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Poll: Giuliani on top in possible 2010 Senate showdown.

(CNN) – A new poll of New York state voters indicates Rudy Giuliani leads incumbent Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in a hypothetical Senate race.

According to a Marist College survey released Thursday afternoon, 54 percent of registered voters in New York support the former New York City mayor for Senate, with four in 10 backing Gillibrand, a Democratic congresswoman from upstate New York who was appointed to fill Hillary Clinton's former Senate seat. Gillibrand is running in 2010 to serve the final two years of Clinton's term.

The poll indicates that Giuliani would top former New York State Gov. George Pataki 71 percent to 24 percent in a hypothetical Republican Senate primary next year. In September, Pataki wouldn't say if he was interested in making a bid for the senate seat held by Gillibrand. Earlier this year, fellow Republican Rep. Peter King officially announced that he would not challenge Gillbrand next year.

According to the poll, Giuliani leads Gillibrand overwhelmingly among registered Republicans, tops her by 14 points among independents, and trails her by 26 points among registered Democrats. The survey indicates that New York City voters are divided between Giuliani and Gillibrand.

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(CNN) - With just hours to go until Election day, two new polls suggest New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine's in a statistical tie with his Republican challenger, Chris Christie.

According to a Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind survey released Monday afternoon, 43 percent of likely New Jersey voters back Corzine, the Democratic incumbent fighting for a second term, and 41 percent support Christie, the former federal prosecutor in the Garden State. Eight percent back independent candidate Chris Daggett, and 7 percent support other candidates, or are undecided.

Corzine's 2-point advantage is well within the poll's sampling error. Christie was up 2 points over Corzine in a Fairleigh Dickenson University survey released Friday.
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The survey indicates Brown leads Newsom by 31 points in Southern California.

(CNN) – Eight months before California's primary, a new poll suggests that Jerry Brown, the state's sitting attorney general and former governor, holds a 20-point lead over San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom in the battle for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.

The survey, by Field Research Corporation, indicates that the fight for the GOP nomination is up in the air, with nearly half of Republican primary voters undecided.

According to the Field poll, 47 percent of Democratic primary voters support Brown, while 27 percent back Newsom, with just over one in four undecided. Brown, who served two terms as California governor from 1975 to 1983, has not formally declared his candidacy.

The survey indicates Brown leads Newsom by 31 points in Southern California, but by just 5 points in the northern part of the state, where Newsom is better known. The poll also suggests a generational divide, wtih the much-younger Newsom leading by nine points among voters 39 and younger. According to the survey, Brown holds a 30-point advantage among voters age 40 to 64, and he has a 45-point lead among those 65 and older.

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Republican challenger Chris Christie, left, trails New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, right, by a single point in a new poll out Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – A month before Election Day, New Jersey’s Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine is now in a virtual tie with his Republican challenger, according to a new poll out Tuesday.

Forty-four percent of likely New Jersey voters support Corzine while 43 percent support Republican Chris Christie. Four percent say they will vote for independent candidate Chris Daggett, and five percent are undecided.

“With the start of an advertising blitz and the raw exposure of the debate [last week], the race has tightened to a dead heat,” said Peter Woolley, director of the Fairleigh Dickinson University Public Mind poll released Tuesday.

In a Fairleigh Dickinson survey released a month ago, Christie held a 5 point lead over Corzine, 47 percent to 42 percent, in a two-person race, with 6 percent unsure. Christie was also ahead by 6 points in the Fairleigh Dickinson poll conducted in July.

Tuesday’s survey of 667 likely New Jersey voters statewide and was conducted by telephone from September 28 through October 5 and has a sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points.

President Obama held a health care town hall in New Hampshire Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - As President Barack Obama's health care proposals face opposition at town halls across the country, a new poll indicates American's opinions of how Obama is handling the issue have not changed.

Forty-three percent of people questioned in a Gallup national survey released Wednesday say they approve of how the president's handling health care, with 49 percent opposed.

