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Pundits Lie, Numbers Don't: Women Despise Palin

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:26:29 CST

Former Bush speechwriter David Frum is sick and tired of hearing the punditocracy gush over how much everyone loves Sarah Palin, and, armed with fistfuls of polls, reminds us: Her fan club is conservative men, and women of all stripes despise her. “If you like Palin,” he writes , “well go...

Obama Approval Rating Dips Below 50%

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:40:00 CST

Less than half of Americans polled approve of President Obama’s performance for the first time. A new Quinnipiac survey has his job approval rating at 48%, with 42% disapproving. Other polls have his rating at 53% and 56%, and a Quinnipiac pollster admits the new number “is not statistically different"...

US Innovation Stagnates: Survey

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:08:45 CST

Most Americans are anxious about a future they believe will be fueled by innovation—innovation they are doubtful will come easily in this country without major changes to the education system. Nearly two-thirds of Americans say the recession has hobbled the country’s ability to innovate, and just 41% see the...

Public Doesn't Want to Pay for Health Care Fix

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:17:33 CST

Americans are enthusiastic about health care reform, but only as long as it doesn't drive up the price of their own premiums, a new AP poll finds. Whenever questions were framed broadly, voters seemed to support Democrats’ plans, but when asked about specific trade-offs they balked. A whopping 82%, for...

Poll: Grouchy Public Sticks With Obama

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 4:49:00 CST

America's mood has crashed hard after the euphoria that greeted Barack Obama's inauguration: A recent poll shows the country in a pessimistic funk as the president struggles to revive the economy and fight two wars abroad. But Americans haven't lost all faith in Obama: His approval stands at 54%, no...

San Fran Is Best US Vacation Destination

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 9:00:35 CDT

San Francisco has topped this year’s Conde Nast Traveler list of American cities to visit. The city by the bay edged out Charleston , SC , at No. 2. Metropolises New York and Chicago made a strong showing as well, at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively. The list is based on a...

US Glum on Economy — and GOP, Too

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:47:59 CDT

Americans are bummed about the economy, but that hasn’t given Republicans the usual opposition party boost in Washington . “The mood in America may be blue, but attitudes toward Washington are just jet black,” a pollster tells the Wall Street Journal . Some 58% of respondents think the...

Afghan Surge Gains Favor; Public Sours on DC

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:20:08 CDT

New poll numbers out today hold good news and bad for the Obama administration. Support is rising for a troop surge in Afghanistan, the NBC/ Wall Street Journal survey finds, and nearly half now favor a public option in the health-care reform measures now under consideration. The bad news: 58%...

Fewer Americans Believe in Global Warming

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:09:53 CDT

The percentage of Americans who think there’s serious evidence of global warming has dropped precipitously in the past 18 months—from 71% to 57%, the Pew Research Center finds. Numbers were down across the political spectrum—Democrat, independent, Republican—but the drop was most pronounced among independents, to 53% from...