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28 Dec 2011 14:32

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Politics: Obama, Clinton headline Gallup’s “most admired” list

  • women Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has seized the top spot in Gallup’s “most admired” list for 2011, for the second consecutive year. Other notables: Michelle Obama (2nd), Sarah Palin (4th), Michele Bachmann (10th).
  • men President Barack Obama also led for the second consecutive year, taking the top spot in the men’s category. Other notables: George W. Bush (2nd), Newt Gingrich (6th),   Donald Trump (7th), Catholic Pope Benedict XVI (8th). source

15 Dec 2011 11:39

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U.S.: Death penalty: Statistics show significant decline in support, enactment

  • 78 number of death sentences handed out in 2011, which is way down from last year
  • 43 number of executions that happened nationwide this year; that’s down by three
  • 13 number of executions in Texas, the state with the most; they were also down from 2010 source
  • » A decline in the overall numbers: According to the Death Penalty Information Center, the death sentence number is the smallest since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. And public support is starting to fade: According to stats from Gallup, support for the death penalty is at its lowest level in nearly 40 years. Opposition is at its highest level since 1972. Keep this in mind when Rick Perry leads a crowd to cheers during a discussion about the death penalty. Or when cases like Troy Davis‘ widely-contested execution build support against the death penalty.

14 Aug 2011 20:25

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Politics: Rock bottom? Gallup poll has Obama approval rating below 40 percent

  • His worst showing ever: President Obama isn’t exactly well-liked these days. With an approval rating hovering below 40 percent according to Gallup, Obama’s feeling the compounding hurt of a debt ceiling crisis that left no politician unscathed, an economy that refuses to let up, and a stock market that looks like it’s gonna hurl any second. But the thing is, he’s still doing better than Congress. According to this RealClearPolitics average of approval ratings for Congress, they’re hovering around 16.8 percent. RCP has Obama averaging 43.4 percent — with the Gallup number by far the lowest. We know who won the Toilet Bowl, guys! source

31 Aug 2010 09:03

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Politics: “Republican candidate” looking pretty darn good this year

  • Gallup’s latest poll of generic candidates favors the GOP big time. While there’s a difference between John McCain and Sharron Angle, the fact of the matter is that the most recent result is the most extreme showing in the 69-year history of this particular poll. And the lead has doubled in recent weeks, too. Which leads one to think Democrats are going to be screwed in November.
  • 10% the lead over “Democratic candidate” in the latest poll
  • 7% the lead in the same generic poll as of two weeks ago
  • 5% the lead in the same generic poll as of one month ago source

11 Feb 2010 21:17

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Politics: Poll: Obama’s chances in 2012 are completely up in the air

  • 44% of respondents say they’d vote for Obama again in 2012
  • 42% of respondents would rather vote for an anonymous “Republican candidate”
  • 14% support a fringe candidate or don’t care one way or the other source

12 Feb 2009 10:13

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Tech: In the court of public opinion, Darwin’s wrong

  • 39% of people believe in evolution, according to a new Gallup poll. There’s a lot of indifference: 36% don’t have an opinion on Darwin. source