The 43 percent approval rating is down just one point from a Gallup poll conducted in the middle of July. The 49 percent who oppose the president is also down a point from last month's survey. That's well within the poll's sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points.

The new Gallup poll was conducted August 6-9, as lawmakers were beginning their summer recess, and as coverage of people at town halls protesting the president's health care reform proposals increased across the media.

"The good news for the White House is that the town hall protests have not affected views of Obama," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "The bad news for the White House is that a plurality of Americans had a negative view of Obama on health care before the town hall protests began."

One thousand and ten people were questioned by telephone for the Gallup poll.

New Jersey Democrat Gov. Jon Corzine trails his Republican challenger by 9 points in a new poll out Tuesday.

(CNN) - A new poll suggests that New Jersey voters overwhelming say government corruption is a problem.

Ninety-three percent of people questioned in a Quinnipiac University survey released Tuesday morning say government corruption is a "somewhat serious" or "very serious" problem and 65 percent of voters say the recent wave of arrests embarrasses them as New Jersey residents.

Last month an FBI operation netted 44 people in a fake cash for development sting. One assemblyman and two mayors arrested in the sweep have resigned, and other resignations could follow.

"Is corruption a big problem? Wow, is it! Almost everyone in New Jersey thinks so. And two thirds feel personally embarrassed to live in a state where politicians are pictured in handcuffs," says Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "More than half associate corruption with the Democratic party. Almost a third say both parties share the blame. Republicans pretty much get a pass."

The corruption story could have a major impact on New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine's battle this year for re-election against Republican challenger Chris Christie.

In the poll, the Democratic incumbent trails the former federal prosecutor 51 percent to 42 percent. That nine point deficit is down from 12 points in a Quinnpiac University poll conducted last month.

In a three way contest, which includes Independent candidate Christopher Daggett, Corzine trails Christie 46 percent to 40 percent, with Daggett grabbing seven percent. Corzine's six point deficit in the three way showdown is down from nine points last month.
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A new poll is out with favorable rating for Nevada Republican Sen. John Ensign.

(CNN) - A new poll of Nevada voters suggests that Senator John Ensign's favorable rating among people in his home state is plunging since he admitted to an extramarital affair.

Thirty-nine percent of people questioned in a Las Vegas Review-Journal survey conducted by Mason Dixon Polling and Research Inc. have a positive view of Ensign. That's down 14 points from a month ago. Thirty-seven percent say they regard Ensign unfavorably, up 19 points from May.

But the poll suggests that 62 percent do not think Ensign should resign from the Senate over his admission of infidelity, with 29 percent saying he should step down.

The poll was conducted Thursday and Friday. On Tuesday Ensign announced the nine month long affair with a married campaign staffer. The senator says he and his wife have reconciled.

Ensign is not up for re-election until 2012.
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Three new polls are out about the president's job approval.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Three new national polls suggest that President Barack Obama is more popular than his policies. And two of those surveys, by NBC-Wall Street Journal and CBS-New York Times, also indicate that concerns over the massive federal deficit are growing.

Sixty-three percent of those questioned in the CBS-New York Times poll, which was released Wednesday night, approve of the job Obama's doing as president, down 5 points from April.

But when asked about specifics, his approval rating drops. Fifty-seven percent in the survey say they approve of how the President's dealing with the economy, 44 percent give Obama a thumbs up on health care reform and 41 percent approve of how he's handling the problems of the U.S. auto industry. The poll also indicates that only three in 10 think Obama has a clear plan for dealing with the nation's deficit.

CNN Radio: Paul Steinhauser breaks down the numbers

The NBC-Wall Street Journal survey, also released Wednesday night, makes the same point. The president's overall approval in that poll stands at 56 percent, down five points from April. But only about half of those questioned approve of how he's handling the economy, and 56 percent oppose Obama's plan to provide financial aid to General Motors.

