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April 14, 2012What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending April 14, 2012
The game is on: Mitt Romney is now the presumptive Republican presidential nominee following Rick Santorum’s decision Tuesday to put his campaign on hold.
Romney has been at center stage during the GOP primary process. Now, Scott Rasmussen explains in his latest syndicated column, President Obama “becomes the defining figure of the general election campaign. Now it's about Obama, not Romney, as the election becomes primarily a referendum on his first term in office.”

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                            April 13, 201231% Favor Getting Rid of the Penny
Canada has decided to stop minting its one-cent value coin later this year, following the lead of countries like Great Britain, Brazil, Switzerland and Australia. Are the days of the U.S. copper penny numbered as well?
Nearly a third (31%) of American Adults favor a proposal for the United States to stop making pennies.  But a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 51% oppose such a proposal, while 19% more are not sure about 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 Adults nationwide was conducted on April 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.
April 13, 2012North Carolina: Romney 46%, Obama 44%
In the first Rasmussen Reports look at one of the key swing states in this year’s presidential election, likely Republican nominee Mitt Romney and President Obama are in a tight race in North Carolina.
The former Massachusetts governor just edges the president 46% to 44%, according to a new statewide survey of Likely Voters. Four percent (4%) prefer some other candidate in the race, and six percent (6%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 500 Likely Voters in North Carolina was conducted on April 10, 2012 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.

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                            April 13, 201233% Expect Zimmerman To Be Convicted of Murder in Trayvon Martin Case
Americans are slightly less sure that the man who shot black Florida teenager Trayvon Martin is guilty of murder but more convinced that he’ll be found guilty of that crime. However, a sizable number still remains unsure about what happened and what will happen in the days ahead.
Thirty percent (30%) of American Adults now believe George Zimmerman should be found guilty of murder, compared to 33% who felt that way just over two weeks ago. But a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 24% think Zimmerman acted in self-defense, a view held by just 15% in the previous survey. Forty-six percent (46%) are not sure, down from 55% in late March. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted on April 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.
April 13, 2012Why Good Factory Jobs Go Begging By Froma Harrop
Animal rescue once sent me a fabulous mutt. She was usually obedient and heartbreaking in eagerness to please. But I couldn't get her into the basement. I'd go down the stairs waving an entire bag of treats. With a pained look of indecision, she would not follow. During an earlier life, clearly, bad things had happened to her in a cellar.

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                            April 13, 2012Christie, Santorum Are Early Veep Favorites
With Mitt Romney now the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, speculation has quickly shifted to possible running mates. So Rasmussen Reports has begun testing the waters on some of the more prominent names being mentioned as vice presidential candidates.
New Jersey’s outspoken Governor Chris Christie is the best liked of the first group of five, edging out former Senator Rick Santorum who just ended his presidential bid. Our latest national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters shows that Christie is viewed favorably by 43% and unfavorably by 35%. That includes 21% with a Very Favorable opinion of him and 16% with a Very Unfavorable one. But one-in-five voters (22%) don’t know enough about Christie to voice any opinion. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 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.

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                            April 13, 2012Obama and Romney at the Starting Gate By Scott Rasmussen
Any doubt that Mitt Romney would win the Republican presidential nomination vanished when Rick Santorum left the race. It also marked the end of Romney's time as the defining figure in the overall contest for the White House.

