As 2009 comes to an end, about half of the country is giving President Barack Obama a thumbs up.

Washington (CNN) – As 2009 comes to an end, about half of the country is giving President Barack Obama a thumbs-up.

According to a CNN Poll of Polls compiled and released Thursday, Obama's approval rating in polls taken in the past week averages out to 50 percent, with 44 percent saying they disapprove.

"Obama's average approval rating was at 52 percent or 53 percent every week from early October to mid-November. Each week since then, his average approval rating has been between 48 percent and 50 percent," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "The bad news for the White House is that his current rating is down by roughly 15 points since the start of the year. The good news is that it appears to have stabilized as the end of the year approaches."

Since scientific polling began more than seven decades ago, only one popularly-elected president has ended his first calendar year in office with an approval rating below 50 percent.

Ronald Reagan's approval rating dipped to 49 percent in December 1981, and stayed below 50 percent for two years - but he won re-election in a landslide, says Holland. By contrast, Jimmy Carter and the elder George Bush had approval ratings well over 50 percent in December of their first year in the White House, but lost their re-election bids. "So the first-year approval ratings don't appear to have any predictive value when it comes to re-election prospects," said Holland.

The CNN Poll of Polls on how Obama is handling his job overall consists of an average of six surveys conducted within the last week: NBC/Wall Street Journal (Dec. 11-14), the Gallup tracking (Dec. 13-15), AP/GfK (Dec. 10-14), ABC/Washington Post (Dec. 10-13), Pew (Dec. 9-13), and Fox (Dec. 8-9). The Poll of Polls does not have a sampling error.

Four of the six surveys in the overall Poll of Polls also asked about the president's handling of the economy, the number one issue on the minds of Americans. According to an average of those four polls, 45 percent approve of how Obama's dealing with the economy, while half of the public disapproves.

Four of the six surveys also asked about Afghanistan. According to the CNN Poll of Polls, 50 percent, on average, approve of how Obama's handling that conflict, with 43 percent disapproving.

Three of the surveys asked how the president's dealing with health care reform. According to the CNN Poll of Polls, 44 percent approve of Obama's handling of health care, with 51 percent giving him a thumbs down.

The president's approval drops even lower for the budget deficit. Three of the surveys asked about the deficit, and the CNN Poll of Polls indicates 37 percent approve of Obama's handling of the issue, with 54 percent disapproving.

–Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

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.

The Marist College poll was conducted November 12, 16 and 17, with 805 registered New York state voters questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

The poll's release comes as a spokeswoman for Giuliani says the former mayor has not made up his mind about running for New York governor next year. Maria Comella was responding to a Thurday New York Times report that quoted unnamed sources saying Giuliani had decided not to run for New York governor in 2010.

There's speculation that if Giuliani decided against a run for governor, he might consider making a bid for the Senate. Top New York Republicans have reportedly urged Giuliani to run for the Senate in 2010.

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

(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.

According to a Quinnipiac University survey released Monday morning, 42 percent of likely New Jersey voters back Christie, with 40 percent supporting Corzine, and 12 percent backing Daggett. Six percent of likely voter in that poll remain undecided.

Christie's 2 point advantage is also well within the poll's sampling error. A Quinnpiac survey released last Wednesday had indicated that Corzine held a 5 point lead, not quite large enough to be statistically significant in that poll.

Most surveys in New Jersey over the past seven weeks have suggested that Corzine and Christie were deadlocked, with Daggett polling in the low double digits.

The poll indicates that 38 percent of Daggett supporters say they might change their mind. Thirty-nine percent say Corzine is their second choice, while 29 percent say Christie is number two. Only one in ten Christie backers and just 13 percent of Corzine backers say they might change their mind.

"Daggett is the key to an incredibly close New Jersey election," says Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

"In most races - including the one in Virginia this year - the outcome hinges on turnout," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "But in New Jersey, the outcome is likely to be determined by the size of the vote for minor-party candidates. If turnout is relatively high but all the extra voters choose an independent candidate, that won't affect the margin between the Democrat and the Republican."

The Quinnipiac University poll was conducted October 27-November 1, with 1,533 New Jersey likely voters questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

The Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll was conducted October 22-November 1, with 1,119 New Jersey likely voters questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

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.

The poll indicates that the three GOP candidates are far less well-known than Brown or Newsom - which makes it understandable that 49 percent of California's Republicans are undecided in the race for their own party's gubernatorial nomination. Twenty-two percent say they support former eBay head Meg Whitman, with 20 percent backing former Rep. Tom Campbell and 9 percent supporting wins the support of State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner.

According to the survey, Brown holds significant, double-digit leads over each Republican candidate in hypothetical general election matchups. Newson is also ahead of each GOP hopeful, though the survey suggests his leads register in the single digits.

Term limits prevent the state's current governor, Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger, from running for a third term in 2010.

The California Field Poll was conducted September 18-October 5, with 1,005 California registered voters questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.

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.

The Quinnipiac University survey follow's last week's release of a Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey survey that indicated Christie had a 14 point lead over Corzine among likely voters in a three way race.

"All recent polls in New Jersey agree on one thing: Corzine continues to trail Christie. Any movement in these summertime polls may not be significant," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "The real question is whether Daggett, the independent candidiate, will take more support from the Republicans or the Democrats. The latest Quinnipiac poll seems to indicate that most of Dagget's supporters would vote for Christie in a two-way race."

