Summary of Findings By all accounts, the public liked Campaign 2008 and followed election news avidly. But enough is enough. Fully 82% say they will not miss following election news, while only 17% say they will miss it. Even among Democrats, only a quarter say they will miss the campaign. Many Americans (23%) say they […]
The economy dominates the list of the most important problems facing the country; three-quarters of the public now cites an economic concern as the most important national problem. This is the highest percentage mentioning an economic problem as the biggest issue confronting the nation since January 1992 (76%). While the overall economy is a greater […]
One-in-ten voters say that 2008 is the first year in which they will have voted. This includes 3% who say they voted for the first time this primary season, and another 7% who say the general election will be their first vote. This election cycle is the first time voting for nearly four-in-ten (38%) voters […]
The campaign press declared Barack Obama’s Nov. 4 victory a culturally transforming event, but was far less certain it was a politically transforming moment. And within days, the search for lessons had yielded to speculation about the new administration.
McCain has reduced Obama’s advantage on several major issues, including reducing the influence of lobbyists, dealing with the nation’s energy problems, and improving the nation’s economy. In addition, McCain has expanded his advantage as the candidate seen as best able to defend against terrorism, and now holds an 11-point lead as the candidate best able […]
Overview Barack Obama holds a significant lead over John McCain in the final days of Campaign 2008. The Pew Research Center’s final pre-election poll of 2,587 likely voters, conducted Oct. 29-Nov. 1, finds 49% supporting or leaning to Obama, compared with 42% for McCain; minor party candidates draw 2%, and 7% are undecided. The survey […]
In the final week of the campaign, both presidential candidates continued to pound away at each other’s economic policies. But as they examined the details of the last polls, the battlegrounds, and the strategy, the media had all but anointed a winner.