What Americans Think about Politics

[Doug64]

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 53% of Likely U.S. Voters trust Republicans more to handle immigration, while 36% trust Democrats more and 11% are not sure. Similarly, 50% trust Republicans more to handle government spending, 35% trust Democrats more and 15% are not sure. The GOP advantage is smaller on the issue of energy policy, where 48% trust Republicans more, 40% trust Democrats more and 12% are not sure. The parties are tied on environmental policy, with 43% of voters trusting Republicans more and an identical 43% trusting Democrats more. Another 14% are not sure which party they trust more to handle the environment.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that only 28% of American Adults believe the job market is better than it was a year ago, barely changed from last August. However, the number who say the job market is worse than it was a year ago is now 30%, significantly lower than 41% who said the same in August. Thirty-five percent (35%) now say the job market is about the same as a year ago. President Joe Biden has claimed the first two years of his presidency marked record job growth. Forty-seven percent (47%) of Americans know someone who is out of work and looking for a job – down from 56% in April 2021 – while 44% don’t know anyone out of job.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that just 15% of Likely Republican Voters support McDaniel for another term as RNC chair. Thirty percent (30%) of GOP voters support businessman Mike Lindell, 20% support attorney Harmeet Dhillon, 15% don’t support any of the three candidates and 21% are undecided. The 168-member RNC has gathered in Monarch Beach, California, and will vote Friday whether to reelect McDaniel to a fourth term as chair of the committee. In terms of helping elect candidates for their party, 40% of all Likely U.S. Voters believe the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has been more effective in recent years, while 20% say the RNC has been more effective. Twenty-seven percent (27%) think the DNC and RNC have been about equally effective, and 13% are not sure. Thirty-two percent (32%) of all Likely Voters have a favorable impression of McDaniel, while 42% have an unfavorable view and 26% are not sure. Among Republicans, 43% view McDaniel favorably, 35% have an unfavorable impression of her and 22% are not sure.

 

[reflechissez]

I've been seeing a rash of reports of healthy comparatively young people--many of them athletes--dropping dead. I really hope those deaths don't turn out to be due to the Wuhan virus vaccinations.

How are you defining "rash?" And what do you know about their individual health situations?

 

[Doug64]

How are you defining "rash?" And what do you know about their individual health situations?

"Rash" is defined as "enough for me to notice something odd going on." I don't care much about sports and so haven't really been paying attention, just noting the headlines popping up and moving on until my reaction started to be "Another one?" Now my reaction is more like "Another one?!" As for cause of death, I can't really say since I didn't bother to check the articles (note the "I don't care much about sports"). All I can say is that for all but a couple violence or overdoses weren't involved, those causes end up in the headlines. Here's the latest just this morning:

Jessie Lemonier, Former Chargers, Lion Defensive End, Dies - Sports Illustrated

The Liberty University alum also played for the Chargers.

www.si.com

Note he was only 25 years old, in apparently perfect health (he was due to play for the Birmingham Stallions this spring), and they don't have a cause of death yet.

 

[reflechissez]

"Rash" is defined as "enough for me to notice something going on." I don't care much about sports and so haven't really been paying attention, just noting the headlines popping up and moving on until my reaction started to be "Another one?" Now my reaction is more like "Another one?!" As for cause of death, I can't really say since I didn't bother to check the articles (note the "I don't care much about sports"). All I can say is that for all but a couple violence or overdoses weren't involved, those causes end up in the headlines. Here's the latest just this morning:

Jessie Lemonier, Former Chargers, Lion Defensive End, Dies - Sports Illustrated

The Liberty University alum also played for the Chargers.

www.si.com

Note he was only 25 years old, in apparently perfect health (he was due to play for the Birmingham Stallions this spring), and they don't have a cause of death yet.

So you're just spitballin' here. Ok.

 

[Doug64]

So you're just spitballin' here. Ok.

