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Economy Still Top Voting Issue Heading Into Primaries

With the nation’s first primary of the 2012 election season just days away, the economy remains the top issue for voters nationwide.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters shows that 80% regard economic issues as Very Important in terms of how they will vote in the next congressional election. That's down slightly from 84% in October but generally consistent with regular tracking since January 2008. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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Surveys of 1,000 Likely Voters each were conducted on December 16-17 and 20-21, 2011 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.

20% Say Country Heading in Right Direction

Twenty percent (20%) of Likely U.S. Voters now say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the short holiday week ending Thursday, December 22. 

The latest finding is down two points from last week’s five-month high of 22%.

32% Give Supreme Court Positive Ratings

The U.S. Supreme Court recently announced it will review the constitutionality of the national health care law and Arizona's law cracking down on illegal immigration, although rulings on the high-profile cases are months away. The decisions to review these laws have done little to change voter opinions of the high court.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Voters shows that 32% rate the U.S. Supreme Court as good or excellent, but that includes only five percent (5%) who give the high court an excellent grade. Twenty-one percent (21%) give the Supreme Court a poor rating. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 26, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points ith a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Election 2012: Generic Republican 45%, Obama 44%

President Obama remains in a near tie with a generic Republican candidate in a hypothetical Election 2012 matchup.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the short holiday week ending Thursday, December 22, finds that 45% of Likely U.S. Voters would support the generic Republican candidate if the presidential election were held today, while 44% would vote for Obama. Four percent (4%) prefer some other candidate, and seven percent (7%) 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 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted December 19-22, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error 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.

Election 2012: Obama 47%, Gingrich 37%

After three straight weeks of decline, support for former House Speaker Newt Gingrich remains unchanged, though he still trails President Obama by 10 points in a hypothetical 2012 matchup. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Voters finds Obama earning 47% of the vote to Gingrich’s 37%. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 26, 2011 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.

Generic Ballot: Republicans 43%, Democrats 40%

For the third straight week, Republicans hold a three-point edge over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the short holiday week ending Thursday, December 22, finds that 43% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 40% would choose the Democrat instead.

Election 2012: Obama 48%, Bachmann 35%

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, the frontrunner in Iowa and New Hampshire, now trails President Obama in a hypothetical Election 2012 matchup.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Voters finds Obama earning 44% support to Romney’s 41%.  Seven percent (7%) prefer some other candidate, while eight percent (8%) are not sure.

Election 2012: Obama 44%, Romney 41%

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, the frontrunner in Iowa and New Hampshire, now trails President Obama in a hypothetical Election 2012 matchup.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Voters finds Obama earning 44% support to Romney’s 41%.  Seven percent (7%) prefer some other candidate, while eight percent (8%) are not sure.

22% Say U.S. Heading In Right Direction

Twenty-two percent (22%) of Likely U.S. Voters now say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, Dec. 18.  That’s the highest level of optimism measured in over five months.

Nineteen percent (19%) were confident in the nation’s current course the previous week.  Prior to the latest survey, that finding was the highest level of optimism measured in nearly three months.

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The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports December 12-18, 2011. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage point with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Election 2012: Obama 48%, Gingrich 37%

For the third straight week, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has lost ground in a hypothetical Election 2012 matchup against President Obama.  

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters finds Obama attracting 48% of voters, while Gingrich earns the vote from 37%.  Nine percent (9%) prefer some other candidate, and six percent (6%) are undecided. 

Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 43%, Democrats 40%

Republicans hold a three-point advantage over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the second week in a row, this time for the week ending Sunday, Dec. 18. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 43% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 40% would choose the Democrat instead.

Election 2012: Obama 47%, Santorum 37%

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum earns his highest level of support to date but still trails President Obama by double digits in their latest hypothetical Election 2012 matchup.  The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters finds Obama with 47% of the vote to Santorum's 37%.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 16-17, 2011 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.

Just 24% Expect Situation in Iraq To Improve In Next Six Months

As the last U.S. troops in Iraq come home, voters continue to have pessimistic views about the near future of the nation the United States has occupied for nearly nine years. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 24% of Likely U.S. Voters think the situation in Iraq will get better in the next six months.  Thirty-eight percent (38%) feel the situation there will get worse in that time, while 26% say it will stay about the same.  Eleven percent (11%) 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 December 12-13, 2011 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.

Election 2012: Romney 43%, Obama 42%

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney who now has edged to the front of the Republican pack in Iowa remains slightly ahead of President Obama for the second week in a row. He remains the only GOP presidential hopeful to lead Obama in more than one survey to date.  The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Voters finds Romney earning 43% support to Obama’s 42%, meaning that the two men remain neck-and-neck as they have been in surveys for months.

The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 14-15, 2011 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 methodolog

19% Say U.S. Heading In Right Direction

Nineteen percent (19%) of Likely U.S. Voters now say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, December 11.  That’s the highest level of optimism measured in nearly three months.  

The latest finding is up two points from last week but is down four points from this time last year.

The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports December 5-11, 2011. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage point with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Election 2012: Obama 49%, Gingrich 39%

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich now trails President Obama by double digits, his second straight weekly decline since becoming the GOP frontrunner. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Voters finds Obama earning 49% of the vote, while Gingrich receives 39% support.

The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 12-13, 2011 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.

New Hampshire: Romney 33%, Gingrich 22%, Paul 18%, Huntsman 10%

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney remains on top of the New Hampshire Republican Primary field, but the race for second place between Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul is a lot closer than it was just two weeks ago.

The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Republican Primary Voters shows Romney with 33% of the vote, followed by Gingrich at 22%. Paul now picks up 18% support, his best showing in the Granite State so far. Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman comes in fourth with 10% of the vote, with no other candidate reaching double digits. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Support for Romney, Gingrich and Huntsman is little changed from the previous survey, but Paul has now closed the 10-point gap between him and Gingrich to just four points. 

Texas Governor Rick Perry, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum and Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann now each pick up three percent (3%) support in New Hampshire. Two percent (2%) prefer some other candidate, while five percent (5%) are undecided.

Forty-seven percent (47%) of New Hampshire GOP primary voters are now certain of how they will vote, up from 42% two weeks ago. Just over half (53%) say they could change their minds between now and the January 10 primary.

Romney's support is down eight points from late October.  Gingrich shot to second in New Hampshire late last month following a surge of support in both state and national surveys and a major newspaper endorsement in the Granite State. Both Perry and Georgia businessman Herman Cain, who has since suspended his campaign, took turns in second place in New Hampshire in September and October. Paul has steadily remained in third in all of those surveys.

Among Republican voters in Iowa, Gingrich leads with 32% of the vote over Romney’s 19%, but this survey also includes Cain. Rasmussen Reports will release new numbers on the Iowa Caucus later this week.

(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 New Hampshire survey of 721 Likely Republican Primary Voters was conducted on December 12, 2011 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.

Election 2012: Obama 43%, Paul 35%

Texas Congressman Ron Paul's support remains unchanged since September as he continues to run several points behind President Obama in a hypothetical Election 2012 matchup. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters finds Obama earning 43% support to Paul’s 35%.

The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 10-11, 2011 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.

Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 42%, Democrats 39%

Republicans hold a three-point advantage over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending Sunday, Dec. 11. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 42% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 39% would choose the Democrat instead.

Election 2012: Romney 45%, Obama 42%

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, earning his highest level of support to date, has edged ahead of President Obama in a hypothetical 2012 matchup. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters shows Romney with 45% of the vote to Obama’s 42%.

The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 8-9, 2011 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.