The Quinnipiac University poll was conducted August 5-9, with 1,167 New Jersey likely voters questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.

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.

"His numbers have obviously dropped. He's obviously suffered damage because of this," says Mason-Dixon Managing Partner Brad Coker says in the Las Vegas Review Journal. "But it could be a lot worse for Ensign. The really significant question is that only 29 percent think he should resign right away. He does have the ability to stay on and turn this around."

The survey indicates that only 17 percent of Republicans want Ensign to step down. That number jumps to 40 percent among Democrats. One in four men think Ensign should resign. That rises to one in three women.

The two-term senator was considered a rising star within the Republican party. Earlier this month he spoke to a conservative group in Iowa, sparking speculation that he was considering a stab at the 2012 GOP presidential nomination. A day after admitting to an extramarital affair, Ensign resigned his position as head of the Republican Policy Committee, the fourth-ranking elected leadership position among Senate Republicans.

The poll suggests that even after dropping 14 points, Ensign's favorable rating is slightly higher than that of Nevada's senior senator, Democrat Harry Reid. Thirty-four percent of those questioned in the survey had a favorable view of the Senate Majority Leader. Only one in ten had a positive view of the state's extremely unpopular governor, Republican Jim Gibbons.

The Mason-Dixon Polling and Research Inc. survey was conducted Thursday and Friday, with 625 Nevada voters questioned by telephone. The poll's sampling error is plus or minus four percentage points.

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."

The NBC-Wall Street Journal poll suggests that the drop in the president's approval rating may be linked to sagging support from independent voters. Forty-six percent of independents questioned in the survey approve of the job Obama's doing in the White House, down 14 points from April. The president's approval rating among independents stands at 58 percent in CBS-New York Times poll.

"The key to Obama's margin of victory has always been his appeal to independent voters and his willingness to work across partisan lines. This decrease in support among independents is something the White House must be paying attention to because these voters are crucial," says CNN Senior Political Analyst Gloria Borger.

Both the NBC-Wall Street Journal and CBS-New York Times polls indicate a growing concern by Americans over the federal deficit. Nearly six in 10 in the NBC-Wall Street Journal poll feel that the White House and Congress should worry more about keeping the deficit down even if that means it will take longer for the country to rebound from the recession. Fifty-two percent of those questioned in the CBS-New York Times poll say its more important to focus on deficit reduction than spending to stimulate the economy, 9 points higher than those who say it's more important to concentrate on pumping up the economy.

"People are very worried about the deficit. They want attention paid to the deficit even if it slows down the recovery. These new polls also suggest that the view that the economy is getting better has stalled," adds Schneider.

The NBC-Wall Street Journal poll suggests that Americans don't blame Obama for economy or the deficit, with 46 percent placing blame on former President George W. Bush, 21 percent saying it's the Democrats in Congress who are at fault, 7 percent blaming congressional Republicans and just 6 percent saying Obama's at fault. More than seven in ten say the current state of the economy is something the president inherited.

So do Republicans benefit from the drop in Obama's numbers on specific issues? Both polls suggest the answer is no. Only 28 percent of people questioned in the CBS-New York Times survey have a favorable view of the GOP, with more than twice that number saying they have a positive opinion of the Democratic party. And only one in four give the Republican party a favorable rating in the NBC-Wall Street Journal poll, an all time low in that survey's history.

"Whatever doubts Americans have about Obama or the deficit, it's not helping the Republicans. Americans don't see the GOP as having anything new on the table," says Schneider.

The NBC-Wall Street Journal poll was conducted June 12-15, with 1,008 people questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

The CBS-New York Times poll was conducted June 12-16, with 895 people questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points.

The Pew Research Center poll was conducted June 10-14, with 1,502 people questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points.

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.

"This is a deeply divisive issue," says CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider. "Democrats see it as justice. Republicans see it as score-settling."

"President Obama is being very cautious. He opposes any investigation of the CIA agents who believed what they were doing was legal. And he is trying to handle the issue in as non-partisan a way as possible. Congress may not be so cautious," added Schneider.

Obama's remarks came five days after the administration released several Bush-era memos detailing the use of terror interrogations such as waterboarding, a technique used to simulate drowning.

Most Americans appear to agree that waterboarding is considered torture. Nearly seven in ten questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll conducted in November 2007 said they thought that waterboarding is a form of torture, with 29 percent disagreeing.

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.

"Given the Governor's popularity, he is likely to be a strong candidate for whichever office he seeks," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnpiac Univeristy Polling Insitute. "The other potential candidates for the Senate are not nearly as well-known or as well-liked as is Crist."

The Quinnipiac University survey was conducted April 6-13, with 1,332 Florida voters questioned by telephone. The poll's overall sampling error is plus or minus 2.7 percentage points.

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."

"I think that's a great success story," Cheney said. "President Obama campaigned against it all across the country. And now he is making some choices that, in my mind, that will in fact raise the risk to the American people of another attack."

Vice President Joe Biden, in an interview last week with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, fired back, calling Cheney "dead wrong."

On CNN's "The Situation Room," Biden also said that the previous administration left the United States in a "weaker posture than we've been any time since World War II: less regarded in the world, stretched more thinly than we ever have been in the past, two wars under way, virtually no respect in certain parts of the world."