Essentially, just a trend I've been noticing that I really hope is just coincidence.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 51% of American Adults believe they pay more than their fair share of taxes. That’s down from an all-time high of 62% last year. Just 26% disagree and don’t think they pay more than their fair share. Twenty-two percent (22%) are not sure. President Joe Biden and the Democrat-controlled Congress imposed a long list of tax increases as part of their “Inflation Reduction Act” that took effect January 1, Americans for Tax Reform noted. Belief that the rich still aren’t paying their fair share of taxes remains widespread. Forty-four percent (44%) of Americans believe those who make twice as much as they do aren’t paying twice as much in taxes. Only 30% believe those who earn twice as much are paying at least twice as much taxes as they do, including eight percent (8%) who think they’re paying more than twice as much. Twenty-seven percent (27%) say they’re not sure.

 

[Doug64]

A new national telephone and online survey by Rasmussen Reports and Miranda Devine’s Laptop From Hell finds that 72% of Likely U.S. Voters believe Biden’s handling of classified documents is a scandal, including 48% who say it’s a major scandal. Just 24% think it is no scandal at all. On January 12, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to investigate how classified documents from the Obama administration ended up at Biden’s home in Delaware and his private office at a D.C. think tank. Seventy-three percent (73%) of Republican voters believe Biden’s handling of classified documents is a major scandal, as do 50% of voters not affiliated with either major party. While 23% of Democrats agree it is a major scandal, most Democratic voters think Biden’s handling of classified documents is either a minor scandal (32%) or no scandal at all (40%).

Twenty-eight percent (28%) of Likely U.S. Voters think the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey for the week ending January 26, 2023. This week’s finding is down three points from a week ago. Sixty-six percent (66%) of voters believe the nation is headed down the wrong track, up three points from a week ago. A year ago at this time, 29% said the United States was heading in the right direction, while 66% said it was on the wrong track.

 

[Doug64]

The Rasmussen Reports Immigration Index for the week of January 22-26, 2023, increased to 89.2, up nearly three points from 86.3 two weeks earlier. The Immigration Index has been under the baseline in every survey since Election Day 2020, and reached a record low of 82.3 in late March 2021. The index is about nine points below where it was in late October 2020, indicating voters are looking for tighter immigration control from President Joe Biden’s administration.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that only 29% of Likely U.S. Voters believe it is likely that Congress will impeach Biden over his handling of classified documents, with just 12% who see impeachment as Very Likely. Sixty-four percent (64%) think it’s unlikely the document scandal will lead to impeachment, with 31% who say it is Not At All Likely that Congress will impeach Biden.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 66% of Likely U.S. Voters believe it is likely that the COVID-19 virus originated in a Chinese laboratory, including 49% who say it is Very Likely. Twenty percent (20%) don’t think it’s likely the virus came from a Chinese lab and another 15% are not sure. Last week, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy appointed a new subcommittee on the pandemic to “finally get answers to the [COVID-19 virus] origins and the federal government’s gain of function research that contributed to the pandemic.” Sixty-six percent (66%) of voters agree that Congress should conduct such an investigation, including 45% who Strongly Agree. Twenty-six percent (26%) disagree. The investigation is expected to focus on the federal government’s top COVID-19 expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Forty-five percent (45%) of voters now view Fauci favorably, including 30% with a Very Favorable impression of Fauci. Fifty-one percent (51%) view Fauci unfavorably, including 38% with a Very Unfavorable opinion. In December, 44% had an unfavorable impression of Fauci.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 47% of Likely U.S. Voters trust Republicans more to handle taxes, while 37% trust Democrats more and 15% are not sure. The GOP has a narrower advantage on the issue of education, where 47% of voters trust Republicans more, 42% trust Democrats more and 11% are undecided. The results on taxes and education are in line with earlier findings that the GOP has an advantage among voters on energy, immigration and spending issues.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 55% of American Adults believe it is likely that, over the next few years, the United States will enter a 1930s-like depression, including 21% who say a major depression is Very Likely. Thirty-three percent (33%) don’t think another Great Depression is likely over the next few years, including 12% who say it’s Not At All Likely. Another 12% are not sure. Last September, 57% expected another Great Depression. Speaking in New York City on Tuesday, Biden said, “I give you my word as a Biden, I’ve never been more optimistic about America’s prospects in my entire life.” Despite these assurances, 70% of Republicans, 41% of Democrats and 54% of those not affiliated with either major party believe it’s at least somewhat likely that, over the next few years, the U.S. will enter a 1930s-like depression. Sixteen percent (16%) of Democrats, 30% of Republicans and 17% of the unaffiliated see another Great Depression as Very Likely in the next few years.

