Don't Privatize the Veterans Hospitals by Froma Harrop
President Obama can do himself a big political favor this month by saying simply this: "I will not privatize the VA hospitals."
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May 22, 2014
May 22, 2014
61% Still Think Congress Is Doing A Poor Job
Congress in May earns its best marks this year, but that’s not saying much. Plus more voters than ever think most members of Congress cheat to get reelected.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just nine percent (9%) of Likely U.S. Voters now think Congress is doing a good or excellent job, but that’s up from six percent (6%) a month ago, its lowest positives since last June. Sixty-one percent (61%) still rate Congress’ job performance as poor. That’s down only slightly from April but is the lowest finding since November 2012. A high of 75% gave Congress poor marks last November. (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 May 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.
May 22, 2014
Nationalization of Senate Elections Poses Challenge to Democrats in 2014 By Alan I. Abramowitz
Democrats face several challenges in trying to maintain their majority in the U.S. Senate in the 2014 midterm election. In addition to the normal tendency of the president’s party to lose seats in midterm elections, Democrats are defending 21 of the 36 seats that are up this year including seven seats in states that were carried by Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election. Moreover, six of those seats are in states that Romney carried by a double-digit margin.
May 22, 2014
59% Think Their Home's Worth More Than When They Bought It
Most homeowners remain confident they know what their home’s worth in today’s market, and they still believe it’s worth more than when they bought it.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 83% of Adult Homeowners are at least somewhat confident that they know how much their home is worth in the housing market today. Fourteen percent (14%) are not. That includes 45% who are Very Confident they know their home’s worth and just two percent (2%) who are Not At All Confident. (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 672 Adult Homeowners was conducted on May 18-19, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
May 21, 2014
29% Say U.S. is Heading in Right Direction
Twenty-nine (29%) 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 May 18.
This is unchanged from the week before. The number who say the country is heading in the right direction had been in the narrow range of 28% to 30% for 17 out of the 21 weeks since then.
(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 May 12-18, 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.
May 21, 2014
46% View Major Cyberattack on U.S. An Act of War
Following a U.S. indictment of five Chinese military hackers charged with stealing commercial secrets, slightly fewer American voters are willing to call a major cyberattack on the United States by another country an act of war. But a plurality continues to be believe cyberattacks pose a bigger economic threat than traditional military attacks.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 85% of Likely U.S. Voters are at least somewhat concerned about the safety of America’s computer infrastructure from cyberattack, including 43% who are Very Concerned. Just 13% are not very or Not At All Concerned about such an attack. (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 May 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.
May 21, 2014
83% Think Americans Are Not Informed Voters
Most Americans think voters in this country don’t have enough say in their government, but at the same time they overwhelmingly believe their fellow countrymen don’t fulfill their responsibility to be informed about the things they vote on.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 90% of Likely U.S. Voters think voters in countries with democratically elected governments have a responsibility to be informed about major policy issues. Just five percent (5%) disagree, while another five percent (5%) 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 was conducted on May 17-18, 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.
May 20, 2014
45% Favor Gay Marriage, 41% Oppose
Support for gay marriage is up slightly this month, but voters still generally think it should be a state issue, not a federal one.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 45% of Likely U.S. Voters now favor gay marriage, while 41% oppose. Support is up a bit from last month, when 43% favored gay marriage and 43% opposed. (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 May 15-16, 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.
May 20, 2014
Britain's Political Stalemate Resembles America's By Michael Barone
LONDON -- British politics has a familiar look to Americans, with a center-right Conservative Party and a center-left Labour Party resembling America's Republicans and Democrats.
Britain's parliamentary system, however, presents a contrast with the U.S. Constitution on the surface. A prime minister whose party has a majority in the House of Commons can pass any law he or she likes, since members of Parliament almost always vote on party lines.