The president's approval rating stands at 61 percent in a Pew Research Center poll, down two points from their April survey. Just over half of those questioned in the poll , released Thursday, approve of how Obama's handling the economy, and 47 percent support his handling of the auto makers.

"Personally, President Obama's more popular than his policies. Americans have a high level of confidence in the president but people don't believe many of his policies have worked yet. There's a wait-and-see attitude," says CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider.

Asked Thursday about the new polls, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said "I think the president would tell you that he's going to do what's in the best interest of the American economy. Some of those things will be more popular than others. I think the American people are rightly anxious and concerned about the economy, just as the president is."
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A new Quinnipiac University poll surveys Catholic voters.

(CNN) – An overwhelming majority of Catholic voters say the University of Notre Dame should not revoke its invitation for President Obama to speak at the school's commencement ceremonies this weekend.

In a new survey released by Quinnipiac University, 60 percent of Catholic voters are against rescinding the invitation while 34 percent are for it. Among voters as a whole, 56 percent don't think the Catholic school should take back the invite while 31 percent do.

Some Notre Dame Students and alumni have expressed outrage the Catholic school invited Obama to be the commence speaker because of the president's views on abortion and stem cell research.

About 65,000 people have also signed an online petition protesting the address, saying his views "directly contradict" Catholic teachings.

The poll also surveyed Catholic voters' views on abortion compared to the population as a whole. Among the findings, according to Quinipiac:

-15 percent of all voters, including 13 percent of Catholics and 10 percent of observant Catholics, say abortion should be legal in all cases

-37 percent of all voters, including 37 percent of Catholics and 19 percent of observant Catholics, say abortion should be legal in most cases

-27 percent of all voters, including 28 percent of Catholics and 40 percent of observant Catholics, say abortion should be illegal in most cases

-14 percent of all voters, including 16 percent of Catholics and 26 percent of observant Catholics, say abortion should be illegal in all cases

According to an analysis from by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, 54 percent of Catholics voted for Obama in 2008, roughly the same percentage as those who voted for President Bush in 2004.

The poll surveyed 2,041 registered voters between April 21-27 and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

President Barack Obama Tuesday said that it will be up to Attorney General Eric Holder to decide whether or not to prosecute the former officials for legally allowing the techniques that many view as torture.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Americans appear to be split on whether former Bush administration officials who drew up the legal basis for interrogation techniques used on terror suspects should be criminally prosecuted.

President Barack Obama Tuesday left open the possibility of such criminal prosecution, saying that it will be up to Attorney General Eric Holder to decide whether or not to prosecute the former officials for legally allowing the techniques that many view as torture.

Thirty-eight percent of people questioned in a national poll conducted by Gallup two and a half months ago favored a criminal investigation by the Justice Department into the possible use of torture during the interrogation of terror suspects. Another 24 percent favored an investigation by an independent panel that would issue a report of findings but not seek any criminal charges. Thirty-four percent opposed both a criminal investigation or an independent panel investigation.

An ABC News-Washington Post poll conducted about a week earlier, in mid January, also indicated that Americans were split on the issue. Half of those questioned favored investigations, while 47 percent opposed.

Both surveys found a partisan split, with Democrats generally calling for investigations and Republicans mostly opposed.

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If Gov. Crist does decide to give up his current job and run for the Senate, the survey indicates he's far ahead of any other possible Republican primary contender.

(CNN) – Floridians message to their governor appears to be "we love you just the way you are," according to a new poll of Sunshine State voters.

Forty-two percent of people questioned in a Quinnipiac University survey released Thursday they they'd prefer that Florida Gov. Charlie Crist seek re-election next year rather than run for the U.S. Senate. That's 16 points higher than the 26 percent who would like Crist to forgo a re-election bid and run for the Senate seat opening up by the retirement of incumbent senator and fellow Republican Mel Martinez. That sentiment is consistent among Republicans, Democrats, and Independents.

