Most Call High School Off-Limits in Evaluating Candidate Character
Most Americans by far dismiss the relevance of accusations that Mitt Romney bullied a high-school classmate, calling it off-point in the election debate – and indicating they’d say the same about Barack Obama’s behavior as a high-school student, as well. Three-quarters in this ABC News/Washington… Read More »
EmailStrong Support for Gay Marriage Now Exceeds Strong Opposition
Strong public support for same-sex marriage exceeds strong opposition by a significant margin for the first time in ABC News/Washington Post polls, and African-Americans have moved more in favor, perhaps taking their lead from Barack Obama on the issue. Overall, 53 percent of Americans say… Read More »
Prosperity Shortfall Puts Obama at Risk; But Romney’s Not Yet Seized the Day
Americans are nearly twice as likely to say they’ve gotten worse off as better off under Barack Obama’s presidency, a prosperity shortfall resembling the one that cost the first President Bush his job in 1992. But Mitt Romney has yet to seize the opportunity fully,… Read More »
Views on Two Romney Policy Proposals Underscore the Candidates’ Challenges
Two of Mitt Romney’s key campaign proposals fall short of majority approval, with swing-voting independents especially cool on his plan to repeal health care reform and evenly divided on his offer of a hefty tax cut. Trimming taxes does better overall. Among all Americans, 48… Read More »
Obama and Gay Marriage: Opinions Divide, and Sharply
Americans divide essentially evenly in their responses to President Obama’s new position on gay marriage, with views more strongly negative than positive and stark divisions across political, ideological and other groups – including a broad gender gap. All told, 46 percent in this ABC News/Washington… Read More »
Mixed Views on Three Key Issues Mark Obama’s Campaign Challenges
Americans give Barack Obama mixed marks on three prominent issues he’s touted in his bid for re-election, with no scores above 50 percent on the auto industry bailout, greater regulation of financial institutions or – most basic – the administration’s economic stimulus program. Middling ratings… Read More »
Baseball Leads, B-ball’s Runner-up, While Hockey and NASCAR Lag
America’s favorite pastime hits a home run in public popularity, and basketball’s bouncing along nicely. But in the rink and on the raceway, hockey and NASCAR could use a little better buzz. Two-thirds of Americans express a favorable opinion of professional baseball, vs. just 28… Read More »
Michelle Obama, Ann Romney, Hillary Clinton: In Personal Popularity, the Women Rule
Michelle Obama and Ann Romney outscore their husbands in personal popularity in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll, while Hillary Clinton, for her part, has hit a new high in favorability data stretching back to her entry on the national stage 20 years ago. Clinton… Read More »
Tea Party Movement Looks Stalled; Half Like it Less as they Hear More
Whither the Tea Party? A major force in the 2010 midterm elections, the movement has stalled in public popularity, its support well below a majority and decidedly lukewarm. And Americans by a broad 23-point margin say the more they hear about the Tea Party movement,… Read More »
Working Moms: The Data and the Politics
A few data points on today’s working moms controversy: 64.4 percent of mothers with kids under 18 work for pay. (As of 2010, per U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) More mothers than that, 70.8 percent, are in the labor force, meaning they either have a… Read More »