All Posts Tagged With: "economy"

McCain Sitting In “Catbird” Seat

September 26th, 2008 • Richard Cochrane

McCain can emerge “the reigning expert on bailouts, then can take the tax issue to Obama…”

Sixty-three percent of voters worry Congress was about to botch the rescue of the country’s troubled financial markets, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national poll. Dick Morris thinks that makes John McCain’s move brilliant and makes him the main man who will dictate the shape of the final package. The biggest reason, and what has Democrats do damned mad now is they know how unpopular the bailout is so they are not about to pass anything without broad Republican support, and Republicans will look to their standard bearer for his nod or it is a “no-go.”

Only 30% of U.S. voters think the federal government should step in to rescue the country’s troubled financial markets. Half (50%) say let the companies who got themselves into the mess go bankrupt.

The deal Democrats were about to OK and Bush says he’d support was a real stinker and voters sensed it. McCain now stands at the very center of an emerging compromise. By Monday, at the latest, the Democrats will cave in and pass the McCain-Republican version and McCain will emerge once more a national hero and flagellates Obama too.

Dick Morris says McCain emerges “the reigning expert on bailouts, then can take the tax issue to Obama, saying that a tax increase, such as the Democrat is pushing, would destroy the bailout, ruin the economy, and trigger a collapse.” McCain has an enormouse advantage that he should start to exploit at tonight’s debates saying — the deal was bad for America, and I knew it and went to Washington to do my job; stop it and built a beter mousetrap, and I’m flying back tonight to do that.

On Eve Of Obama Stadium Splash Here’s What Voters Say

August 28th, 2008 • Richard Cochrane

McCain Wins or Loses With VP Pick.

Tonight Barack Obama will climb into his Olympus looking temple to accept the Democrat Nomination for President. Tomorrow McCain will make what will likely be an election winning or loosing VP pick. On the eve of these competing events here, according to Rasmussen Report, here is what American voters think about the pair.

At least six out of 10 voters say Obama is a liberal, and over half say he will opt for big government solutions to the nation’s problems. But then 68% think his Republican opponent John McCain is conservative, and half believe he will enact policies just like President Bush’s.

In our most recent polling on the issues last week, 52% expect government spending to rise under a President Obama, and slightly more (54%) think taxes will go up.

Forty-plus percent of voters routinely tell us that the 47-year-old first-term senator from Illinois is too inexperienced to be president, although slightly more disagree.

Nationally, the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll which has been close for weeks now shows hints of a building convention bounce for Obama. But, it will fall far short of pre-convention predictions of double digits.

Voter trust on most major issues seesaws back and forth between McCain and Obama. This week, for example, voters give McCain the edge on handling the economy 48% to 42%. A week ago they trusted Obama more 46% to 44%. Bottom line is that neither man has connected with voters enough on the economy to obtain a sustained advantage.

However, voters consistently give Obama the edge in terms of trust in the areas of ethics - although revelation about his tepid ethic reform are seeping out and viewed unfavorably. Right now Obama leads on reducing government corruption, the environment, health care and education.

On national security issues and the war in Iraq do voters regularly trust McCain more and he lead 52% to 40%.

Still, with over half of voters saying the most important goal in Iraq is to bring the troops home versus around 40% who believe winning the war is key, Obama is more in sync with the majority.

Last week 68% said it is at least somewhat likely that Obama will bring the troops home in his first term, while only 39% believed that of McCain. But, that issue if rapidly deflating as it looks ever more likely U. S. combat troops will be out by 2010, and all troops by 2011.

Fifty-one percent (51%) believed it at least somewhat likely that the United States would win the war in Iraq in McCain’s first four years in office, as opposed to only 30% who thought that of Obama.

With voters in general showing record levels of confidence in how America is doing in the War on Terror and, by extension, Iraq, the focus increasingly is on domestic issues, particularly energy.

