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January 28, 201462% See State of the Union Speech As Just for Show
A sizable majority of voters plan to watch or follow news reports about President Obama’s State of the Union speech tonight, but more voters than ever view the annual speech as just for show rather than setting an actual agenda.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 72% of Likely U.S. Voters are likely to watch or follow news reports about tonight’s State of the Union Speech. That’s virtually identical to last year’s findings  but down from the 79% who followed the speech in January 2011. Twenty-six percent (26%) are unlikely to watch or follow reports about the speech. This includes 45% who are Very Likely to watch or follow the speech and 10% who say it’s Not At All Likely. (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 January 25-26, 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.
January 28, 2014A Lackluster Year for Obama and His Would-Be Successors by Michael Barone
Just about everyone agrees that 2013 was not a good year for President Obama. His job approval plummeted as the Obamacare rollout cratered. His oft-promised pivot to Asia was as much of a dud as his oft-promised pivot to the economy.
But it must also be said that the Republican politicians who have been touted as possible successors to the 44th president didn't have sparkling years either. Each has encountered a setback to his prospects for either the Republican nomination or as a general election candidate.

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                            January 28, 201466% Pick Denver Broncos to Win Super Bowl XLVIII
With less than a week to go before the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks battle it out in the frigid temperatures of New Jersey, Super Bowl viewers already have a clear favorite.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 66% of American Adults who plan to watch the Super Bowl believe the Broncos are the team most likely to win this year. Twenty-three percent (23%) think Seattle will emerge victorious. Eleven percent (11%) 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 595 Adults Who Will Watch the Super Bowl was conducted on January 22-23, 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.

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                            January 27, 2014Generic Congressional Ballot: Democrats 42%, Republicans 37%
Democrats hold a five-point lead over Republicans on the latest Generic Congressional Ballot.
 
 A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending January 26 finds that 42% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Democrat in their district's congressional race if the election were held today. Thirty-seven percent (37%) would choose the Republican instead. Democrats led by six points the previous week, 41% to 35%: That was the GOP's lowest level of support in a year. The Democrats have now led for four weeks in a row.
(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 January 20-26, 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.
January 27, 201459% Say Less Government, Not More, Would Help Close Income Gap
President Obama is expected to map out his agenda for reducing income inequality in his State of the Union speech tomorrow night. Most voters agree that income inequality is a serious problem in America today but don’t think government action is the best solution.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 69% of Likely U.S. Voters consider income inequality at least a somewhat serious problem in the United States today. That includes 45% who consider it a Very Serious problem. Twenty-eight percent (28%) don’t think income inequality is a serious problem, with 10% who say it’s Not At All Serious. (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 surveys of 1,000 Likely Voters each were conducted on January 23-24, 2014 and January 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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                            January 27, 2014North Carolina Senate: Tillis (R) 47%, Hagan (D) 40%
Incumbent Democrat Kay Hagan trails her two leading Republican challengers in Rasmussen Reports’ first look at the 2014 U.S. Senate race in North Carolina.
A new statewide survey of Likely North Carolina Voters shows Thom Tillis, the Republican speaker of the state House of Representatives, leading Hagan by seven points - 47% to 40%. Three percent (3%) like some other candidate, and 10% 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 500 Likely Voters in North Carolina was conducted on January 22-23, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
January 27, 2014To Roger Stone, Bridgegate 'Cover-up' Is Another Watergate -- And He Would Know - By Joe Conason
Very few Republican operatives knew the Nixon gang as intimately as Roger Stone, the legendary trickster whose back is adorned with an enormous Tricky Dick tattoo. And very few know New Jersey politics as well as Stone, who toiled among the party faithful in many campaigns since 1980, when he first ran the Garden State for Ronald Reagan.   

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                            January 27, 201432% Say Health Insurance Changed Because of Obamacare
Nearly one-out-of-three voters now say their health insurance coverage has changed because of the new health care law, and most continue to view the law unfavorably.
Forty-three percent (43%) of Likely U.S. Voters have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of the health care law, while 52% regard it unfavorably, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. This includes 18% who view the law Very Favorably and 38% who have a Very Unfavorable opinion of it. (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 January 25-26, 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.
January 26, 201421% Think Federal Government Has Consent of the Governed
Just 21% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the federal government today has the consent of the governed, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.
That's up four points from the all-time low of 17% last reached in August but is generally in keeping with regular surveying for the past four years. Sixty-three percent (63%) do not believe the federal government has the consent of the governed today, Sixteen percent (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 Voters was conducted on January 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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                            January 25, 2014What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending January 25, 2014
Voters are increasingly pessimistic about the War on Terror even as they continue to question the National Security Agency’s spying efforts to fight it.

