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October 24, 2014

Michigan Governor: Snyder (R) 49%, Schauer (D) 46%

Incumbent Republican Rick Snyder still holds a narrow lead in Michigan’s gubernatorial race.

(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 in Michigan was conducted on October 20-22, 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.

October 24, 2014

Americans Are Arguing Less This Election Cycle

Americans may consider this a more divided country than four years ago, but they’re arguing about it a lot less than they were before the 2012 election.

Twenty percent (20%) of American Adults say they have gotten into a heated argument with a friend of family member about the upcoming election, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. But that compares to 45% in late October 2012. (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 October 22-23, 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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October 24, 2014

Why the House Will Stay Republican by Michael Barone

You probably haven't read much commentary about this year's elections to the House of Representatives. There's a good reason for that: The majority in the Senate is up for grabs, but it's clear to everyone who follows these things that Republicans will continue to control the House. But there are lessons to be learned from this year's House races, some of them relevant beyond this election cycle.

The House math is fairly simple. Republicans won 234 House seats in 2012 and Democrats 201. There are three vacant seats now, but neither party has gained a seat in a special election or by a party switch.

COPYRIGHT 2014 THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM

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October 24, 2014

Debunking Christie's Minimum Wage Mythology By Joe Conason

If there is any upside to the constant blabber from a politician such as Chris Christie, it is that he blurts out what others like him would never say in public -- for instance, his recent remarks at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

"I'm tired of hearing about the minimum wage," said the boorish New Jersey governor, a sentiment no doubt shared by the assembled big-business lobbyists and by most of Christie's fellow Republican governors. "I really am. I don't think there's a mother or a father sitting around a kitchen table tonight in America who are saying, 'You know, honey, if our son or daughter could just make a higher minimum wage, my God, all our dreams would be realized.'"

October 23, 2014

54% Think U.S. Society is Fair and Decent

Voters continue to think American society is generally fair and decent and a large majority maintain that those who immigrate here should adopt the culture.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 54% of Likely U.S. Voters think American society is generally fair and decent. This finding is down four points from July and is the lowest finding since July 2007. Prior to 2013, belief that American society was fair and decent regularly ran in the low-to-mid 60s. Thirty-three percent (33%) say American society is generally unfair and discriminatory, up slightly from last month. 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 national telephone survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports on October 9-10, 2014. The margin of sampling error for the survey 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.

October 23, 2014

Illinois Governor: Rauner (R) 48%, Quinn (D) 47%

The Illinois governor's race is still tight with less than two weeks to go.

The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Illinois Voters finds Republican Bruce Rauner with 48% support to incumbent Democrat Pat Quinn's 47%. Two percent (2%) prefer some other candidate, while four percent (4%) 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 Likely Voters in Illinois was conducted on October 20-22, 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.

October 23, 2014

Kansas Senate: Orman (I) 49%, Roberts (R) 44%

Independent Greg Orman still holds a five-point lead over incumbent Republican Pat Roberts in Kansas’ unexpectedly competitive U.S. Senate race.

The latest Rasmussen reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Kansas Voters shows Orman with 49% support to Roberts’ 44%. Three percent (3%) like another candidate in the race, while five percent (5%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Ninety percent (90%) of the state’s voters say they are certain to vote in this election, and among these voters, it’s Orman 50%, Roberts 46%.

(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 960 Likely Voters in Kansas was conducted on October 20-21, 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.

October 23, 2014

Voters Strongly Support Limits on Food Stamp Recipients

Beginning next year, Indiana will limit how long some can get food stamps, and voters nationwide strongly support similar limits in their state. Just over half favor fixing a deadline for how long people can receive federal public assistance benefits of any kind.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 65% of Likely U.S. Voters favor a program like Indiana’s in their state that would limit access to food stamps to three months for adults without children who do not find work or do not participate in a 20-hour-a-week job training program. Only 24% oppose such limits in their state, while 12% 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 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on October 21-22, 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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October 23, 2014

Senate Forecast: Cloudy With a Good Chance of a Republican Majority By Kyle Kondik and Geoffrey Skelley

With less than two weeks to go until Election Day, the picture in several key races remains hazy. But when the dust settles, the most likely result is a Republican majority, as the Crystal Ball’s outlook of Republicans adding five to eight seats has long indicated.

The GOP needs at least a net gain of six seats to win back Congress’ upper chamber. But the math is complicated by Sen. Pat Roberts’ (R) struggles in Kansas against independent Greg Orman, and even if Roberts wins, the GOP may not get to 51 seats until after Dec. 6 (Louisiana’s runoff) or even Jan. 6, 2015 (Georgia’s runoff), making it difficult to actually call the Senate for Republicans even this close to Nov. 4.