Count me in the 33% that don't think another Great Depression is likely--a depression, perhaps, to go with the recession we've already "enjoyed," but not a Great Depression.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 43% of Likely U.S. Voters have a favorable impression of Harris, including 19% who have a Very Favorable opinion. Fifty-five percent (55%) view Harris unfavorably, including 45% who have a Very Unfavorable impression of the vice president. Last week, several Democrats speaking to the media expressed doubts about Harris as a future candidate. If Biden seeks reelection, 39% of likely voters think Harris should be his vice-presidential running mate again, while 48% say she shouldn’t be Biden’s 2024 running mate and 13% are not sure. As might be expected, more than two-thirds (68%) of Republican voters don’t think Harris should be on the 2024 ticket. Even among Democratic voters, however, only 63% think Harris should be Biden’s running mate again, 26% say she should not and 11% are not sure. Among voters not affiliated with either major party, 32% believe Harris should be Biden’s 2024 running mate, 51% think she shouldn’t and 27% are not sure.

It used to be common for presidents running for reelection to switch out their VPs, I see no reason why we shouldn't return to the practice. Of course, I'm also of the opinion that we should return to the practice of having the Secretary of State being the "heir apparent," and would give serious consideration to abolishing the office of VP entirely and just have the Speaker of the House be the next in line.

 

[Doug64]

So you're just spitballin' here. Ok.

Essentially, just a trend I've been noticing that I really hope is just coincidence.

And we just lost another one.

‘A friend to anyone’: Beloved tennis player dies after collapse on Summerlin court

Recreational tennis player Ryan Vannah died Sunday after collapsing during a league match at Red Rock Country Club.

www.reviewjournal.com

 

[Doug64]

Thirty percent (30%) of Likely U.S. Voters think the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey for the week ending February 2, 2023. This week’s finding is down three points from a week ago. Sixty-five percent (65%) of voters believe the nation is headed down the wrong track, down one point from a week ago. A year ago at this time, 30% said the United States was heading in the right direction, while 64% said it was on the wrong track.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 63% of American Adults approve of Musk’s decision to authorize publication of the “Twitter files,” including 42% who Strongly Approve. Nineteen percent (19%) disapprove and 18% are not sure. Among other revelations, the “Twitter files” exposed that the FBI paid Twitter $3.4 million to compensate the social media company for “administration costs” of dealing with the agency’s censorship requests. Seventy-eight percent (78%) of Republicans, 54% of Democrats and 59% of those not affiliated with either major party approve of Musk’s decision to publish the “Twitter files.” Fifty-six percent (56%) of adults say they rarely or never use Twitter. Thirteen percent (13%) use the social media platform once a week or less, another 13% use Twitter several times a week, and another 13% use it every day or nearly every day. Among daily users, 65% approve of Musk’s decision to publish the “Twitter files.”

 

[jcgriff2]

Another contentious issue—and one where I personally disagree with the majority—deals with immigration and refugees. When it comes to Ukraine, though, passions are running high at the moment and that does make a difference:

At least many dozens of 747s and other 'heavy' jumbo jets should be crossing the Atlantic daily 24/7/365 to evacuate the ~20-40 million+ Ukrainian citizens who want to resettle in the USA - temporarily or permanently. The Ukrainians deserve asylum more than anyone else.

Ukraine became independent in August 1991. In 1994 Ukraine was promised security assurances by the United States by democrat president Bill Clinton. Russia broke the agreement in 2014 and of course, then democrat president Barack Obama did not do a damn thing to truly help Ukraine fight back despite the 1994 "nukes for security" agreement promised by democrat president Bill Clinton.

In 2014, Obama's then totally useless and worthless Ukraine "Go-to Ukraine Guy" VP Joe Biden sent non-lethal aid and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine - like blankets for the troops!

Ukraine President Poroshenko said blankets and night-vision goggles from the USA are important, "but one cannot win a war with blankets!" :0 No shit, but that is typical Biden.