May 20, 2014
38% Expect Their Home’s Value To Go Up In Next Year
Confidence in the short-term housing market remains stable at levels seen since early last year, but long-term confidence has fallen to its lowest since September.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 58% of American homeowners feel the value of their home is more than what they still owe on their mortgage. That is unchanged from March and consistent with views since last October. Thirty-one percent (31%) now say their home is not worth more than they owe. Eleven percent (11%) 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 672 Adult Homeowners was conducted on May 18-19, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
May 20, 2014
Just 21% Give Feds Positive Marks for Handling of Veterans Benefits
With the federal Department of Veterans Affairs embroiled in controversy, Americans give low marks to the benefits for those who have served in the military and rate the government’s administration of those benefits even worse. Those who have received the benefits themselves or have a family member who has are less critical, however.
Just 30% of American Adults rate the level of government benefits for military veterans as good or excellent, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Twenty-six percent (26%) consider the benefits to be poor. (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 May 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.
May 20, 2014
Other Paths to Better Pay by Froma Harrop
Did you read about investors in Chipotle Mexican Grill rejecting the outlandish pay package the fast-food chain's two CEOs had cooked up for themselves? Stockholders overwhelmingly booed the mega-million payout, which would have come on top of the $300 million the duo have harvested in recent years.
May 20, 2014
62% Say 9/11 Museum Film Should Not Be Changed Because of Muslim Complaints
Just half of Americans say they are likely to visit the new National September 11 Memorial Museum in New York City, but most don't think a historic film shown there should be changed so as not to offend Muslims. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 48% of American Adults say they are at least somewhat likely to visit the museum, but that includes just 18% who are Very Likely to do so. Fifty percent (50%) say a visit to the museum is unlikely, with 21% who are Not At All Likely to go there. (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 May 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.
May 19, 2014
Generic Congressional Ballot: Democrats 41%, Republicans 37%
Democrats lead Republicans by four points on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending Sunday May 18.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 41% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Democrat in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 37% would choose the Republican instead.
(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 May 12-May 18, 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.
May 19, 2014
38% Say Presidential Candidates Should Disclose Medical Records
Following comments by Republican strategist Karl Rove that Hillary Clinton’s health “will be an issue” in the 2016 election, voters are closely divided as to whether all presidential candidates should have to release their most recent medical records to the public. They feel much more strongly that candidates should have to release their most recent tax returns.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 38% of Likely Voters believe all declared presidential candidates should release at least their most recent medical records to the public. Forty-two percent (42%) disagree and say they should not have to do so. Twenty percent (20%) 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 was conducted on May 15-16, 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.
May 19, 2014
West Virginia Senate: Capito (R) 48%, Tennant (D) 39%
West Virginia’s U.S. Senate race is closer following last Tuesday’s party primaries, but Republican Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito still holds a nine-point lead over Democrat Natalie Tennant.
The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely West Virginia Voters find Capito with 48% support to Tennant’s 39%. Five percent (5%) like some other candidate in the race, and nine percent (9%) remain 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 750 Likely Voters in West Virginia was conducted on May 14-15, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
May 18, 2014
Nebraska Governor: Ricketts (R) 47%, Hassebrook (D) 40%
Following his narrow primary win on Tuesday, Republican nominee Pete Ricketts leads his Democratic opponent Chuck Hassebrook by seven points in Nebraska’s gubernatorial race.
The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Nebraska Voters shows Ricketts picking up 47% of the vote to Hassebrook’s 40%. Five percent (5%) prefer some other candidate in the race, while eight percent (8%) 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 750 Likely Voters in Nebraska was conducted on May 14-15, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
May 17, 2014
What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending May 17
Going to college is leaving a lot of Americans deep in a financial hole these days, and they don’t seem very confident that spending all that money is getting them anywhere.
May 16, 2014
36% Favor Pulling U.S. Troops From Western Europe
As tensions remain high with Russia, voters are narrowly divided over whether the United States should pull its troops from Western Europe.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 36% of Likely U.S. Voters think the United States should remove troops from Western Europe and let the Europeans defend themselves. Thirty-nine percent (39%) oppose removing U.S. troops from Western Europe. One-in-four (25%) 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 was conducted on May 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.