October 23, 2014

Fewer Think U.S. Will Have Another Great Depression

Short- and long-term outlooks for the U.S. economy are better than they’ve been in more than a year, and Americans are less concerned than ever about another 1930’s-like depression.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 27% of American Adults think it’s at least somewhat likely that the United States will enter another Great Depression in the next few years. Nearly two-thirds of adults (62%) think it’s unlikely. Americans were much more closely divided on this question in surveys dating back to 2009. This is a dramatic new low since then for the likelihood of another economic depression. (To see survey questions 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 October 20-21, 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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October 23, 2014

Canada Can Be Tough on Immigration by Froma Harrop

Two years ago, Jeffrey Niehaus was a popular teacher at the University of Victoria in British Columbia. An American, Niehaus had applied for permanent residency in Canada. But Canada turned him down. The reason? The psychology professor's 4-year-old son, Kurt, had autism. Treating autism would have been too costly for the government's health care system.

Americans often think of Canada as a softy nation. But though Canada may be the land of government's picking up your medical bills, it's also the land of rules that must be followed. When it comes to immigration, Canada doesn't mess around.

Follow Froma Harrop on Twitter @FromaHarrop. She can be reached at fharrop@gmail.com. To find out more about Froma Harrop and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2014 CREATORS.COM

October 22, 2014

26% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

Twenty-six percent (26%) 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 October 19.
 
The number who say the country is heading in the right direction is down one point from the previous week. This finding has now been in the 23% to 27% range nearly every week since early June and has been below 30% most weeks for the past 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 on October 13-19, 2014. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.
 Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

October 22, 2014

Half of Americans Still Expect Interest Rates to Rise

While the majority of adults nationwide say they are paying similar interest rates as they were a year ago, nearly half expect those rates to go up next year.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 18% say they’re paying higher interest rates than they were a year ago, generally unchanged from the previous two months, but down from 24% in June and July. Just 14% are paying lower rates than they were a year ago. Most Americans (60%) say their interest rates are about the same as last year. (To see survey questions 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 October 16-17, 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.

October 22, 2014

Wisconsin Governor: Burke (D) 49%, Walker (R) 48%

The Wisconsin governor’s race remains up for grabs going into the final stretch.

The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Wisconsin Voters finds Democratic challenger Mary Burke with 49% support to incumbent Republican Scott Walker’s 48%. One percent (1%) like another candidate in the race, and two percent (2%) 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 973 Likely Voters in Wisconsin was conducted on October 20-21, 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.

October 22, 2014

Voters Less Sour Toward Government Work

A modest plurality of U.S. voters now thinks the best and brightest should work for the government, though most still don’t believe doing so is more honorable than working in the private sector.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 38% of Likely U.S. Voters believe it’s better for America if the best people take government jobs. Thirty-three percent (33%) disagree and think it’s better for the country if those people go to work in the private sector instead. Another 28% 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 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on October 19-20, 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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October 22, 2014

Federal Persecutors by John Stossel

A group of Washington overlords -- federal prosecutors -- sometimes break rules and wreck people's lives. 

October 22, 2014

Voters Say Economy Unfair to Middle Class

Over half of  U.S. voters still believe the economy is fair to blacks, Hispanics, and women but nearly two-out-of-three think the economy is unfair to the middle class. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 64% of Likely U.S. Voters consider the economy is unfair to the middle class, but that’s down from June’s all-time high of 67% and includes 27% who think the economy’s not fair at all to the middle class. One-in-three voters (32%) think the economy is at least somewhat fair to middle-class Americans, including just four percent (4%) who think it’s Very Fair. (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 October 19-20, 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.

October 21, 2014

Are Inflation Worries Lessening?

Americans remain concerned about inflation and continue to doubt whether the Federal Reserve Board can keep it under control.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 70% of American Adults are still concerned about inflation. Just 26% are not. These findings include 31% who are Very Concerned and just seven percent (7%) who are Not At All Concerned. (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 October 16-17, 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.

October 21, 2014

Arizona Governor: Ducey (R) 47%, DuVal (D) 42%

Republican Doug Ducey has pulled ahead of Democrat Fred DuVal in the closing weeks of Arizona’s gubernatorial contest.

Ducey now picks up 47% of the vote to DuVal’s 42% in a new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Arizona Voters. Three percent (3%) prefer some other candidate, while seven percent (7%) are undecided at this point. (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 1,056 Likely Voters in Arizona was conducted on October 14-16, 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.

October 21, 2014

Americans Losing Confidence in Feds, Public Health System to Handle Ebola

While Americans aren’t exactly panicking over Ebola, they have become slightly more critical of the federal government’s response and slightly less confident that the public health system will be able to contain the virus.

Thirty-one percent (31%) of American Adults believe the federal government is doing a good or excellent job protecting Americans from the danger of Ebola, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. But 35% now say the federal government is doing a poor job 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 Adults was conducted on October 18-19, 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.