Ukraine's future/current President would of course order the hiring of Biden's totally inexperienced son Hunter to be on the Board of Directors of a Ukraine Oil & Gas company with a staggering salary exceeding USD $80,000 per month, which basically reminded me of the "no show" jobs frequently ordered by mafia capos in the HBO hit mob show "The Sopranos".

Now we also know that Hunter earned an additional $11 million from Ukraine sources from 2013-2018 - FOR LEGAL WORK!!!!

Hunter Biden's hard drive shows he, his firm earned about $11 million from 2013 to 2018

The hard drive and documents from Senate Republicans indicate few of Biden’s deals ever came to fruition and shed light on how fast he was spending his money.

www.nbcnews.com

VP Joe Biden is giving Ukraine $60 million+ for non-lethal aid to fight Russia in 2014 and Ukraine is spending it on LEGAL FEES to pay HUNTER BIDEN? WTF is wrong with this picture?

Trilateral Statement (Ukraine gives up all nukes for US/UK protection - agreed to by prez Bill Clinton in 1994)
Signed in Moscow (in ~1994 -??) by President Bill Clinton, Russian President Boris Yeltsin and Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk, the statement set out the terms under which Ukraine agreed to eliminate the large arsenal of former Soviet strategic nuclear weapons that remained on its territory following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Among other things, the Trilateral Statement specified the security assurances that the United States, Russia and Britain would provide to Ukraine eleven months later in the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances. Unfortunately, Russia grossly violated those assurances in 2014 when it used military force against Ukraine.

Ukraine, nuclear weapons and the trilateral statement 25 years later

fsi.stanford.edu

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 39% of Likely U.S. Voters have a favorable impression of New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, including 20% who have a Very Favorable opinion. Forty-four percent (44%) view Jeffries unfavorably, including 23% who have a Very Unfavorable impression of the House Minority Leader. Another 27% are not sure. After her November announcement that she would step down as leader of House Democrats, 38% of voters viewed Pelosi favorably. , 21% of voters believe Jeffries is a better leader for Democrats than Pelosi, 15% think Jeffries is a worse leader than Pelosi and 46% say he’s about the same as Pelosi. Another 18% are not sure. Thirty-three percent (33%) of Democrats think Jeffries is a better leader than Pelosi, but that opinion is shared by only 14% of Republicans and 13% of voters not affiliated with either major party. Forty percent (40%) of Democrats, 47% of Republicans and 52% of unaffiliated voters say Jeffries is about the same as Pelosi.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 52% of American Adults who work full-time believe they will be earning more money a year from today. That’s slightly down from 56% in July, which was the highest finding since 2010. Twelve percent (12%) of full-time workers expect they’ll be earning less a year from now, while 31% expect their wages to remain the same. Sixty percent (60%) of working adults say they have a better opportunity for career advancement by staying within their current company. That finding is down from 71% in July, which was the highest since 2010. Twenty-three percent (23%) now think the best opportunity for career advancement is by going to work for someone else. Sixteen percent (167%) are undecided. Among all adults, 50% say they have a full-time job, down from 52% in July. Forty-five percent now (45%) say they are not currently employed full-time.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 85% of American Adults say they’re paying more for groceries now than they were a year ago, down from 89% in August. Only nine percent (9%) now say they aren’t paying more for groceries. Fifty-seven percent (57%) expect that the amount they spend on groceries a year from now will be higher. Only 10% think they’ll be paying less for groceries in a year, while 22% expect their grocery bill to remain about the same. Another 12% are not sure. Fifty-seven percent (57%) say rising food prices have caused them to change their eating habits – down from 63% in August – while 37% have not changed the way they eat because of inflation.

So basically, a majority of American Adults expect to get a raise, and a super-majority don't expect it to mean much as Bidenflation continues to eat away at their paychecks.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 48% of Likely U.S. Voters believe China is an enemy of the United States – up from 41% in November. consider China to be a U.S. ally, while 36% think it is somewhere in between being an ally and an enemy. Last month, Air Force Gen. Mike Minihan made headlines with a memo warning that he believes the U.S. will be at war with China in 2025. Forty-eight percent (48%) of voters think it is likely that the United States will go to war against China within the next five years, including 18% who believe it’s Very Likely. Thirty-eight percent (38%) don’t think war with China is likely in the next five years, including 11% who say it’s Not At All Likely. Another 14% are not sure. Only 34% of voters rate President Joe Biden good or excellent for his handling of issues related to China, while 47% rate Biden as doing a poor job of handling China issues.

