Joe Biden: One-Word Descriptions
Asked for their one-word impression of Joe Biden, more people use negative than positive words to describe the vice president. Many of the negative words disparage Biden’s competence and performance, according to a new Pew Research/Washington Post poll.
Barack Obama: One-Word Descriptions
The public’s one-word descriptions for Obama reflect the mixed views of his presidency. The top positive words are good and trying, while the most frequently used negative descriptions are failure and incompetent.
Paul Ryan: One-Word Descriptions
As Paul Ryan prepares to accept his nomination as the GOP’s vice presidential candidate, the American public has a mixed impression of him.
Mitt Romney: One-Word Descriptions
Mitt Romney’s image has changed substantially as the American public has learned more about him, according to a new Pew Research/Washington Post poll.
More Interest in GOP Platform than Romney’s Speech
As the Republican convention gets underway, more Americans express interest in learning about what’s in the GOP platform than in speeches by either Mitt Romney or his running mate, Paul Ryan.
Medicare Voucher Plan Remains Unpopular
A proposal to shift Medicare to a voucher system, part of a Paul Ryan plan approved by the House last year, remains unpopular. Both Ryan and Democrat Joe Biden get negative marks as vice presidential candidates.
Public Continues to Hear Mixed Economic News
Public views of economic news—both overall and across most sectors—are little changed in recent months.
Eight-in-Ten Following Olympics on TV or Digitally
Large majorities of Americans are following coverage of the Olympic Games in London. Nearly eight-in-ten (78%) say they have watched or followed Olympic coverage either on television, online or on social networks.
Little Public Awareness of Outside Campaign Spending Boom
The public is hearing little about increased spending by outside groups in the 2012 election. Just 25% have heard a lot about outside spending by groups not associated with the candidates or campaigns. Three-quarters are hearing a little or nothing at all about this. And just 40% can correctly identify the term “Super PAC.”
Romney’s Personal Image Remains Negative
By a 52% to 37% margin, more voters say they have an unfavorable than favorable view of Mitt Romney. Barack Obama’s image is, by comparison, more positive, though both face lower favorability ratings than most presidential candidates in recent elections. Obama continues to hold a sizable lead over Romney among registered voters, though his edge is narrower in battleground states