"We are more safe. We are more secure," he added. "Our interests are more secure, not just at home, but around the world. We are rebuilding America's ability to lead."

CNN Polling Director Keating Holland pointed out the partisan divide evident in the results. "By a 53 percent to 46 percent margin, Republicans agree with Dick Cheney," he said. "But more than nine in 10 Democrats believe that Obama has not made the country less safe from terrorism. They are joined by more than seven in 10 independents who don't see an increase in the threat from terrorism since Obama took office."

The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted April 3-5, before an American cargo ship captain was taken hostage by Somali pirates, and before Sunday's successful action by the U.S. Navy to free the captain.

The poll also indicates that a majority of Americans, 53 percent, favor the war in Afghanistan, with 46 percent opposed. And more than two-thirds of those questioned back the president's plan to send roughly 20,000 more U.S. troops to the war-torn country, with 31 percent opposed to sending more American forces to stabilize the situation in Afghanistan. Two out of three say they have a clear idea of what the United States is fighting for in Afghanistan.

But Americans seem to be willing to go only so far. If Obama announced plans to send even more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, the poll suggests that 52 percent would oppose the move, with 45 percent in favor.

And even less want to see American action in neighboring Pakistan, a U.S. ally. If U.S. troops in Afghanistan were to locate enemy soldiers in Pakistan, only 37 percent of those questioned think the United States should take military action without first getting permission from the Pakistani government.

Sixty-one percent oppose such a move.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll of 1,023 Americans was conducted by telephone, and has a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

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.

It may have to do with the President Obama and the new administration.

"If he and the people in control of Congress right now could have what they want, they would heavily restrict or eliminate guns from this country," said Sean Healy, an attorney who has advocated on behalf of gun rights. At the moment, the country is seeing a surge in gun sales.

Or Americans may have heard what the new attorney general said. "There are just a few gun-related changes that we would like to make, and among them would be to reinstate the ban on the sale of assault weapons," said Attorney General Eric Holder in February.

They may have also heard what the new secretary of state said about the ban.

"I, as a senator, supported measures to try and reinstate it. Politically, that is a very big hurdle in our congress. But there may be some approaches that could be acceptable and we are exploring those," Clinton said in March.

Support for tougher gun laws has held fairly steady among Democrats, but the sharp drop has been among Independents and Republicans, where there are fewer Obama supporters.

Among Republicans, only 33 percent support stricter gun laws now compared to 50 percent in 2007, according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey. Among independents, support has dropped from 34 percent to 21 percent.

The Gallup poll reveals a gradual, long-term decline in support for gun control from the early 1990s to 2008. That coincides with a decline in the murder rate. But this year's sudden drop seems to be influenced by politics.

(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

QUESTION: Do you think Obama administration officials should hold diplomatic talks with the leaders of Iran in the next few weeks, or should they wait to hold diplomatic talks with Iran until that country makes significant changes in its policies towards other countries?

In next few weeks: 59 percent
Only after Iran makes significant changes: 40 percent

QUESTION: Which comes closer to your view - Iran poses an immediate threat to the United States; Iran poses a long-term threat to the U.S. but not an immediate threat; Iran does not pose a threat to the Unites States at all

Immediate threat: 22 percent
Long-term threat: 60 percent
No threat at all: 17 percent

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."

The president is in Turkey Monday meeting with that country's lawmakers. This is Obama's second foreign trip since being sworn in as president. He visited Canada for a day trip in February.

The CNN/ORC Poll of 1,023 adult Americans was conducted April 3- 5 of plus or minus 3 percent.

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."

In Obama's address to Turkish lawmakers, he emphasized that the "United States is not at war with Islam" and noted that relationship between the U.S. and Muslim world is much broader than "opposition to al Qaeda."

"We seek broad engagement based upon mutual interests and mutual respect," Obama said. "We will listen carefully, bridge misunderstanding, and seek common ground. We will be respectful, even when we do not agree. And we will convey our deep appreciation for the Islamic faith, which has done so much over so many centuries to shape the world for the better – including my own country. The United States has been enriched by Muslim Americans. Many other Americans have Muslims in their family, or have lived in a Muslim-majority country – I know, because I am one of them."
Obama's deceased father, from Kenya, was Muslim.

The CNN/ORC Poll of 1,023 adult Americans was conducted April 3- 5 of plus or minus 3 percent.

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.

Iowa now will become the third state in the nation to allow same-sex marriage, after Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Last November, voters in California, Florida, and Arizona approved ballot measures banning gay marriages.

But while national surveys indicate a majority of Americans oppose legalizing same sex marriages, they also suggest that most people favor civil unions for same sex couples.

"Same sex marriage is also not an issue that the majority of Americans care deeply about," Holland adds. "During the 2008 presidential campaign, only 16 percent of voters said that issue would be extremely important to their vote."

The survey suggests that President Obama is more popular than his policies on the economy.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Two new national polls suggest that Americans are becoming more confident about the economy.

Forty-two percent of people questioned in a new ABC/Washington Post poll say they think the country is on the right track. It's still a minority of respondents, but it's a jump of 23 points since President Obama was inaugurated in January. And 27 percent say they think the nation's economy is getting better - also a minority, but a jump of 21 points since Obama entered the White House.

