Posts By Author » Scott Rasmussen
Romney, Obama Both Struggle to Connect
24 Aug 2012 
12:01 am
When Republicans formally nominate Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan next week, the race against President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will be officially underway. Yet while the two teams represent different ideological views, different upbringings, different faith backgrounds and different experiences, neither of them has yet inspired any confidence among voters. Just 32 percent believe the economy will be stronger in a year if Obama is re-elected. Only 36 percent think it will be stronger if Romney wins.
This may be partly due to the length and depth of the …
Reaction to Ryan: A Gap Between Mainstream America and Official Washington
17 Aug 2012 12:01 am
One of the things Mitt Romney’s selection of Paul Ryan as his running mate ensures is a series of polling questions over the coming months asking voters what’s more important: creating jobs or cutting government spending; helping the economy or cutting deficits; repealing the president’s health care law or focusing on the economy.
These questions reflect the way official Washington views the world, but they don’t make sense in Mainstream America. In Washington, it’s a given that more government spending is needed to help the economy. Most Americans hold the opposite …
Government Has No Business Dabbling in Business
10 Aug 2012 12:03 am
Just 16 percent of voters nationwide believe it was a good idea for the government to provide Solyndra with loan guarantees. The solar power company went bankrupt and stuck taxpayers with the tab for a half-billion dollars.
The Obama administration generally has responded to questions about the program in the way a venture capital firm would respond to questions about a portfolio loss. They note that similar government investments have turned out just fine and that it’s only fair to look at their portfolio as a whole.
It’s not a bad argument …
The Heavy Burden of Government
3 Aug 2012 12:01 am
In my hometown, everyone is required to have a landline telephone so local officials can reach us with a reverse 911 call.
It’s a nice idea, but it doesn’t work. In my family, we never use the landline. We talk on cellphones. Occasionally, telemarketers call. So do people looking for someone named “Danny,” but we no longer answer. So, if a call came from our local government, we’d never hear their message. But when you’re building a house and need to pass inspection, it’s easier to put in the phone than …
Declining Views of the Economy Put Obama’s Re-election at Risk
27 Jul 2012 12:01 am
Consumer confidence fell to the lowest levels of 2012 this past week. Most Americans believe that both the economy and their own personal finances are getting worse. Just 25 percent believe the economy is getting better, and only 22 percent say the same about their personal finances.
Still, the lows of 2012 aren’t nearly as bad as they were in the previous three years. But the trend is discouraging. It looks like yet another year starting with improved outlooks for the economy that fade by summer, and it’s clearly taking a …
Bain Attacks Fail to Shake Up Presidential Race
20 Jul 2012 12:01 am
Over the past few weeks, President Obama and his campaign team have launched a furious attack on Mitt Romney’s record as head of Bain Capital, a highly successful venture capital firm.
There is clear evidence that the attacks have had some impact. Forty-one percent of voters now see Romney’s record in the private sector primarily as a reason to vote for him, but an equal number see that record as a reason to vote against the GOP challenger. That negative perception is up 8 points over the past couple of months.
Yet …
Why Obama’s Still in the Race Despite the Bad Economy
13 Jul 2012 12:01 am
There are plenty of reasons that the economy is the most important issue of Election 2012.
Unemployment has remained high for a long time, and even 27 percent of those who have a job are worried about losing it. Only half of homeowners now believe their home is worth more than what they still owe on it. Just 16 percent believe that today’s children will be better off than their parents.
These numbers present a real challenge for President Obama. Americans today rate their own financial health just about the same as …
To Fix Health Care System, Put Consumers in Charge
6 Jul 2012 12:01 am
Democrats were riding high in the polls in 2006 and 2008, and one of their big issues was health care. Then, after passing the president’s health care law, the politics shifted, and the issue helped sweep the GOP to victory in the 2010 midterm elections. A few months later, Republicans had a 14-point advantage in terms of voter trust on the health care issue.
Then, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan introduced his health care plan, and the lead disappeared. Neither party has an advantage on the issue now.
