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January 17, 2012South Carolina: Romney 35%, Gingrich 21%, Santorum 16%, Paul 16%
Jon Huntsman’s endorsement seems to be already paying off for Mitt Romney in South Carolina. With the former Utah governor’s decision to drop out of the Republican presidential race, Romney moves even further ahead in the latest Rasmussen Reports survey of Saturday’s South Carolina Primary.
The former Massachusetts governor now earns 35% support from likely South Carolina GOP Primary Voters, according to the latest telephone survey in the state. That’s up from 28% late last week. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich remains in second place with 21% of the vote, followed by former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum and Texas Congressman Ron Paul, each with 16%. The vote totals for Gingrich, Santorum and Paul are unchanged from 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.
This South Carolina survey of 750 Likely Republican Primary Voters was conducted on January 16, 2012 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.
January 17, 2012Election 2012:  Obama 47%, Gingrich 38%
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, working hard to convince South Carolina Republicans that he is the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney, remains within single digits of President Obama in their latest national 2012 matchup.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. voters shows Obama grabbing 47% of the vote to Gingrich’s 38%. Eleven percent (11%) prefer some other candidate, while four percent (4%) are undecided. This survey was taken prior to Jon Huntsman's decision to drop out of the GOP race. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
January 17, 201217% Think Talks with Taliban Could Bring War in Afghanistan To A Satisfactory Close
The Obama administration is reportedly considering negotiating with the fundamentalist Taliban to help bring the war in Afghanistan to an end, particularly following reports of Marines urinating on dead Taliban fighters. But most voters don’t believe negotiations with the enemy could end the war in Afghanistan satisfactorily.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 17% of Likely U.S. Voters feel it’s possible negotiations with the Taliban could bring the war in Afghanistan to a satisfactory conclusion.  Fifty-six percent (56%) disagree and do not think negotiations with the group that America drove from power could wrap up the war satisfactorily. Twenty-six percent (26%) 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 January 15-16, 2012 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 17, 2012Obama's Biggest Threat Was Huntsman By Froma Harrop
Politically astute Republicans, including many social conservatives, see Mitt Romney as the strongest candidate to beat President Obama in November. The former Massachusetts governor may not be their kind of Republican, but any Republican would be better than Obama, in their opinion. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            January 17, 201261% View American Society as Fair and Decent
The national Occupy movement is the latest to question the fairness of U.S. society, but most Americans continue to reject that point of view.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 61% of Likely Voters think U.S. society is generally fair and decent. Just 29% disagree and think it is basically unfair and discriminatory. Another 10% 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 11-12, 2012 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 16, 2012Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 44%, Democrats 38%
For the second week in a row, Republicans hold a six-point lead over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot, this time for the week ending Sunday, Jan. 15.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 44% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 38% would choose the Democrat instead.
January 16, 201233% Say Race Relations in America Getting Better, 32% Worse
As Americans celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, their perceptions of race relations in the United States have grown a bit more negative.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 33% now believe race relations in America today are getting better, while 32% say they are getting worse. Twenty-nine percent (29%) say race relations are staying about the same. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            January 16, 2012Who Are The Tea Partiers Now?
A recent column by Scott Rasmussen noted that "the conventional wisdom suggests that Tea Party supporters have a 'my way or the highway' attitude and Establishment Republicans just want a winner, but the data shows that the opposite is true."
January 16, 201248% Think Romney Would Do Better Job With Economy, 39% Trust Obama More
Voters are closely divided over whether Mitt Romney’s business career is a plus or a minus, but most Republicans see it as a plus. Additionally, a plurality of all voters think he would do a better job than President Obama dealing with the economy.