A new Gallup poll also finds a dramatic rise of consumer optimism over the past month.

"The numbers from both polls still indicate widespread dissatisfaction with economic conditions and concern about the future," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "We're not out of the woods and there is no indication that we will be any time soon. But any sign of improvement in the public's mood is good news."

The ABC/Washington Post poll also indicates that two out of three Americans approve of the way Obama is handling his duties as president. The 66 percent approval rating in the survey is in line with many recent national polls.

That survey also indicates that only one in four blame the President for the severe recession in the country. Eight in ten polled blame the banks and big business, seven in ten blame consumers and an equal amount blame former President George W. Bush.

The survey also suggests that President Obama is more popular than his policies on the economy. While his overall approval rating stands at 66 percent, 60 percent favor the way he's handling the economy. That figure drops to 52 percent when it comes to the way the president is dealing with the federal budget deficit. And Americans are split on the way the federal government is responding to the recession.

"It's possible that the public is having mixed feelings about the speed of Obama's reaction and the scope of his agenda," Holland says. "Americans like to see their presidents take action rather than sitting on their hands. They may not like all the details of Obama's proposals, but the perception that he is addressing those problems is a plus."

The ABC/Washington Post poll was conducted March 26-29, with 1,000 adults questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points. The Gallup poll was conducted March 23-29, with 1,000 adults questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 2 percentage points.

Do Americans support more taxpayer money for the ailing U.S auto makers?

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Do Americans support more taxpayer money for the ailing U.S auto makers?

The answer appears to be no. Sixty-one percent of Americans questioned in CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll conducted last month say they're opposed to more government assistance for the big Detroit auto companies, with 37 percent in favor of taxpayer help. And only one in four were confident that auto executives would make the right economic decisions to help the country escape from the recession. In a Gallup poll conducted around the same time, seven in ten people opposed an auto bailout.

"Americans tend to favor government assistance to individuals, such as homeowners in danger of foreclosure," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "But they don't like the idea of federal money going to big institutions, like automakers or banks."

General Motors has already received more than $13 billion in federal assistance and Chrysler $4 billion. Last month GM asked for $16 billion more in taxpayer assistance and Chrysler requested $5 billion.

A CNN/ORC national poll conducted earlier this month suggests that Americans are split on how President Obama's addressing the crisis in the nation's auto industry. While the President's overall approval rating stood at 64 percent in the survey, only 46 percent favored Obama's handling of the problems facing the auto companies. Forty-nine percent disapproved of how the President is dealing with the Detroit auto makers.

"Obama's policies toward banks and auto companies are the only areas on which he does not get majority approval," Holland notes. "On the other hand, the public has much more confidence that the Obama administration than in auto executives when it comes to making the right economic decisions."

The most recent CNN/Opinion Research Corporation polls were conducted February 18-19 and March 12-15.

As Sen. Arlen Specter gets ready to run for a sixth term next year, two new polls offer mixed signals on just how hard a road to re-election the Pennsylvania Republican faces.

(CNN) - As Sen. Arlen Specter gets ready to run for a sixth term next year, two new polls offer mixed signals on just how hard a road to re-election the Pennsylvania Republican faces.

A Quinnipiac University survey of registered Pennsylvania voters released Wednesday suggests Specter trails conservative Pat Toomey in a hypothetical Republican primary matchup by a 41 to 27 percent margin, with 28 percent unsure. But a Franklin and Marshall College poll released the same day indicates that Specter leads Toomey 33 percent to 18 percent, with 7 percent for other candidates and 42 percent unsure. While the Franklin and Marshall survey suggests that Specter leads in the matchup, 51 percent of Republicans questioned in that poll believe its time for a change rather than see Specter re-elected.

In the Republican primary six years ago, Specter narrowly edged out Toomey, at the time a three term member of the House of Representatives. Nowadays Toomey is the president of the Club for Growth, a conservative political organization that raises money for candidates who support a low tax and limited government agenda. Toomey is inching closer to a rematch with Specter.

Specter was one of only three Republican lawmakers in Congress who supported President Barack Obama's stimulus plan. His vote in favor of the stimulus, along with fellow Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, were crucial to the passage of the bill.

The Quinnipiac poll suggests that Specter is paying a political price for his support of the stimulus. The survey indicates that Specter has an overall approval rating of 52 percent, but that drops to 36 percent among Republicans. Seven out of ten Democrats approve of how Specter's handling his job as senator. Eight-seven percent of Democrats support Specter's vote on the stimulus, while seven out of ten Republican disapprove of his vote.

"The polls seem in rough agreement on one key measure - Specter's current support among Pennsylvania Republicans is somewhere between 27 percent and 33 percent, well under the 50 percent mark that political junkies believe is important for incumbents who hope to be re-elected," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "So whether Specter is ahead of Toomey or trailing him, the two polls aren't good news for the Senator. On the other hand, both polls have a large number of undecided voters, and they ask about a hypothetical match-up that is a year away. We shouldn't read too much into either survey."

The Quinnipiac University poll was conducted March 19-23, with 1,056 Pennsylvania voters questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points. The Franklin and Marshall College poll was conducted March 17-22, with 662 Pennsylvania voters questioned by telephone. The sampling error for that poll is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

A new CNN poll of polls indicates that more than six in ten Americans are happy with the job he's doing as president.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – As President Obama prepares for his second prime time White House news conference, a new CNN poll of polls indicates that more than six in ten Americans are happy with the job he's doing as president.

