Behind the Numbers - Public opinion in this country is everything.

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 01/01/2012

Rating 2012: Personally, for the country and for the world

By Peyton M. Craighill

Personally, for the country and for the world.

By Peyton M. Craighill | 07:00 AM ET, 01/01/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 02:44 PM ET, 12/30/2011

Poll watcher: Republican problems with Hispanic voters larger than ever

By Scott Clement

Fresh numbers from the Pew Hispanic Center show that Republicans have made little progress since 2008 in courting a fast-growing Hispanic voting bloc.

By Scott Clement | 02:44 PM ET, 12/30/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: 2012 polls, GOP nomination, Immigration

Posted at 11:39 AM ET, 12/29/2011

Poll watcher: Obama seen as liberal; Hispanics in 2012, Iowa roundup

By Scott Clement

57 percent majority of Americans see president’s political views as liberal, versus 23 percent who see him as a moderate and 15 percent as conservative, according to a USA Today/Gallup poll released Thursday.

By Scott Clement | 11:39 AM ET, 12/29/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: 2012 polls, Barack Obama, GOP nomination, methodology, Immigration

Posted at 06:15 PM ET, 12/28/2011

CNN: Gingrich’s Iowa slide

By Jon Cohen

Big Gingrich slump in Iowa, from 33 percent in early December poll to 14 percent in new poll, plus other notable changes.

By Jon Cohen | 06:15 PM ET, 12/28/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:30 PM ET, 12/23/2011

Poll watcher: public views of the tax showdown

By Peyton M. Craighill

Public views of the tax debate, Ron Paul’s Iowa move and Obama’s approval bump mark a busy week before Christmas in public opinion polling.

By Peyton M. Craighill | 12:30 PM ET, 12/23/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Behind the Numbers, Barack Obama, GOP nomination

Posted at 03:34 PM ET, 12/21/2011

GOP contenders split on Iran, what about voters?

By Scott Clement

Republican presidential hopefuls clashed fiercely over Iran’s nuclear ambitions in the final debate before the Iowa caucuses, with Ron Paul staking out a position of non-intervention at odds with the others. But both sides may be out of step with GOP voters on the issue.

By Scott Clement | 03:34 PM ET, 12/21/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: International polls, GOP nomination

Posted at 12:16 PM ET, 12/21/2011

What lies beneath those robes? Politics?

By Danny Hayes

Many Americans view the court system as politicized. And this leads people to prefer an appointment process that considers a justice’s ideological and political stances.

By Danny Hayes | 12:16 PM ET, 12/21/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 12/21/2011

Third way appeal in 2012?

By Peyton M. Craighill

In theory, the idea of an independent candidate running for president has broad appeal, but a few frequently mentioned contenders appear less alluring.

By Peyton M. Craighill | 07:00 AM ET, 12/21/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Behind the Numbers, GOP nomination

Posted at 06:02 PM ET, 12/20/2011

Paul stronger in new poll, but challenges await

By Scott Clement

A new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds Texas Rep. Ron Paul’s support has spiked among some key Republican groups.

By Scott Clement | 06:02 PM ET, 12/20/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: GOP nomination, 2012 polls

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 12/20/2011

Poll: Paul as third party candidate could doom GOP in 2012

By Scott Clement

Should Ron Paul fall short of winning the GOP nod and opt to run as a third-party candidate, a Post-ABC news poll finds he could seriously shake up the 2012 political calculus, largely to Obama’s benefit.

By Scott Clement | 07:00 AM ET, 12/20/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: 2012 polls, GOP nomination

Posted at 05:17 PM ET, 12/19/2011

Washington Post-ABC poll: Obama’s winter thaw

By Peyton M. Craighill

It’s not yet Christmas, but President Obama’s chilly job approval ratings over the fall have thawed a little. Just under half the country — 49 percent — approves of the job he is doing in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll; 47 percent disapprove.

