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Short Reads

Short-form data and analysis from Pew Research Center writers and social scientists. To view all our reports and publications, visit our main Publications page.

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  • short reads

    Rate Oprah a Good Influence

    Nearly nine-in-ten black respondents (87%) view TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey as a positive influence in the black community; in a virtual tie with Winfrey is comedian, actor and author Bill Cosby.

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    America’s Pastime?

    BaseballThat’s the proportion of adults who said they were especially looking forward to baseball’s World Series according to a January Pew survey, down 13 points from 1988.

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    Watching Campaign Debates

    That’s the proportion of Americans who say they have watched one or more of the 2008 presidential campaign debates.

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    Could Name Both Iowa Caucus Winners

    Shortly after last week’s Iowa caucuses, only about half of American adults could name both the Democratic and Republican winners — but 40% say the media have devoted too much coverage to the campaign.

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    Personal Factors Limit Black Progress

    Two in three Americans believe personal factors, rather than racial discrimination, explain why many African Americans have difficulty getting ahead in life.

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    Gen-Next: The Least Republican Generation

    That’s the proportion of voters ages 18-24 who cast their votes for Democratic candidates in the 2006 mid-term elections — a trend that appears to be continuing in the run-up to the 2008 presidential election.

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    Tempered Optimism about 2008

    Half of Americans say that as far as they are concerned, 2008 will be a better year than 2007, while 34% say it will be worse.

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    Most Important Event of ’07

    A plurality of Americans (23%) cite Iraq as the single most important news event of 2007, but significantly fewer named Iraq as the year’s top event than did so in 2006 (34%).