Doubts Grow About McCain’s Judgment, Age and Campaign
Obama is inspiring more confidence on several key issues, including Iraq and terrorism, than he did before the debates, and his margin over McCain as the candidate best able to improve economic conditions has grown.
Networked Families
Parents and spouses are using the internet and cell phones to create a “new connectedness” that builds on remote connections and shared internet experiences.
Campaign Seen As Increasingly Negative
The campaign received more media coverage than the financial crisis for the first time in a month, but nearly two-thirds of Americans (63%) list either economic conditions or the stock market drop as the single news story they followed more closely than any other last week.
Public Worried But Not Panicked About Economy
Americans are concerned about the nation’s economic problems and they register the lowest level of national satisfaction ever measured in a Pew survey. But there is little indication that the nation’s financial crisis has triggered public panic or despair.
Beat the Press: Many Say Press has Been Too Tough on Sarah Palin
While strong majorities feel the press has been fair to John McCain, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, as many people say the press has been too tough on the governor of Alaska (38%) as say it has been fair (38%). Republicans overwhelmingly believe the press has been too hard on Palin (63%).
Economic Bailout: Public Remains Closely Divided Overall, but Partisan Support Shifts
The relative stability in the overall numbers obscures considerable movement in public opinion about the package recently passed by Congress.
Post-Debate: Palin Still Seen as Unqualified, a Bump for Biden
Impressions of Sarah Palin have changed little since her debate with Joe Biden according to a special re-interview of voters this weekend, but opinions of Joe Biden rose substantially.
Undocumented Immigration Now Trails Legal Inflow, Reversing Decade-Long Trend
Estimates now show that the unauthorized immigrant population grew more slowly from 2005 to 2008 than it did earlier in the decade, although its size has increased by more than 40% since 2000, and now constitutes 4% of the total U.S. population.
Non-Citizen Immigrant Households Suffer Sharp Decline in Income, 2006-2007
The current economic slowdown has taken a far greater toll on households headed by non-citizens than it has on the U.S. population as a whole, according to a Pew Hispanic Center analysis of new Census data.
Interest in Economic News Surges
Attention to news about the economy skyrocketed last week, with 70% of Americans following developments very closely, up from 56% the previous week. Interest in the campaign also saw a new high for the cycle, and more Americans (64%) say they are very likely to watch the VP debate than said so about last week’s presidential debate (58%).