Sixty-three percent approve of how President Obama handling his duties, according to a CNN poll of polls compiled Tuesday, just hours before Obama takes reporters' questions in front of a national audience. Thirty percent disapprove of his performance.

The poll of polls is an average of the four national polls conducted mostly after March 14, when the AIG bonus controversy became generally known across the country.

"A poll of polls in early March showed Obama's average approval rating at 61 percent, indicating that although the public is angry about the AIG bailouts, they are not taking that anger out on Obama." says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.

The current 63 percent approval rating is higher than any of Obama's four predecessors received at a similar point in their first terms in office. George W. Bush stood at 58 percent in mid March of 2001, Bill Clinton at 53 percent in March of 1993, George H.W. Bush at 56 percent in March of 1989, and Ronald Reagan stood at 60 percent in mid March of 1981.

The surveys included in the CNN poll of polls are Gallup (March 20-22), CBS, (March 20-22), CNN/Opinion Research Corporation (March 12-15) and NPR (March 10-14). The poll of polls does not have a sampling error.

A new poll suggests Americans would take more federal money for education, even if it meant handing over control.

WASHINGTON (CNN) –  A new national poll indicates that most Americans would be willing to give up some control of their public schools to the federal government in return for more money from Washington for those schools.

Fifty-six percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Friday say they would like to see more federal money spent on the public schools in their communities, even if it meant increased influence by the federal government over the education policies those schools follow, with 43 percent opposed.

"There are big differences between Republicans and Democrats, but the most interesting gap is between mothers and fathers of children under 18," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Seventy-two percent of mothers favor more government influence over local schools in exchange for more money. Only about half of all fathers feel the same way. People with no children under 18 are split on the concept, with 53 percent  favoring that idea and 46 percent opposing."

The poll also suggests that Americans don't favor longer school days, but they do think the school year should be longer. Fifty-seven percent support increasing the number of days that students spend in school each year, but 55 percent oppose increasing the number of hours that students spend in school each day.

The public is split on whether teachers should get more money if their students do better on tests, known as merit pay. Fifty percent like that idea and 48 percent dislike it.

"Mothers and fathers disagree on merit pay as well," Holland notes. "Most fathers of children under 18 think it is a good idea. Most mothers do not."

President Barack Obama’s vision for education reform include expanded merit pay for teachers, an idea long opposed by teachers unions.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted March 12-15, with 1,019 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey’s sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points.

President Barack Obama is halfway through his first 100 days in office and he's still enjoying a honeymoon with the American public, according to an average of recent polls.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Sixty-one at 50. President Barack Obama is halfway through his first 100 days in office and he's still enjoying a honeymoon with the American public, according to an average of recent polls.

Obama's job approval rating stands at 61 percent in a new CNN poll of polls, which averaged seven national surveys all conducted over the past two weeks.

"Obama's support is not as high as it was during the transition period and immediately after the inauguration, but approval from six in ten Americans is a pretty robust level of support," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.

The 61 percent approval rating is also slightly higher than his predecessors' numbers around the same time. George W. Bush stood at 58 percent around 50 days into his administration, with Bill Clinton at 53 percent, George H.W. Bush at 56 percent and Ronald Reagan at 60 percent.

With the country mired in a severe recession, the overwhelming issue for Americans is obviously the economy. But while the stock markets don't seem to have much confidence in Obama, the polls suggest Americans do.

"Patience is wearing thin in Washington and on Wall Street, where people are demanding a quick turnaround. But the public is much more patient," says CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider. "Americans think the recession is likely to last two years or more and at the moment they have confidence in the president's ability to turn things around."

So far the vast majority of people don't blame Obama for the recession. And three out of four people questioned in a recent CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll had confidence that the president would make the right economic decisions to help the country escape the recession.

That's much higher than the 30 percent who had confidence in Wall Street to make the right calls when it comes to the economy. It's also higher than the 53 percent who had confidence that Congressional Republicans would make the right economic decisions.

"The real test for Obama and the Democrats won't come until the midterm elections in 2010," adds Holland. "By then it is likely that Americans will think Obama is responsible for the condition of the economy at that time.

"But even if the economy remains in poor shape, the GOP will need an economic plan of their own to convince voters that they could do a better job than the Democrats."

Recent national polling suggests that nearly three out of four Americans support government programs to improve the country's health care system.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – As President Barack Obama hosts a Thursday summit at the White House on health care reform, recent national polling suggests that nearly three out of four Americans support government programs to improve the country's health care system.

Seventy-two percent of those questioned in recent CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey say they favor increasing the federal government's influence over the country's health care system in an attempt to lower costs and provide health care coverage to more Americans, with 27 percent opposing such a move. Other recent polls show six in 10 think the government should provide health insurance or take responsibility for providing health care to all Americans.

"That doesn't mean that health care reform is a slam dunk," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Americans tend to support those goals. The question - just as in 1994 - is how they will react to the details of future legislation to address those goals."

President Bill Clinton and then First Lady Hillary Clinton tried by failed to reform and expand health care coverage during a two year period from 1993 to 1994.