 

[Doug64]

Economic confidence decreased to 89.9 in this month’s Rasmussen Reports Economic Index, nearly four points lower than January. Enthusiasm about the economy surged under former President Donald Trump, reaching as high as 147.8 in January 2020 before tumbling after the coronavirus lockdown threw Americans out of work and closed many businesses. By November 2020, it had recovered to 126.4, but dropped sharply after President Joe Biden was elected. The index fell to 97.8 in February 2021 before beginning a three-month rebound that took the index to 123.7 in May 2021.

Twenty-eight percent (28%) of American Adults rate the economy as excellent or good this month, up one point from last month, and but still 14 points below the 42% mark in November 2020. The number who rate the economy as poor was 47%, up two points from January. Twenty-three percent (23%) now think the economy is getting better, up two points from last month. Fifty-eight percent (58%) expect a worsening economy, up two points from January. Fifteen percent (15%) now see things staying about the same, down two points from last month. Forty-five percent (45%) of Democrats view the economy as good or excellent, compared to 17% of Republicans and 20% of those not affiliated with either major party. GOP confidence has declined more than 50 points since November 2020, when 74% of Republicans had a positive view of the economy, while Democrats’ confidence is now 13 points higher than it was before Biden’s election, when 32% of Democrats rated the economy good or excellent.

 

[Doug64]

Thirty percent (35%) of Likely U.S. Voters think the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey for the week ending February 9, 2023. This week’s finding is up five points from a week ago. Sixty-five percent (65%) of voters believe the nation is headed down the wrong track, down one point from a week ago. A year ago at this time, 30% said the United States was heading in the right direction, while 64% said it was on the wrong track.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 91% of Likely U.S. Voters believe fentanyl is a serious problem in America, including 71% who think it’s a Very Serious problem. Only six percent (6%) say fentanyl is not a serious problem. These findings are essentially unchanged since September. During his State of the Union speech last week, President Biden said: “We now have a record number of personnel working to secure the border, arresting 8,000 human smugglers and seizing over 23,000 pounds of fentanyl in just the last several months.” However, only 26% of voters rate Biden as doing a good or excellent job of handling the fentanyl problem, while 48% rate him as doing a poor job.

 

[Doug64]

The Rasmussen Reports Immigration Index for the week of February 5-9, 2023, decreased to 87.4, down nearly two points from 89.2 two weeks earlier. The Immigration Index has been under the baseline in every survey since Election Day 2020, and reached a record low of 82.3 in late March 2021. The index is nearly 15 points below where it was in late October 2020, indicating voters are looking for tighter immigration control from President Joe Biden’s administration.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 58% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of legislation making it illegal to perform sex-change surgery on minors, including 46% who Strongly Approve of such laws. Thirty-seven percent (34%) disapprove of states passing laws to ban such surgeries on minors, including 21% who Strongly Disapprove. Fifty-two percent (52%) approve of making it illegal to give hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to minors, including 39% who Strongly Approve. Thirty-seven percent (37%) disapprove of such laws, including 25% who Strongly Disapprove. Another 10% are not sure. South Dakota on Monday became the sixth state to ban such treatments for minors, as Republican Gov. Kristi Noem signed into law the “Help Not Harm Bill.” Nationwide, Republican voters most strongly support such legislation.

Good to see that a significant majority actually get it on this issue.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 20% of American Adults consider Presidents Day to be one of our nation's most important holidays, 26% view it as one of the least important holidays and 48% rate it somewhere in between. Americans consistently rank Christmas as the most important holiday, usually followed by the Fourth of July. Asked which of the five most recent presidents was the best, 36% choose Trump, while 30% name Barack Obama. Nine percent (9%) believe George W. Bush was the best president of the past 30 years, while Bill Clinton and Joe Biden are each picked by eight percent (8%). However, Trump also leads when Americans are asked to name the worst president of the past 30 years. Forty-one percent (41%) say Trump is the worst, while 36% choose Biden as the worst of the five most recent presidents, followed by Obama (5%), Bush (4%) and Clinton (3%).