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                            April 12, 201258% Have Favorable Opinion of Mike Wallace
Mike Wallace, a fixture for years on CBS-TV's “60 Minutes,” passed away on Saturday, and 58% of American Adults have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of him, including 28% with a Very Favorable view.
A new Rasmussen Reports survey finds that just 19% regard the longtime investigative journalist unfavorably, with six percent (6%) who see him Very Unfavorably. Despite Wallace's years on television, however, nearly one-in-four adults (23%) don't know enough about him to venture any kind of opinion. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on April 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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                            April 12, 201247% Say Office Betting Pools Good for the Workplace
Americans overwhelmingly believe office betting pools for events like the NCAA basketball tournament and the Super Bowl should not be illegal, and a sizable number thinks they are good for office productivity.  
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that a plurality (47%) of American Adults believe office pools on sporting events help productivity by improving workplace camaraderie. Twenty-three percent (23%) say gambling pools at work hurt workplace productivity, while 19% say they have no impact. Eleven percent (11%) are not sure. These findings show little change from late March 2009. 
(To see survey question wording, click here.)
The national survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on April 5-6, 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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                            April 12, 2012Confidence in Fed to Control Inflation Falls Back Below 40%
After a brief bounce in confidence in March, a majority of Americans now lack faith in the Federal Reserve Board to keep inflation under control and interest rates down.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 39% of Adults now share this confidence, including 10% who are Very Confident in the Fed on these matters. Fifty-seven percent (57%) are not confident the Fed can keep inflation and interest rates under control, including 21% who are Not Confident 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 nationwide was conducted on April 7-8, 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.
April 12, 201249% Trust Romney Over Obama on Economy; 39% Trust President More
Voters now have more confidence in presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney than in President Obama when it comes to the economy, but on other major issues facing the nation, the two men continue to run nearly even.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey asks Likely U.S. Voters whom they trust more on five key issues, and when it comes to the economy, 49% say Romney versus 39% who trust the president more. Twelve percent (12%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
This national survey of 1,000 U.S. Likely Voters was conducted on April 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.
April 12, 2012Romney Trails Obama, but Key Numbers Break His Way By Michael Barone
Now that Rick Santorum has "suspended" his campaign, we can stop pretending and can say what has been clear for weeks: Mitt Romney will be the Republican nominee for president. The general election campaign has begun.
In some quarters, it is assumed that Barack Obama will be re-elected without too much difficulty. There are reports that staffers at Obama's Chicago headquarters consider Romney's candidacy a joke.
One suspects the adults there take a different view. For the fundamentals say that this will be a seriously contested race, with many outcomes possible. Obama's job-approval numbers in the realclearpolitics.com average of recent polls hover at 48 percent positive, 47 percent negative. That's on the cusp between victory and defeat.
April 12, 2012What's in a Name? George W. Regrets Dubbing Those 'Bush Tax Cuts' By Joe Conason
When George W. Bush made his first public appearance in many months to discuss economic policy in New York on Tuesday, his utterances may have revealed more than he intended. "I wish they weren't called the 'Bush tax cuts,'" he said of the decade-old rate reductions that bear his name. But does he really believe, as he seemed to suggest, that Americans want to let those cuts expire from a desire to spite him? Or is there a deeper Bush somewhere within who would prefer not to be associated with fiscal profligacy and ideological overreach?

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                            April 12, 2012WOR Radio Network to Launch Daily Updates Hosted by Noted Pollster Scott Rasmussen
The WOR Radio Network announced today that it will begin syndicating three daily news updates hosted by noted pollster Scott Rasmussen on April 16, 2012.  Three original one-minute editions of “The Rasmussen Report” feature will be made available via FTP download to affiliates each weekday, and are designed to be run in multiple dayparts on affiliate stations.  The vignettes will also air on the network’s flagship, News Talk Radio 710 WOR in New York City, including during The John Gambling Show, the market’s number-one morning-drive program.

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                            April 12, 201236% Say U.S. Spends Too Much on Military and National Security
As budget battles continue in Washington, D.C., voters increasingly think the United States is putting too much money into defense.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 36% of Likely U.S. Voters now feel the country spends too much on the military and national security. Twenty-seven percent (27%) say the country doesn’t spend enough in this area, and another 27% say the amount spent is about right. (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 April 6-7, 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.
April 11, 201229% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction
For the third week in a row, 29% of Likely U.S. Voters say the country is heading in the right direction. The latest finding is from a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, April 8, and remains down five points from a recent high of 34% measured in early February.
When President Obama assumed office in January 2009, voter optimism rose to 27%, then climbed into the 30s, peaking at 40% in early May of that year. In 2010, confidence steadily decreased.
The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports April 2-8, 2012. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage point with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
April 11, 2012Massachusetts:  Obama 51%, Romney 40%
President Obama continues to hold a double-digit lead in Massachusetts over Mitt Romney, governor of the state from 2003 to 2007.
A new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Voters in Massachusetts finds Obama earning 51% support to Romney's 40%.  Three percent (3%) prefer some other candidate, and six percent (6%) 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.
This Massachusetts survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted April 9, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
April 11, 2012North Carolina Governor: McCrory (R) 45%, Dalton (D) 36%
For Republican gubernatorial hopeful Pat McCrory, the second time’s the charm so far. The unsuccessful 2008 GOP candidate for governor in North Carolina leads all three of his major Democratic opponents in the first Rasmussen Reports survey of this year’s gubernatorial contest.
A new telephone survey of Likely Voters in North Carolina finds McCrory earning 45% support to Lieutenant Governor Walter Dalton’s 36%. Five percent (5%) like another candidate, and 14% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 500 Likely Voters in North Carolina was conducted on April 10, 2012 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.

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                            April 11, 201243% Have Gone Through A Week Without Paying Cash
Is America moving toward a cashless society?
Forty-three percent (43%) of American Adults have gone through a full week without paying for anything with cash or coins, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Only slightly more (47%) have not done so. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted on April 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.
April 11, 2012Can Government Do Anything Well? By John Stossel
I'm suspicious of superstitions, like astrology or the belief that "green jobs will fix the environment and the economy." I understand the appeal of such beliefs. People crave simple answers and want to believe that some higher power determines our fates.
The most socially destructive superstition of all is the intuitively appealing belief that problems are best solved by government.
Opinion polls suggest that Americans are dissatisfied with government. Yet whenever another crisis hits, the natural human instinct is to say, "Why doesn't the government do something?"