The poll also indicates that health care is tied as the third most important issue for President Obama and Congress to deal with over the next year. Forty-eight percent said dealing with health care was extremely important, tied with education and trailing only the economy and terrorism as the most important issues.

"Health care is more important to women than to men," Holland notes. "It is extremely important to Democrats. But Republicans don't see it as a top priority for the president and Congress to address this year."

The administration's health care summit is expected to focus on reducing and containing costs, as well as expanding coverage. Doctors, nurses, pharmaceutical representatives, lawmakers and hospital officials are among the 150 people expected to take part in the gathering, seen by President Obama as a starting point in tackling health care reform.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted February 18-19, with 1,046 people questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points for some questions and plus or minus 4.5 percentage points for others.

Just 26 percent of the state’s registered voters questioned in a Marist poll released Tuesday say they approve of Gov. David Paterson’s job performance.

(CNN) - More bad news for New York Gov. David Paterson: in a new poll, the governor's approval rating plummeted 20 points in a month.

Just 26 percent of the state’s registered voters questioned in a Marist poll released Tuesday say they approve of Paterson’s job performance - the lowest approval rating a New York state governor has received in the poll’s 30-year history, and a sharp decline from the governor’s January showing.

Fifty-three percent of those polled said they would vote for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani if the 2010 vote for governor were held today, while 38 percent said they would back Paterson.

Paterson is losing ground against the former Republican presidential candidate – the two were in a statistical standoff in January's poll, and in November's poll the governor maintained a 51 percent to 41 percent lead.

The sitting governor does fare better than former congressman Rick Lazio. Forty-seven percent would support Paterson in a run against Lazio, while 35 percent would back the congressman. Eighteen percent are undecided.

The state’s financial woes appear to be the reason for Paterson’s sinking approval ratings: Nearly six in 10 of those surveyed say they are dissatisfied with how Paterson is managing New York's budget. Only 30 percent approve of how the governor is handling the state’s financial affairs.

And how do the voters feel about the direction New York is heading? Not great. Sixty-five percent are not happy with the trajectory of the Empire State, with just 27 percent reporting that the state is moving along the right path.

But there may be a silver lining for Paterson: 77 percent of those surveyed think the governor is working hard, and 62 percent believe he understands the problems of voters. Fourty-four percent think Paterson's a good leader.

The Marist poll was conducted February 25-26, with 1,045 New York state registered voters questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

As New York Governor David Paterson as gears up to defend his office next year, a new poll suggests he may face a rocky road to re-election.

(CNN) – As New York Governor David Paterson as gears up to defend his office next year, a new poll suggests he may face a rocky road to re-election.

Forty percent of New Yorkers questioned in a Siena College Research Institute survey released Tuesday say they have a favorable view of their governor, down 14 points from last month. Forty-seven percent hold an unfavorable view of Paterson, up 17 points since January.

The poll also indicates that Paterson's job performance rating is now 28 percent positive and 69 percent negative. That's a switch from last month, when the Siena survey suggested Paterson had a 51 percent positive and 45 percent negative rating.

The former lieutenant governor's approval rating soared last autumn, after he took office in the wake of Eliot Spitzer's resignation amid a prostitution scandal. But Paterson drew criticism over his handling of the process of replacing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the Senate.

Paterson must run for election next year to keep his seat. But the poll indicates that only 19 percent of New Yorkers are prepared to elect Paterson in 2010, with 57 percent preferring someone else.

He also trails New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo by 13 points in a possible primary battle, and falls 15 points behind former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani in a hypothetical general election match up.

The Siena College Research Institute poll was conducted February 16-18, with 622 registered voters in New York State questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.

A new national poll indicates that two out of three Americans approve of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as president of the United States.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - A new national poll indicates that two out of three Americans approve of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as president of the United States.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey, released Friday, also suggests that six in 10 support the economic stimulus package that Obama signed into law Tuesday.

Obama's approval rating stands at 67 percent in the new poll. That's down 9 points from the most recent previous CNN poll, which was conducted in early February. But a breakdown by party suggests that the drop doesn't mean that the new president is in serious trouble.

"Since nearly all of the decline came among Republicans, this doesn't indicate that the honeymoon is already over," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Among Democrats, Obama's approval went from 96 percent to 92 percent; among Republicans, it dropped from 50 percent in early February to 31 percent now."

Among Independents, the president's approval rating now stands at 61 percent, down 6 points from earlier in the month.

Sixty percent of those questioned in the poll favored the economic stimulus plan, with 39 percent opposing the package. The $787 billion law is designed to pump up the economy by increasing federal government spending, sending aid to states in fiscal trouble, and by cutting taxes.

Do Americans think the stimulus will work?

A slight majority, 53 percent, said the plan will improve economic conditions, while 44 percent said it won't help stimulate the economy. And only 31 percent of those questioned indicated the package will improve their own financial situation, with two out of three saying the stimulus won't help them personally.

"Americans often don't see a connection between big government programs and their own wallets," Holland said. "That's what makes the various bailout packages such a hard sell with the public, and why the White House might have felt that they needed to include tax cuts in the stimulus package."

Of those 53 percent who said the plan will work, 19 percent felt it will start improving the economy by the end of the year, with 16 percent saying it will make a difference by next year and another 18 percent feeling it will take longer than two years.