For best and worst out of the last five presidents, I'd say Bush was the best (not that he has much competition) and Biden is easily the worst.

Thirty-three percent (33%) of Likely U.S. Voters think the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey for the week ending February 16, 2023. This week’s finding is down two points from a week ago. Sixty-one percent (61%) of voters believe the nation is headed down the wrong track, up one point from a week ago. A year ago at this time, 29% said the United States was heading in the right direction, while 66% said it was on the wrong track.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 79% of Likely U.S. Voters would support the United States imposing economic sanctions on China for invading Taiwan, including 60% who would Strongly Support sanctions. Only 12% would oppose sanctions if China invaded Taiwan. Last month, Air Force Gen. Mike Minihan made headlines with a memo warning that he believes the U.S. will be at war with China in 2025. If China were to invade Taiwan, 64% of voters would support the United States using its Navy to defend Taiwan, including 34% who would Strongly Support it. Twenty-three percent would oppose U.S. naval defense of Taiwan. Another 13% are not sure. Similarly, 63% would support using the U.S. Air Force to defend Taiwan if China were to invade. However, on the question of whether the U.S. should send ground troops to defend Taiwan, support drops to 42%, including 17% who would Strongly Support using U.S. ground troops to defend Taiwan from a Chinese invasion. Forty-six percent (46%) of voters are opposed to sending U.S. ground troops to Taiwan, including 23% who would Strongly Oppose such a deployment.

In this case I have to disagree with the plurality, Taiwan is about the only situation where I'd favor boots on the ground in a shooting war with China. In that situation it doesn't matter how big China's army is, only how many soldiers they can ship to the island--and that's a question of naval and air strength, not ground strength.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 79% of American Adults agree with the statement, “Black people can be racist, too,” including 53% who Strongly Agree. Just 12% disagree, and another 10% are not sure. Similarly, 72% of Americans agree, including 58% who Strongly Agree, with the statement, “It’s OK to be white” – a slogan that originated on the 4chan Internet forum and has been labeled “hate speech.” Twelve percent (12%) disagree with the “OK to be white” slogan, while 17% are not sure. Support for “OK to be white” crosses political lines. Majorities of Democrats (51%), Republicans (73%) and those not affiliated with either major party (52%) Strongly Agree that “It’s OK to be white.” Fewer Democrats (39%) than Republicans (67%) or the unaffiliated (53%) Strongly Agree that “Black people can be racist, too.” Still, even among Democrats, only 19% disagree with that statement.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 37% of Likely U.S. Voters think recent illegal immigration has made their local schools worse, compared to just nine percent (9%) who say it’s made local schools better. Thirty-nine percent (39%) believe recent illegal immigration has not had much impact on their local schools. Another 15% are not sure. Similarly, only nine percent (9%) believe recent illegal immigration has made their local health-care system better, while 38% say it has made it worse. Forty-one percent (41%) think recent illegal immigration has not had much impact on local health care, and 12% are not sure. While 12% believe recent illegal immigration has made their local job market better, nearly three times as many – 34% – think it has made the job market worse. Thirty-eight percent (38%) think recent illegal immigration has not had much impact on local jobs. Another 16% are not sure.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that just 19% of Likely U.S. Voters believe Russia is winning the war in Ukraine. Twenty-one percent (21%) think Ukraine is winning, down from 32% in December. Forty-six percent (46%) see the war in Ukraine as basically a stalemate, up from 38% in December. Another 14% are not sure who’s winning. Forty-one percent (41%) of voters rate President Joe Biden excellent or good for his handling of the situation in Ukraine. Thirty-seven percent (37%) give Biden a poor rating for his handling of Ukraine. These findings are nearly unchanged from December.