By Peyton M. Craighill | 05:17 PM ET, 12/19/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Barack Obama

Posted at 12:13 PM ET, 12/16/2011

Poll watcher: Gingrich slides in national, Iowa polls

By Scott Clement

Newt Gingrich's support in the race for the Republican presidential nomination has fallen quickly since early December.

By Scott Clement | 12:13 PM ET, 12/16/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: GOP nomination, 2012 polls, Barack Obama

Posted at 03:08 PM ET, 12/15/2011

Debates far more level terrain than polls

By Jon Cohen

Do lower-tier Republican candidates have bias in debates to blame for their standing in the polls? A look at the data assembled by The Post’s graphics team says no, not really.

By Jon Cohen | 03:08 PM ET, 12/15/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Congress, Federal Budget Deficit

Posted at 12:43 PM ET, 12/15/2011

Poll watcher: Most support keeping payroll tax cut

By Scott Clement

Fully 58 percent of Americans say Congress should vote to extend the temporary payroll tax deduction passed last year in an Associated Press-GfK poll.

By Scott Clement | 12:43 PM ET, 12/15/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Congress, Federal Budget Deficit

Posted at 04:00 PM ET, 12/14/2011

Poll watcher: Will attacks on Obama’s foreign policy hold water?

By Scott Clement

How thick is Obama’s Teflon on foreign affairs? Beyond terrorism, polls show, he may be vulnerable.

By Scott Clement | 04:00 PM ET, 12/14/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Barack Obama, International polls, GOP nomination

Posted at 11:29 AM ET, 12/14/2011

Poll watcher: GOP voters still unsure of candidates

By Scott Clement

Three weeks before the first contest in the GOP primary race, most Republican voters have yet to fully commit to any one candidate.

By Scott Clement | 11:29 AM ET, 12/14/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: GOP nomination, 2012 polls

Posted at 07:02 AM ET, 12/14/2011

Poll: Obama favorable ratings hold steady

By Peyton M. Craighill

President Obama draws only about even on the most basic rating for a political figure: 48 percent of all Americans see him favorably, and 49 percent unfavorably in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

By Peyton M. Craighill | 07:02 AM ET, 12/14/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Behind the Numbers, Barack Obama

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 12/14/2011

Poll: Gingrich’s negative ratings tick upward

By Peyton M. Craighill and Jon Cohen

Newt Gingrich may be rising in the pitched battle for the Republican presidential nomination, but negative views of the former House speaker have crept higher among all Americans, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Still, the movement isn’t likely to bring an early end to his candidacy as his ratings among Republicans hold steady.

By Peyton M. Craighill and Jon Cohen | 07:00 AM ET, 12/14/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Behind the Numbers, GOP nomination

Posted at 02:34 PM ET, 12/13/2011

Poll watcher: Swing states less friendly to Obama in 2012

By Scott Clement

A poll of 12 swing states finds the Republican Party in a stronger position than in 2008, when Obama ran the table in each contest.

By Scott Clement | 02:34 PM ET, 12/13/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: 2012 polls, Barack Obama

Posted at 08:58 AM ET, 12/13/2011

Are Iowa ads a waste of money?

By Danny Hayes

Political science research suggests the ads potential Iowa caucus-goers are seeing this week won’t have much impact on the outcome.

By Danny Hayes | 08:58 AM ET, 12/13/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:45 PM ET, 12/12/2011

Poll watcher: Unemployment drop no salve for Obama

By Scott Clement

Fewer Americans are hearing negative news about the economy, but there’s no apparent benefit for broader views of the U.S. economy, or for President Obama.

By Scott Clement | 12:45 PM ET, 12/12/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Barack Obama, Presidential Approval, Economy, GOP nomination

Posted at 03:37 PM ET, 12/09/2011

Poll watcher: Fire Congress, but not my congressman

By Scott Clement

A record high 76 percent of Americans say most members of Congress don’t deserve to be re-elected.

By Scott Clement | 03:37 PM ET, 12/09/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Congress, 2012 polls

Posted at 12:40 PM ET, 12/08/2011

Poll watcher: Republican enthusiasm gap shrinks

By Scott Clement

The wide gap in voter enthusiasm that favored Republicans in September has been more than halved, according to a new Gallup poll.