"It goes without saying that Democrats support the stimulus bill and Republicans oppose it," Holland added. "Nearly nine in 10 Democrats favored the plan while three-quarters of Republicans thought it was a bad idea."

Forty-nine percent said they think the passage of the economic stimulus plan was a major victory for President Obama, with 28 percent calling it a minor accomplishment and 22 percent indicating it was not a positive achievement.

The bill passed Congress less than four weeks after Obama took office. It passed the House of Representatives with no Republican support. In the Senate, three of the chamber's 41 Republicans backed the bill.

The survey's release comes one month after Obama's inauguration as president. Fifty-eight percent of those polled said Obama has so far met their expectations and another 16 percent suggested that he's exceeded their expectations. Nearly one in four said that the president has fallen short of what they expected.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted Wednesday and Thursday, with 1,046 people questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

A new poll out Wednesday suggests Republican Rob Portman may face an uphill battle in a 2010 Ohio Senate race.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - A new poll suggests that former Rep. Rob Portman has his work cut out for him to keep retiring Sen. George Voinovich's Ohio seat in Republican hands.

The Quinnipiac University survey of Ohio voters indicates that Portman trails two possible Democratic contenders in head-to-head match-ups in next year's midterm elections.

Voinovich, a two-term Republican, announced last month that he will not run for re-election in 2010. Portman, a former six-term congressman who also served as U.S. Trade Representative and director of the Office of Management and Budget in President George W. Bush’s administration, announced his intention to run shortly after Voinovich decided to retire.

In the poll released Wednesday, Portman trails Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher by 15 points, with 29 percent of those questioned undecided. And Portman trails Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner by 10 points, with 31 percent undecided.

Fisher, Brunner, and Rep. Tim Ryan are all considered possible Democratic contenders in the race for the open Senate seat.

The poll does show that Portman has a wide lead over state auditor Mary Taylor in the Republican primary.

"Portman has served in a number of national offices, but he has never served in a statewide office in Ohio, and it's possible he may not be well known outside of his home base in the southwestern part of the state," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Even in that home base, however, the political landscape has changed. Hamilton County, which Portman used to represent, went for George W. Bush in 2004 but it gave a majority of its support to Barack Obama in 2008."

Voinovich won his 2004 re-election by 28 points over his Democratic challenger. But times have changed in Ohio. Democrat Ted Strickland topped Republican Ken Blackwell by 24 points in the 2006 gubernatorial race and Rep. Sherrod Brown beat incumbent Sen. Mike DeWine by 12 points in the Senate contest. In the 2008 presidential election, Barack Obama edged out John McCain by four points for Ohio's 20 electoral votes.

The Quinnipiac poll was conducted January 29-February 2, with 1,127 registered voters questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.

A new poll out Tuesday shows a drop in the president's approval numbers since early January.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Two weeks into his presidency, a new national poll suggests that nearly two thirds of Americans approve of the job Barack Obama's doing so far in the White House.

Sxity-four percent of those questioned in a new Gallup/USA Today survey say they approve of how President Obama is handling his job, with 25 percent disapproving and 11 percent unsure.

"A 64 percent rating is fairly high for a presidential approval rating, but it is nothing compared to the 84 percent rating Obama was getting in early January when he was still the president-elect," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.

"Previous presidents have also seen a drop in their approval ratings once they move into the White House. President-elect George W. Bush had a 65 percent approval rating before he was inaugurated, but by February of 2001 that had gone down to 57 percent. President-elect Bill Clinton got a 67 percent rating for how he handled his transition, but that number went down to 51 percent by February of 1993. Honeymoons start to fade the moment a new president puts his hand on the Bible, and Obama is no exception," adds Holland.

Sixty-three percent of those questioned in the poll say they think President Obama is moving about right in addressing the major problems facing the country today, with 22 percent indicating they think Obama's moving too fast and 10 percent saying he's not moving fast enough.

Three out of four polled say they want Congress to pass some version of President Obama's economic stimulus package. But Americans seem to be split on whether the plan should be passed with or without significant changes.

The Gallup/USA Today poll was conducted January 30-February 1, with 1,027 people questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Caroline Kennedy looked on as her uncle, Sen. Ted Kennedy, made an appearance at the Democratic convention in August of this year.

(CNN) - A new poll suggests New Yorkers are split on whether Caroline Kennedy is qualified to be a U.S. Senator - but they still expect their state's governor will name her to replace Hillary Clinton when the secretary of state-designate steps down from her Senate seat.

Forty percent of those questioned in a Quinnipiac University survey released today say that Kennedy is qualified to serve as a senator, with 41 percent saying no. The 51-year-old daughter of President John F. Kennedy is one of a dozen or so hoping to fill the seat being vacated by Clinton when she leaves to take her post in President-elect Barack Obama's administration.

But Kennedy is drawing more scrutiny than the other Senate hopefuls because she's a member of one of the country's most famous political families, because she's never run for office, and because not much is well known about where she stands on crucial political issues and priorities.

The poll also indicates that by a 48 percent to 25 percent margin, New Yorkers think Gov. David Paterson will name Kennedy to the seat. Kennedy and her allies have launched a strong lobbying effort to persuade Paterson that she's qualified to serve in the U.S. Senate.

Asked their choice, 33 percent of those polled say Paterson should name Kennedy, with 29 percent backing New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, the son of former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo. Another four percent support congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand. Twenty-four percent want someone else and 10 percent are undecided.

