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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.

13 Oct 2011 10:23

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Politics: Frontrunner? Herman Cain leapfrogs Romney in new 2012 poll

And it’s a big leap, too: Cain is at a solid 27 percent in the NBC News/WSJ poll, with Romney at 23 percent and Perry way behind with 16 percent. This despite the fact that Romney won handily on Tuesday. source

04 Oct 2011 20:42

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Politics: Suddenly surging in the polls: Herman Cain. Herman Cain?!

  • He’s tied with Mitt Romney for first in one poll and ahead of Rick Perry in another. Months ago, Herman Cain‘s presidential campaign seemed like something of an underdog, with many people unaware of the former pizza chain executive. Now, with multiple straw-poll wins under his belt, the non-politician is within shouting distance of the lead. RealClearPolitics has him in third place, but if you take out the two oldest polls listed, he rises to second, ahead of Rick Perry, thanks in part to consistent poll numbers and Perry’s own faltering of late. Cain’s worth watching, suddenly. Wow. (photo via Gage Skidmore) source

18 Apr 2011 11:25

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World: Poll: Japanese people want PM Naoto Kan to step down over quake

  • 70% of those polled think Naoto Kan should step down source
  • » A revolving door: Were Naoto Kan to step down, he’d be the fifth prime minister in a row to step down or lose an election after a year or less on the job. From Shinzō Abe to Yasuo Fukuda to Taro Aso and Yukio Hatoyama, the job has not proven a stable one. And Kan is nearing his one-year mark in the position. But none of his recent predecessors had to deal with a crisis nearly as crazy as the double-teaming of Fukushima and the Sendai quake.

08 Apr 2011 13:25

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Politics: GRAPHIC: People split on potential Planned Parenthood cuts

  • And this, friends, is why Chartwell is awesome and just earned our $40. We were able to make this graphic in less than 20 minutes. And fortunately, our timing couldn’t be better. See, our boy Harry Reid says that the budget crisis is basically down to Planned Parenthood’s federal funding at this point. Here’s a poll from last week explaining how most people feel about the funding issue. When you break it down to likely voters, though, it starts to get messier — with 39 percent supporting the cuts, 29 percent opposed and a whopping 32 percent uncertain. source

28 Oct 2010 10:03

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Politics: Meg Whitman’s money may not win California’s governor’s race

  • 49% of folks plan to give Jerry Brown another whirl as governor
  • 39% plan to take Meg Whitman’s eBay know-how into the governor’s chair
  • 12% plan to vote for Arnold again even though he’s not running source

15 Oct 2010 11:04

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U.S.: Know what isn’t being talked about right now? The Afghan War

  • 3% of people think the Afghan War is the most important issue source
  • » Blindsided by the economy: In the wake of the huge economic problems the country is facing, just 23 percent of people are following the Afghan War closely, versus 43 percent of people following the economy. This despite the fact that nearly 100,000 troops are over there and the U.S. has spent hundreds of billions of dollars there.
 

25 Sep 2010 10:32

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Politics: Obama’s approval rating hits a brand-new low

  • 56% think Obama isn’t a very good president and sucks and stuff
  • 42%think Obama is in fact still a good president – this specific number is at an all-time low
  • 2%don’t really think about the news that much, apparently source

16 Sep 2010 10:46

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Politics: Poll: Sarah Palin and Tea Party not all that well-liked

  • 46% of Americans don’t really like Sarah Palin all that much
  • 33%don’t know what to think about the ultra-influential Palin
  • 21% of Americans have a favorable view of Sarah Palin source
  • » The Tea Party’s in a similar boat: In fact, the Modern Tea Party has an even smaller favorability rating, with just 19 percent of people giving them a thumbs-up. But as proven this week, they have the power to win primaries. And it’s not like Congress has spectacularly high approval ratings, either, guys.

29 Jul 2010 09:00

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Politics: Why immigration has been fruitful for Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer

  • 66% of Arizonans support the measure that got cut back yesterday
  • 53% of Arizonans suport her for reelection, according to a recent poll
  • 35% of Arizonans support opponent Terry Goddard instead source