Record Partisan Gap in Views of Economic News
Just 15% of Democrats say recent economic news is mostly bad, down from 31% a month ago and among the lowest percentages over the last four years. Six-in-ten Republicans (60%) say news about the economy is mostly bad, as do 36% of independents.
Democratic Convention Highlights: Clinton Outshines Obama
Like Mitt Romney, Barack Obama was not the highlight of his party’s convention. Among those who watched at least a little coverage of the Democratic convention, 29% say the highlight was Bill Clinton’s speech, while 16% name Obama’s speech as the highlight. About as many (15%) say that first lady Michelle Obama’s speech was the highlight of the convention.
Eastwood Shares Top Billing at RNC with Mitt Romney
The public paid far less attention to this year’s Republican convention in Tampa. Among those who watched at least a little of the event last week, 20% said Clint Eastwood’s speech was the highlight of the event and 17% said the same for Mitt Romney’s speech.
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.