Record gas and oil prices, and their impact on the overall economy, are forcing many voters to rethink long-held positions. The electricity issue is hamstrung by an aging power grid some of it 100-years old.

McCain stirred up things in early June with his call for lifting the longtime ban on offshore oil drilling as one way to fight high prices. This position, initially opposed by national Democrats and their nominee, has been credited with helping the Republican stay competitive in the presidential race against the younger and more charismatic Obama. In our polling, over 60% now support offshore drilling.

By substantial margins, voters believe that McCain’s top priority is finding new sources of energy while Obama is more focused on reducing the amount of energy we consume.

Obama’s call for more electric cars, solar power and wind power is supported by at least one-third of voters, but as in virtually all the topics discussed here Democrats not surprisingly are more enthusiastic than Republicans and unaffiliated voters.

Perhaps as a reflection of the historical nature of Obama’s nomination, about 45% of voters say the Democrat views society as unfair and discriminatory, while only 12-15% believe that of McCain. A similar number in the 40s say Obama thinks U.S. society is fair and decent, as opposed to 65-70% who believe McCain feels that way.

When asked who will make a better leader and whose values are closest to your own, voters generally give McCain the edge by several percentage points. Changing that perception will perhaps be Obama’s biggest challenge in the next two months.

Just two weeks ago, 77% of voters disagreed with the proposition that there is not much difference between what the two candidates would do in office. So in voters’ minds this is definitely a horse race.

Latest Polling Details - Some Surprises

August 21st, 2008 • Richard Cochrane

Thursday’s FOX NEWS/OPINION DYNAMICS POLL is one of the few that publishes its questionnaire and detailed results

The poll shows a 42-39% edge for Obama and 39% of “independents” undecided making them the “deciders.” Here are some of the key details:

Overall 49% including 39% of Democrats; 51% of Republicans and 47% of independents say it would be good if all members of the current Congress were voted out of office.

A third (33%) say the VP selection is more important this election than in previous years. 35% of independents say so.

McCain supporters favor Romney 28%; Lieberman 20% and Ridge 18%. Obama supporters favor Biden 27%; Bayh 20%, and Kaine 17%. Asked whether Mormons are Christian 49% said “yes” a decline from December’s 53%.

Ask “if you had to make the toughest decision of your life” would you rather get advice from Obama or McCain. 37% say Obama, 43% say McCain. If you owned your own business whose advice would you take: McCain 42% and Obama 41%. Thirty-seven percent say media is too easy on Obama; 28%, and 24% say too tough; 28% say too easy and 29% say too tough on McCain.

Seventy-three percent disapprove of the job Congress is doing and just 20% approve compared to 67% and 28% for Bush.

Sixty-six percent say they would comfortable with Obama as President, and 70% say so for McCain.

Asked what they like most about each candidate: Obama is seen as a fresh face with new ideas by 15%; will bring change 10%; youth 9% and good speaker 7%. For McCain it is: 26% experience; military veteran 8% and Qualified 8%.

Asked what they like least: his youth 31%; His flip flops 8% and his liberalism 7%; for McCain it was: too old 24%; too close to Bush 8%; conservatism 8%, and support for Iraq War 7%.

On issues 43% cited economy and jobs; War in Iraq 11%; terrorism and national security 9% and Healthcare 9%.

Asked who you would trust on: Situation in Iraq it was McCain 49% and Obama 42%; Health care Obama leads 50% to 33%; the economy Obama leads 48% to 39%, war on terror McCain leads 54% to 34%; illegal immigration McCain leads 42% to 34%, and Energy independence Obama was 45% to McCain’s 37%. McCain leads 49% to 30% on being able to handle the Georgian situation.

Fifty-four percents say we are headed into a new Cold War with Russia

While 40% says it is unlikely.

Forty-two percent said they are Democrats (*the same as January 2008); 35% Republican (an increase from 32% in January) and 20% independent (the same as January).