way to get at CNET's wares.