Sixty four percent of Florida voters questioned in the poll have a favorable opinion of Crist and 53 percent approve of the way the governor is handling the economy.

If Crist does decide to give up his current job and run for the Senate, the survey indicates he's far ahead of any other possible Republican primary contender.

A Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday suggests that 58 percent of voters believe the governor should be re-elected if he chooses to run for a second term.

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The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey suggests that most people support the president's plans in Afghanistan - up to a point.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – A new poll indicates Americans don't agree with former Vice President Dick Cheney's recent assertion that President Barack Obama's actions have increased the chances of a terrorist attack against the United States.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey also suggests that most people support the president's plans in Afghanistan - up to a point.

Seventy-two percent of those questioned in the poll released Monday disagree with Cheney's view that some of Obama's actions have put the country at greater risk, with 26 percent agreeing with the former vice president.

In a March 15 interview on CNN's "State of the Union with John King," Cheney said the Bush administration's anti-terror strategies "were absolutely essential to the success we enjoyed of being able to collect the intelligence that led us to defeat all further attempts to launch attacks against the United States since 9/11."

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Do Americans back a plan to relax some of the current restrictions on Cuba?

WASHINGTON (CNN) – President Obama is getting ready to visit to the Summit of the Americas next week amid rising reports the administration is planning to announce new rules on family travel and remittances to Cuba. Do Americans back a plan to relax some of the current restrictions on that island nation?

A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Friday suggests the answer is yes. Nearly two thirds think the United States should lift its ban on travel by U.S. citizens to Cuba. And seven in ten think it's time to re-establish diplomatic relations with that country.

" Republicans as well as Democrats favor re-establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "On the issue of lifting travel restrictions, Republicans are evenly divided, while Independents and Democrats support the change."

The CNN/ORC telephone poll of 1,023 Americans was conducted April 3-5 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Congress has appropriated $700 million in aid to Mexico to help that country battle drug violence, and more may be on the way.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Congress has appropriated $700 million in aid to Mexico to help that country battle drug violence, and more may be on the way. A new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll suggests Americans may strongly support a response that goes beyond money: three in four favor sending U.S. troops to the border to deal with the crisis.

Last month, the Obama administration announced a crackdown on border violence and on the smuggling of cash and weapons into Mexico, a step that could mark an end to a nasty blame game over where responsibility for the violence lies.
The CNN/ORC telephone poll of 1,023 Americans was conducted April 3-5 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the fighting "a terrible law-enforcement problem" in U.S. cities along the Mexican border, but said it does not yet pose a major threat to overall U.S. security.

"This is more about trying to act proactively," she said in an interview with CNN's Jill Dougherty in Mexico City. "We need to help them, or we'll see the results in our own country."

"Sending U.S. troops to the border with Mexico is a popular suggestion," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Six in ten liberals support that move, along with more than eight in ten conservatives."

Has public opinion shifted on gun control?

(CNN) - Has public opinion shifted on gun control?

Yes. And in a very surprising way.

Binghamton . . . Pittsburgh . . . Oakland . . . Samson, Alabama . . . Carthage, North Carolina . . . sensational incidents of gun violence all over the country.

Are we seeing an impact on public opinion?

Since 2001, a majority of Americans has favored stricter gun laws. Though support has been trending slightly down. Eight years ago, 54 percent of Americans wanted stricter gun laws compared to 50 percent in 2007, according to a Gallup poll.

And now? A sharp, sudden drop. Only 39 percent of Americans now favor stricter gun laws.

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(CNN) - Nearly six in ten Americans think that Obama administration officials should hold diplomatic talks with Iran without that country first making significant changes in its policies.  Four in ten say that the administration should not hold talks with Iran until significant changes are made.  Only about one in five view Iran as an immediate threat to the United States, although an additional 60 percent say that Iran represents a long-term threat.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll of 1,023 Americans was conducted by telephone April 3-5, before Wednesday's announcement that the United States would participate in talks with Iran, and has a margin of error of +/- 4.5 percentage points.

