Perry 44% Obama 41%; President Leads Other GOP Hopefuls
For the first time this year, Texas Governor Rick Perry leads President Obama in a national Election 2012 survey. Other Republican candidates trail the president by single digits.
Politics
Most Recent Releases
September 1, 2011
August 31, 2011
41% Say Global Warming Causes Extreme Weather, 43% Disagree
With hurricane season in full swing, Americans have mixed views on whether global warming is behind extreme weather conditions.
August 31, 2011
30% Favor Federal Government Temporarily Hiring One Million People
A proposal has been made for the federal government to spend $46 billion to hire a million people on a temporary basis in areas including childcare, eldercare, education, public health and housing, construction and maintenance, recreation and the arts. Voters aren’t exactly on board with this idea, as many believe that most of the temporary jobs created would be wasteful projects.
August 30, 2011
Election 2012: Generic Republican 48%, Obama 40%
President Obama earns his lowest level of support yet against a generic Republican in a hypothetical 2012 election match-up for the week ending Sunday, August 28.
August 30, 2011
43% Now View 'Tea Party' Label As A Negative
Looks like it’s a little more popular to be a liberal or a progressive these days, although conservative remains the best political label you can put on a candidate for public office. Being linked to the Tea Party is the biggest negative.
August 30, 2011
62% Lack Confidence Government Will Spend New Infrastructure Money the Right Way
Americans send fairly positive signals about the roads they drive and the bridges they cross, and for all the talk of infrastructure spending from Washington, DC, most aren’t confident that the new money will make things any better.
August 29, 2011
38% Agree With Perry’s Goal of Making Washington, DC Inconsequential, 34% Don’t
Texas Governor Rick Perry recently caused a stir when he told voters it was his goal to make Washington, D.C. as inconsequential as possible in their lives. But voters are closely divided over whether that’s such a good idea.
August 27, 2011
What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending August 27, 2011
Even as a hurricane of perhaps historic dimensions closes in on the East Coast, the real storm in the country remains the beat-up and begging economy. Americans also continue to show little confidence in the president and the federal government to make a difference.
August 26, 2011
55% Say Abortion Morally Wrong Most of the Time
Slightly more voters continue to classify themselves as pro-choice rather than pro-life when it comes to abortion, but a majority still believes it is morally wrong.
August 26, 2011
54% Say States Should Be Able To Opt Out of Federal Programs
Most voters continue to believe states should be able to ignore federal programs they don’t like, especially if the federal government doesn’t help pay for them.
August 26, 2011
New Low: 29% Give Obama Good or Excellent Marks on Economy
The economy remains the top issue on the minds of voters while perceptions of President Obama’s handling of the issue has fallen to a new low.
August 25, 2011
65% Trust Their Own Economic Judgment Over Obama’s
Most voters continue to blame the struggling economy on the recession that began during the Bush administration, but the number that trusts their own economic judgment more than the president’s is at a new high.
August 25, 2011
50% Believe Fed Government Has Too Much Influence Over States, 11% Say Not Enough
Americans overall tend to trust governments closer to home rather than the federal government and worry that the team in DC has too much influence over state governments. However, Democrats and those who are politically liberal take an entirely different view.
August 25, 2011
49% Say Illegal Immigrants Perform Jobs U.S. Citizens Won’t Do
While voters have consistently supported tough penalties on employers who hire illegal immigrants, nearly half believe that illegal immigrants do the jobs Americans don’t want to do.
August 24, 2011
Obama 43% Perry 40%
President Obama continues to lead all named Republicans in early polling on the 2012 race for the White House, but the numbers suggest a competitive race may be possible.
August 24, 2011
45% Say Government Should Reduce Spending on Roads and Highways Until Budget is Balanced
The Obama administration is expected to announce more infrastructure spending as part of a new jobs plan in September, but Americans still think private companies will do more to create jobs than the government can.
August 24, 2011
GOP Voters Put A Bit More Faith in Candidate’s Private Sector Experience
Republican voters want to have it both ways: They like a presidential candidate with business and government experience but rate life in the private sector as slightly more important.
August 23, 2011
Election 2012: Generic Republican 48%, Obama 43%
A generic Republican candidate now holds a five-point advantage over President Obama in a hypothetical 2012 election match-up for the week ending Sunday, August 21.
August 23, 2011
Obama 39%, Paul 38%
The president and the maverick are running almost dead even in a hypothetical 2012 election matchup.
August 23, 2011
Most Voters Oppose Public Schooling, Tuition Breaks, Driver’s Licenses For Illegal Immigrants
The Obama administration announced last week that it was slowing the deportation process for "low priority" immigration cases to focus on illegal immigrants with criminal records.