President Obama’s plan is unpopular, …
Supreme Court Keeps Health Care Law on Life Support
29 Jun 2012 12:01 am
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that President Obama’s health care law is constitutional keeps it alive for now. But it’s important to remember that the law has already lost in the court of public opinion. The Supreme Court ruling is a temporary reprieve more than anything else.
In March, I wrote that the health care law was doomed even if it survived the court. Looking at the data today, it’s hard to draw any other conclusion.
Fifty-four percent of voters nationwide still want to see the law repealed. That’s going to be …
The Introduction Is Key to a Successful Romney Veep Pick
22 Jun 2012 12:01 am
Every summer, millions of Americans enjoy baseball, summer camps and vacation plans. But for the nation’s political junkies, every fourth summer is filled with guessing games about the vice presidential nomination.
While the guessing games are fun, it’s more accurate to look at the fundamentals facing the candidate and what he hopes to achieve.
In the case of Mitt Romney, he is in a much better place than John McCain was four years ago. McCain was trailing badly in the polls and likely to lose unless he swung for the fences and …
Collapse of Household Net Worth Isn’t News to Most Americans
15 Jun 2012 12:01 am
The new Federal Reserve report showing that household net worth collapsed between 2007 and 2010 quickly became campaign fodder for both sides.
Republicans seized on the data to claim that the current administration is out of touch. President Obama helped the GOP with his comments that the private sector is doing fine and that small businesses will not be affected by his health care plan.
Democrats correctly pointed out that most of the collapse occurred on George W. Bush’s watch, not Obama’s. They also noted that things have gotten a bit better …
The Government Insists on Cutting Us Down to Size
8 Jun 2012 12:01 am
Mayor Michael Bloomberg ignited a firestorm of debate with his proposal to ban super-size sugary drinks in New York City. Critics bashed his nanny-statism, but supporters like first lady Michelle Obama hailed his courage.
Nationally, just 24 percent of American adults think the ban is a good idea, while 65 percent oppose it. This response is similar to the high level of opposition found for efforts to impose so-called “sin taxes” on soda and junk food. People never like it when the government picks winners and losers, and they are especially …
Team Obama Finds Romney Hard Target to Hit
1 Jun 2012 12:01 am
The Obama campaign’s early attempts to attack Mitt Romney’s record at Bain Capital or present him as too extreme to be president have not worked out all that well so far. The early stumbles have created a flurry of commentaries wondering what’s wrong with the team that performed so flawlessly in Election 2008.
The answer may have nothing to do with the Obama campaign and have everything to do with the fact that Romney appears to be a tougher target than anticipated.
On the Bain Capital front, 44 percent of voters say …
‘Austerity’ Talk Is Just Political Cover for More Government Spending
25 May 2012 12:01 am
President Obama, new French President Francois Hollande and other political leaders have called for less “austerity” as a way to help the troubled economies on both sides of the Atlantic. That’s the polite way of saying they want more government spending and larger deficits.
But U.S. voters have a fundamentally different view. Sixty-one percent believe that cutting government spending is what those ailing European economies need. Just 20 percent agree with the political leaders.
Not surprisingly, American voters think that the same prescription is needed closer to home. Most believe cuts in …
It’s the Economy, Stupid
18 May 2012 12:01 am
Mitt Romney has pulled a point or two ahead of President Obama in polls of likely voters. In polls of registered voters, Obama has the advantage. The president’s job approval ratings are hovering in the upper 40 percent range, which suggests a close race.
Looking at this information, partisan activists come to wildly different conclusions about what to expect on Election Day. Democrats tend to believe Obama will be re-elected, while Republicans are more likely to think he will be a one-term president.
Some of this is just the nature of being …
Lugar Loss Highlights Sour Relationship Between Voters and Politicians
12 May 2012 12:10 am
When relationships go bad, an early warning sign is that one side doesn’t really hear what the other is saying. That’s certainly the case today in the relationship between voters and America’s political class.
Many in Washington, D.C., took comfort over the past year in polling data showing that fewer voters consider themselves part of the tea party movement. Only 13 percent claim such a tie today, roughly half its peak in 2010. This was reassuring to those in power, suggesting voters were willing to let the politicians return to politics …
Uncovered: ‘Obama Phones’ Sold to Buy Drugs and Louis Vuittons
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