Results after the jump

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Americans are almost evenly split over whether to take military action against North Korea for this past weekend's missile launch.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Americans are almost evenly split over whether to take military action against North Korea for this past weekend's missile launch, but only one in four think the country poses an immediate threat, according to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll.

North Korea claims the launch of the long range missile was a success, but the United States and other nations have described it as a failure, and criticized the country for violating a 2006 U.N. Security Council resolution. The U.N. Security Council met Sunday, but took no action against North Korea.

A slim majority of Americans, 51 percent, said the U.S. should take military action against North Korea, while 46 percent of Americans opposed the use of military force against what is often described as the most isolated nation in the world. More than half, 58 percent, of Americans said that North Korea is a long term threat, while 25 percent described the nation as an immediate threat and 17 percent believes it poses no threat at all.

"Nearly nine in ten Americans have an unfavorable view of North Korea, making it just about the least popular country in the eyes of the American public," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "But far fewer Americans feel immediately threatened by North Korea, which may be one reason why the public is split on a military response to this weekend's developments."

The poll of 1,023 adult Americans was conducted APril 3-5. Most questions on North Korea were asked of roughly half the total sample, producing a sampling error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points for each question.

The president is in Turkey Monday meeting with that country's lawmakers.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - President Barack Obama earned high marks for diplomacy during his first overseas trip, and a majority of Americans think that he will return home Tuesday with some accomplishments in his pocket.

A large majority, 79 percent, said people in other countries will have a more positive view of the U.S. because of Obama, while only 19 percent said it would be more negative, according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll released Monday.

Asked whether Obama has accomplished anything on his trip, 16 percent said that he had accomplished a great deal, while 45 percent thought he had accomplished a fair amount during this trip that took him to the European Union Summit in the Czech Republic, the G20 Summit in England, and the NATO Summit in France.

"The American public seems to think that Obama's primary achievement on his trip so far was increasing goodwill rather than winning specific concessions from other countries," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Obama seems to have made a good first impression on the world stage, and Americans appear to have noticed."

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President Barack Obama stood before the Turkish Parliament Monday and told lawmakers that the Muslim nation is 'a critical ally.'

WASHINGTON (CNN) – President Barack Obama stood before the Turkish Parliament Monday and told lawmakers that the Muslim nation is "a critical ally," but Americans are split about the level of trust the U.S. should have with Muslim allies.

A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll released Monday shows that 51 percent of Americans believe the U.S. should trust Muslim allies the same as any other ally, but 48 percent said the U.S. should trust Muslim allies less.

The poll was released as Obama spent the day in Turkey, a NATO ally and the first Muslim country the president has visited since being sworn into office in January.
Despite some concerns about Muslim allies in general, Americans have a favorable view of Turkey. The poll showed that 61 percent of Americans looked favorably upon Turkey, while 34 percent had an unfavorable opinion of that country.

"U.S. relations with Turkey were strained during the Bush era, when the Turks refused to let U.S. troops invade Iraq from Turkish territory, and that drove Turkey's favorable rating below 50 percent," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "It looks like some Americans have either forgiven or forgotten what happened in 2003."

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majority of Americans don't think gay marriages should be legal

WASHINGTON (CNN) – A majority of Americans don't think gay marriages should be legal.

Fifty-five percent of Americans questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll conducted in December said that same sex marriages should not be recognized by law as valid. Forty-four percent said gay marriages should be legal.

A Newsweek poll also conducted in December had similar results.

"Women and young people are more in favor of same sex marriage than men and senior citizens," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Americans who attended college are also more likely to favor it."

The Iowa Supreme Court Friday unanimously rejected a state law that banned same-sex marriage. The ruling stated that Iowa's 11 year old law limiting marriage to heterosexual couples went against the state's constitution.

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