Public Support Falls for Religion’s Role in Politics
A new Pew Research survey finds a decline in the share of Americans who want churches and other houses of worship to be involved in political matters. Most of the drop in the past four years has come among political conservatives.
China Olympics Earn American Attention, Approval
Most say they are watching at least some of the Olympic coverage and the share saying it was a good decision to hold the games in China has risen 11 points to a 52% majority. Americans also remain optimistic that by the end of the games, the U.S. will have won more gold medals than any other country.
Hispanics and Health Care in the United States: Access, Information and Knowledge
A Pew Hispanic Center/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation study finds that more than one-fourth of Hispanic adults in the U.S. lack a usual health care provider, but when asked about why that is so, a plurality (41%) say the principal reason is that they are seldom sick.
Presidential Race Draws Even
With fewer than two weeks to go before the start of the presidential nominating conventions, McCain has solidified his support among Republicans and white evangelicals, especially in the South, while Obama lags in attracting Clinton supporters.
Search Soars, Challenging Email as a Favorite Internet Activity
The percentage of internet users who use search engines on a typical day has been steadily rising from about one-third of all users in 2002, to a new high of just under one-half (49%).
Obama Fatigue – 48% Hearing Too Much About Him
While John McCain closed the gap in campaign news coverage last week, Barack Obama still enjoyed much more visibility in the eye of the public. But 48% say they’ve heard too much about the Democratic nominee and a plurality say they’ve heard too little about his opponent.
Inflation Staggers Public but Economy Still Seen As Fixable
Beyond widespread anxiety about energy costs, a growing number of Americans say it is difficult for them to afford food. Yet most are confident that even in an era of global economic interdependence the federal government is capable of fixing the economy
Obama’s Trip a Top Campaign Event for Public
Despite a high level of public attention to the Democratic candidate’s weeklong tour abroad, most said they learned very little of his foreign policy views as a result of the trip.
Democrats Highly Critical of New Yorker Cover, Republicans Say It Was Okay
Fully four-in-ten Americans heard a lot about a satirical cartoon on the cover of the New Yorker magazine. A majority of those who saw it found it offensive (54%) and few found it funny (27%).
Latinos Overwhelmingly Support Obama and Democrats in 2008
A new Pew Hispanic Center survey finds the presumptive Democratic nominee now has a strong lead among Hispanics, a sharp reversal from the primaries when Obama lost the Latino vote to Hillary Clinton by a nearly two-to-one ratio.