January 16, 2012Obama Thumbs Nose at Founders With One-man Rule By Michael Barone
Of course President Obama is not concentrating on campaigning, White House press spokesmen assured us -- as the president headed off to Chicago for three fundraisers and a drop-in at his campaign headquarters, two days after a high-roller fundraising choked off traffic five blocks from the White House, with the assistance of a score of D.C. police cars.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                
                
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                            January 16, 2012Americans Rate MLK Very Highly, Less Enthusiastic About His Holiday
Americans still hold an overwhelmingly favorable view of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but a plurality also continues to believe today’s federal holiday honoring the civil rights hero’s birthday is not good for the racial situation in this country.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 85% of American Adults share at least a somewhat favorable opinion of King, including 51% who have a Very Favorable view of him. Only 10% hold an unfavorable regard for the civil rights leader who was assassinated in 1968, with three percent (3%) who view him Very Unfavorably. (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 January 12-13, 2012 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 15, 201224% Will Rely on Internet for Most Political News in 2012
Most voters will continue to rely on either cable or traditional television news to stay up with politics this year, but the Internet will provide the election coverage for a quarter of the nation.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 32% of Likely U.S. Voters will get most of their political news in 2012 from cable television and 22% from traditional TV network news. The number following the election news online has inched above the audience for traditional TV networks. Twenty-four percent (24%) will primarily rely on the Internet for coverage of Election 2012. Nine percent (9%) who will still rely on print newspapers  and seven percent (7%) will chiefly count on radio. (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 11-12, 2012 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 14, 201254% See Current TV Ratings System As Effective
A majority of Americans nationwide believe the current television ratings system does a satisfactory job of warning viewers of possible objectionable content, and half say they’re less likely to watch a program after such a warning.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of U.S. Adults shows that 54% believe the current TV rating system is an effective way to warn viewers about objectionable content, but 28% disagree. Another 18% 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 nationwide was conducted on January 10-11, 2012 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 14, 2012What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending January 14, 2012
Next Saturday’s South Carolina Republican Primary is expected to thin the pack of presidential hopefuls, but for now Mitt Romney, winner of both the Iowa caucuses and last Tuesday’s New Hampshire Primary, is the man to beat. New numbers out of South Carolina and Florida suggest that may be easier said than done.
Romney still holds first place in the South Carolina Primary field, while his opponents jockey for second. The former Massachusetts governor earns 28% support, virtually unchanged from a week ago, but now former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is in second place with 21% of the vote.  Support for former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum who was in second a week ago has fallen back to 16%, putting him dead even with Texas Congressman Ron Paul who also earns 16%.
Texas Governor Rick Perry, whose continued candidacy likely depends on the South Carolina vote, now captures six percent (6%) support, while former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman runs last with five percent (5%).
Of course, much can change in the closing days before the South Carolina primary, with just 52% who say they are certain of their vote at this time. In Iowa, a late surge by Santorum nearly swept him to victory. In New Hampshire, Paul and Huntsman made gains in the final days of the campaign. This suggests whoever is perceived as the most effective tactical alternative to Romney could see a last-minute surge in South Carolina as well.
January 13, 201255% Say Obama More Liberal Than They Are
Most voters still believe President Obama is to the left of them ideologically.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 27% of Likely U.S. Voters feel that the president has about the same ideological views as they do. Fifty-five percent (55%) say Obama is more liberal than they are, while 11% believe he’s more conservative.  (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 9-10, 2012 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 13, 201264% Favor FCC Regulation of TV and Radio
More Americans than ever believe the Federal Communications Commission should be allowed to regulate objectionable content on television and radio, as the U.S. Supreme Court debates whether the government should retain that power.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 64% support the FCC regulating profanity, violence and sexual content on TV and radio. Twenty-four percent (24%) do not think the FCC should have this power, while another 11% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 American Adults nationwide was conducted on January 10-11, 2012 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 13, 2012Election 2012:  Obama 43%, Paul 37%
Although Texas Congressman Ron Paul has had strong finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire, his support remains little changed nationally in the latest hypothetical election 2012 matchup with President Obama.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Voters finds Obama earning 43% support to Paul’s 37%.  Eleven percent (11%) prefer some other candidate, 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 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 11-12, 2012 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 13, 2012South Carolina: Romney 28%, Gingrich 21%, Santorum 16%, Paul 16%
Mitt Romney still holds first place in the South Carolina Primary field, while his opponents jockey for second with the voting eight days away.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Republican Primary Voters in South Carolina finds Romney ahead with 28% support, but now former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is in second place with 21% of the vote.  Support for former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum who was in second a week ago has fallen back to 16%, putting him dead even with Texas Congressman Ron Paul who also earns 16%. (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.
This South Carolina survey of 750 Likely Republican Primary Voters was conducted on January 12, 2012 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.
January 13, 2012The Missing 'Humanity Clause' at Bain By Froma Harrop
During the Great Depression, my father toiled in a box factory. The workers were all flat broke, he recalled, and desperate for every nickel. But when overtime hours appeared, the men made sure they went to a guy with kids. The laborers were obeying the unwritten and unenforceable "humanity clause," whereby one gives up some personal gain in deference to another's screaming need.
January 13, 2012FINAL DAYS to Take Advantage of the Rasmussen Reader Discount
Earlier this year, Rasmussen Reports launched The Rasmussen Reader subscription as part of a larger effort to distribute its public opinion information through a variety of media platforms. The Rasmussen Reader is regularly available for $3.95 per month or $34.95 per year.
With the holidays upon us, we are pleased to announce a limited time discount offer for The Rasmussen Reader. Sign up for this subscription using promo code “HOLIDAY” between today and January 15, 2012 and get access to more than 20 exclusive stories each week, including all 2012 election articles, until November 7, 2012 for just $24.95.