I have to join those that give Biden a poor rating for Ukraine--if he had given Ukraine everything he has so far, all at once instead of in dribs and drabs, Ukraine might have won by now. By giving a little more whenever he needs to look good on the issue, he's both extending the war and increasing the body count.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that only 30% of Likely U.S. Voters rate the government’s response to the Ohio train derailment as good or excellent. Forty-six percent give the government a poor rating for handling the disaster. After the February 3 derailment of a Norfolk Southern freight train released the toxic chemical vinyl chloride, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said tests “show no water quality concerns” in East Palestine. However, only 23% of voters say that they would feel safe drinking the water If they lived near the site where the train derailed, including just nine percent (9%) who would feel Very Safe drinking the water there. Seventy-one percent (71%) would not feel safe drinking the water near East Palestine, including 47% who say they’d feel Not At All Safe.

Thirty-three percent (35%) of Likely U.S. Voters think the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey for the week ending February 23, 2023. This week’s finding is up two points from a week ago. Fifty-nine percent (59%) of voters believe the nation is headed down the wrong track, down two points from a week ago. A year ago at this time, 31% said the United States was heading in the right direction, while 64% said it was on the wrong track.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that only 24% of American Adults believe race relations in the nation today are good or excellent, including just nine percent (9%) who rate them as excellent. That’s barely changed from January 2022. Thirty-five percent (35%) now give U.S. race relations a poor rating, unchanged from last year. Forty-one percent (41%) now say race relations in America are getting worse, down from 45% last January. Only 18% now say race relations in America are getting better – down from 20% last year – while 34% believe race relations are staying about the same. Only 23% think the way racial issues are treated by schools and universities help to decrease racism, while 44% say schools are making racism worse. Twenty percent (20%) believe schools and universities do not have much impact on racism, and another 14% are not sure.

The Rasmussen Reports Immigration Index for the week of February 19-23, 2023, increased to 90.6, up more than three points from 87.4 two weeks earlier. The Immigration Index has been under the baseline in every survey since Election Day 2020, and reached a record low of 82.3 in late March 2021. The index is nearly 15 points below where it was in late October 2020, indicating voters are looking for tighter immigration control from President Joe Biden’s administration.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 34% of Likely U.S. Voters rate Biden as doing a good or excellent job in terms of uniting the country, while 50% give Biden a poor rating on uniting Americans. Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene made headlines last month when she declared on Twitter: “We need a national divorce. We need to separate by red states and blue states and shrink the federal government”? Thirty-four percent (34%) of voters agree with that statement, including 14% who Strongly Agree. Fifty-seven percent (57%) disagree with Greene’s call for a “national divorce,” including 43% who Strongly Disagree. Forty-seven percent (47%) of Republicans at least somewhat agree that red states and blue states “need a national divorce,” as do 26% of Democrats and 27% of voters not affiliated with either major party.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 80% of Likely U.S. Voters believe it is important that the public be able to view all the videos of the Capitol riot, including 58% who think it’s Very Important. Only 17% don’t think it’s important for the public to be able to see all the riot videos. Fox News host Tucker Carlson is reportedly planning to broadcast videos of the Capitol riot that were not previously released by the congressional committee that investigated the riot. Eighty-six percent (86%) of Republicans, 78% of Democrats, and 75% of voters not affiliated with either major party believe it is important that the public be able to view all the videos of the Capitol riot. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is among Republicans who have expressed concern that federal agents “deliberately encouraged illegal and violent conduct on Jan. 6,” when supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol. Sixty-one percent (61%) of voters believe it is likely that undercover government agents helped provoke the Capitol riot, including 39% who think it’s Very Likely. Thirty percent (30%) don’t think it’s likely undercover agents helped provoke the riot, including 18% who say it is Not At All Likely.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 51% of Likely U.S. Voters say the news media are less aggressive in questioning Biden than they were in questioning former President Donald Trump. Only 24% think the media are questioning Biden more aggressively than they questioned Trump, while 21% believe the media’s treatment of Biden is about the same as it was with Trump. These findings haven’t changed much since February 2021, when 55% said the media were less aggressive in questioning Biden. Fifty-six percent (56%) of voters believe the problem of bias in the news media is getting worse. Only 16% think the problem is getting better, while 25% say the problem of media bias is about the same as usual. These findings are just slightly different than August last year, when 62% said media bias was getting worse.