By Scott Clement | 12:40 PM ET, 12/08/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: 2012 polls, GOP nomination

Posted at 05:06 PM ET, 12/07/2011

Poll watcher: Does Israel matter in U.S. elections?

By Scott Clement

Obama and Republicans have repeatedly clashed over policy towards Israel. The entire hubbub raises a critical question: How important is Israel as a voting issue?

By Scott Clement | 05:06 PM ET, 12/07/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: International polls, 2012 polls, GOP nomination

Posted at 12:05 PM ET, 12/07/2011

Five things we know about Iowa voters

By Scott Clement

Pollsters rained an impressive 10,000-plus phone calls on Iowa to try and understand how Hawkeye state Republicans will decide the first electoral event in the 2012 cycle.

By Scott Clement | 12:05 PM ET, 12/07/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: GOP nomination

Posted at 04:09 PM ET, 12/06/2011

Where Iowa holdouts stand on candidates

By Scott Clement

A new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds the Iowa Republican race taking shape, but the outcome of the race may ultimately be decided by undecided caucus goers.

By Scott Clement | 04:09 PM ET, 12/06/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: GOP nomination

Posted at 02:08 PM ET, 12/06/2011

Immigration and the Iowa Republican caucus

By Peyton M. Craighill

The candidates who’ve stepped away from blanket opposition to illegal immigrants are not being punished, says a new poll of likely Iowa Republican caucus-goers.

By Peyton M. Craighill | 02:08 PM ET, 12/06/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: GOP nomination

Posted at 12:00 PM ET, 12/06/2011

GOP contest sparks deteriorating views of party’s candidates

By Jon Cohen

Americans’ views of the Republican candidates for president – as a group -- are getting worse, not better, as the campaign intensifies, according to a new poll.

By Jon Cohen | 12:00 PM ET, 12/06/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 12/06/2011

GOP Iowa race — by the numbers

By Scott Clement

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich leads the Republican race in Iowa with 33 percent support in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, with Mitt Romney and Ron Paul trailing at 18 percent apiece. Digging into the poll data among all potential caucus participants reveals distinct constituencies for each of the three top Hawkeye state contenders.

By Scott Clement | 07:00 AM ET, 12/06/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: GOP nomination

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 12/05/2011

Obama’s unemployment comeback?

By Scott Clement

Friday’s big drop in the unemployment rate to the lowest level since early 2009 comes as welcome news to President Obama, but are these numbers enough to bring him up from below sea level?

By Scott Clement | 07:00 AM ET, 12/05/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Barack Obama, Economy, Presidential Approval

Posted at 09:15 AM ET, 12/02/2011

What lies beneath those robes? Politics?

By Danny Hayes

Many Americans view the court system as politicized. And this leads people to prefer an appointment process that considers a justice’s ideological and political stances.

By Danny Hayes | 09:15 AM ET, 12/02/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 09:15 AM ET, 12/02/2011

What influences public views on Iran action?

By Danny Hayes

Study show that political elites’ views would significantly affect public support for military action against Iran.

By Danny Hayes | 09:15 AM ET, 12/02/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Barack Obama, International polls

Posted at 03:25 PM ET, 12/01/2011

Poll watcher: Republicans split on global warming; health-care reform and GOP intensity

By Scott Clement

A new poll reveals a growing internal divide within the GOP between conservatives and moderates, as well as between tea party and non-tea party Republicans.

By Scott Clement | 03:25 PM ET, 12/01/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Republican Party, Health care, GOP nomination

Posted at 11:24 AM ET, 12/01/2011

New contributors to Behind the Numbers

By Jon Cohen

We are happy to introduce three new contributors to Behind the Numbers: Starting in December, political science professors John Sides, Danny Hayes and Daniel Hopkins will showcase their expertise on BTN.

By Jon Cohen | 11:24 AM ET, 12/01/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 11/11/2011

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By | 07:00 AM ET, 11/11/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Behind the Numbers

Behind the Numbers: January, 2012