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                            January 24, 201441% Think School Performance Would Not Improve With More Funding
Voters continue to agree that taxpayers are not getting a good return on their investment in education and are not inclined to think spending more will make any difference. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just eight percent (8%) of Likely Voters are aware the United States on average spends about $11,000 on education per student per year. Forty-five percent (45%) believe the country spends less than that amount, including 36% who believe it spends $7,000 or less. Another nine percent (9%) believe the country spends more than $13,000 per student per year. A sizable 38%, however, say they're not sure how much the nation spends on the average student. (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 Voters was conducted on January 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.

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                            January 24, 201451% Approve of Governor McAuliffe’s Performance in Virginia
Just over half of Virginia voters like the job Terry McAuliffe is doing so far, and the new Democratic governor is viewed slightly more favorably now than he was right before Election Day.
A new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey finds that 51% of Likely Virginia Voters at least somewhat approve of McAuliffe’s job performance, with 24% who Strongly Approve. Thirty-six percent (36%) disapprove of how the governor is performing, including 18% who Strongly Disapprove. Fourteen percent (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 survey of 1,000 Likely Voters in Virginia was conducted on January 20-21, 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.
January 24, 2014Abortion Defines the Political Parties, 41 Years After Roe V. Wade By Michael Barone
It is 41 years since the Supreme Court handed down the Roe v. Wade decision, effectively legalizing abortion everywhere in the United States. Ever since, it has been a source of controversy -- and confusion.

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                            January 24, 201430% Less Likely to Use Postal Service Because of Stamp Price Hike
The price of a first-class postage stamp will rise from 46 cents to 49 cents on Sunday to help the U.S. Postal Service fight its continuing budget losses, but a sizable number of Americans say the price hike is likely to reduce their use of the post office.
Forty-three percent (43%) of American Adults believe the cost of postal stamps is too high, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Just as many (44%) think the price of stamps is about right, while seven percent (7%) say it is too low. (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 Adults was conducted on January 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.
January 24, 2014Marriage Matters, in France and in Texas by Froma Harrop
There is a difference between being married and not being married. That difference has come into sharp focus in the romantic life of French President Francois Hollande, a sort of Socialist Sun King around whom women revolve. All of his female companions are reputedly strong, but none seems strong enough to tell him to scram.

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                            January 24, 201424% Say Their Home is Worth Less Than When They Bought It
Most homeowners continue to believe their home is worth more now than when they bought it, but slightly more are now saying their home’s value has gone down.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 58% of American Homeowners believe their home is worth more today. That's down just one point from November and consistent with regular surveying for the past year. But one-in-four (24%) now say their home is worth less than when they purchased it, a five-point increase from November and the highest level of pessimism since June. Sixteen percent (16%) think their home's value hasn't changed much, down from 20% in the previous survey. (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 670 Adult Homeowners was conducted on January 16-17, 2013 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. 

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                            January 23, 201450% Still Expect Higher Interest Rates A Year From Now
Most Americans continue to say the interest rates they're paying haven't changed over the past year, but half expect those rates to rise over the coming year.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 62% of American Adults report paying about the same interest rates as they were a year ago. Twenty percent (20%) say they are paying higher interest rates now, up from 17% in November. Ten percent (10%) are paying lower interest rates than they were this time last year: That's down five points from two months ago and the lowest number who report paying less since April 2011. (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 January 14-15, 2013 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.
January 23, 201424% Think Iran Should Be Part of Syria Peace Talks
U.S. voters aren’t very optimistic about the U.N.-sponsored peace talks begun this week between the government and opposition forces in Syria, but one-in-four think Iran should be part of the process.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 28% of Likely U.S. Voters think it is even somewhat likely that the negotiations between the Syrian government and the anti-government opposition will lead to a peaceful political transition in their country. Fifty-six percent (56%) consider a peaceful outcome unlikely. This includes eight percent (8%) who believe peaceful transition is Very Likely and 20% who say it is Not At All Likely. (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 January 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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                            January 23, 2014Virginia Senate: Warner (D) 51%, Gillespie (R) 37%
Incumbent Democrat Mark Warner holds a 14-point lead over Republican challenger Ed Gillespie in Rasmussen Reports’ first look at the likely 2014 U.S. Senate race in Virginia.
A new statewide telephone survey of Likely Virginia Voters finds that Warner earns 51% support to Gillespie’s 37%. Two percent (2%) like some other candidate in the race, while nine percent (9%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
January 23, 2014Chill Out By John Stossel
The Hill, the newspaper that covers Congress, says this year, there will be a major policy battle over "climate change." Why?