Election Weekend News Interest Hits 20-Year High
Fully 60% of voters followed campaign news very closely this weekend, the highest level of interest on the eve of an election since the Pew Research Center began tracking campaign news interest in 1988. Throughout the campaign, Americans said they were hearing more about Obama than about McCain, although analysis shows news coverage became closely balanced between the two candidates.
Internet Now Major Source of Campaign News
Television remains the dominant source, but the percent of people who say they get most of their campaign news from the internet has tripled since 2004.
Palin Fatigue Now Rivals Obama Fatigue
Sarah Palin’s new wardrobe caught the public’s eye but media coverage focused far more on the presidential candidates. Still, more Americans say they’ve been hearing too much about Palin than say they’ve heard too much about Obama.
Most Voters Say News Media Wants Obama to Win
By a margin of 70%-9%, voters say most journalists want to see Obama, not McCain, win on Nov. 4. Since 1992, voters have consistently believed the media favor the Democratic candidate, but this year’s margin is especially wide.
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.
Who Knows News? What You Read or View Matters, but Not Your Politics
Where you turn for news may say a lot about how much you actually know. So who scores higher on a political knowledge quiz? Hardball or Hannity & Colmes? Newspapers or network news? Stewart or Colbert?
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%).
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%).
McCain’s Image Falls as Economic Worries Rise; Public Awaits Debate
Independents’ views of McCain have become significantly less favorable in the last few days, but they still expect him to win the coming foreign policy debate.
Views of Palin Fluid as Spotlight Remains on GOP Ticket
Sarah Palin continued to be a dominant factor in presidential campaign coverage last week, but her impact on the race remains unclear and her public image is very much in flux.