Whomever Paterson names to the seat will have to run in a special election in November 2010 - and if they win that contest, will have to run again in 2012 when Clinton's current senate term ends.

The Quinnipiac University poll was conducted December 17-21, with 834 registered New York State voters questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.

Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli, left, and Ford CEO Alan Mulally testified on Capitol Hill late last month.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - A new national poll suggests that six in 10 Americans oppose using taxpayer money to help the ailing major U.S. auto companies.

Sixty-one percent of those questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Wednesday are dead set against the federal government providing billions of dollars in assistance to the automakers, while 36 percent favor such a bailout.

The poll, conducted Monday and Tuesday, also indicates that a majority of Americans, 53 percent, don't think government assistance for the automakers would help the U.S. economy.

"Only 15 percent say that they would be immediately affected if the auto companies went bankrupt," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Seven in 10 say that a bailout would be unfair to American taxpayers."

In early November, polls indicated that nearly half the public supported federal assistance to the big automakers when the issue first came before Congress. But evidence in surveys from other organizations suggested that the poor performance by executives from GM, Ford and Chrysler at congressional hearings, and the admission that they had flown in private jets to get there, resulted in a steep drop in support for the aid.

The new CNN poll indicates that those wounds have yet to heal.

"This indicates that the upcoming do-over that the auto executives will get in another round of congressional hearings may be crucial to swaying the public and getting the assistance package passed through Congress," Holland said.

Ford, GM and Chrysler on Tuesday presented details of their recovery plans to Congress, and the top executives of the companies are to appear before congressional panels Thursday and Friday.

Opposition to the bailout of the auto industry is widespread across the country, even in the Midwest, where the domestic automakers have their headquarters and many of their assembly plants. The poll indicates that most opposition to the bailout comes from the West, where it reaches 67 percent.

Sixty-one percent of those polled in the Northeast, 64 percent in the South, and 53 percent in the Midwest oppose using federal dollars to help the automakes.

The poll also suggests that a vast majority of Republicans, 70 percent, oppose the bailout. Sixty-two percent of independents and 55 percent of Democrats in the poll also said they oppose it.

The auto companies say that if they don't receive government assistance, they could go into bankruptcy. If that happens, only 15 percent of those polled said they think they would be immediately affected, with another 19 percent saying they would feel the impact within a year or so. Forty-three percent said they would eventually feel an effect from such a bankruptcy, and 24 percent said they would never feel the impact.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted by phone, with 1,096 adult Americans questioned. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

A poll finds a small percentage of voters said they may turn away from Sen. Barack Obama because of his race.

(CNN) - A new study that surveyed racial attitudes suggests that racial prejudices could tip the balance in the coming presidential election.

If there were no racial prejudice among voters, Sen. Barack Obama would receive about 6 percentage points more support, according to an AP-Yahoo News poll, designed in partnership with Stanford University.

The results suggest that 40 percent of white Americans hold at least a partly negative view toward blacks, including more than a third of white Democrats and independents. A small percentage of voters - 2.5 percent of those surveyed - said they may turn away from Obama because of his race.

Though Obama is of mixed race - his mother was white, his father black - he is generally identified as black.

Full story

(CNN) – As the general election campaign officially gets under way, a new poll suggests that Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama are running neck-and-neck in Indiana.

In a Howey-Gauge survey of likely voters in the state, McCain has support from 45 percent of those polled, Obama from 43 percent, and 12 percent are unsure about their choice for president.

The poll of 600 likely Indiana voters was conducted August 29-30 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points making the race a virtual tie.

The poll does not, however, necessarily suggest that Indiana will be a battleground in the fall campaign.

"The important thing to note is that the poll was conducted entirely after the Democratic convention, and entirely before the GOP convention began. So this may represent Obama's high-water mark in Indiana," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "The real test of whether Indiana is in play will have to wait for polling that reflects the effects of both conventions."

A new poll suggests that the selection of their governor, Sarah Palin, as the Republican VP nominee has increased Alaskans' support for the GOP ticket.

(CNN) – A new poll suggests that after a brief stint as a battleground state, Alaska may be safely back in the Republican column, thanks to John McCain’s selection of Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate.

Likely voters in Alaska, which has three electoral votes, now favor the McCain-Palin ticket over the Obama-Biden ticket by 19 percentage points. The GOP ticket has the support of 54 percent of Alaskans, while the Democratic ticket is supported by 35 percent, with 11 percent of those surveyed saying they are unsure about their choice for president.

The Ivan Moore Research poll of 500 likely voters in Alaska was conducted August 30-September 2 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

A poll by the same organization conducted July 18-22 showed McCain leading Obama by only three percentage points – 47 percent to 44 percent.

Alaska has not supported a Democrat in a presidential election since 1964.

(CNN) – Sen. Barack Obama continues to hold a six-point lead over rival Sen. John McCain in CNN’s latest poll of polls. Obama has the support of 49 percent of voters while McCain has 43 percent and 8 percent of voters are unsure about their choice for president.

CNN’s national general election poll of polls consists of the following five surveys: Diageo/Hotline (August 29-31), American Research Group (August 30-September 1), Gallup (August 31-September 2), CNN/Opinion Research Corp. (August 29-31), and CBS (August 29-31). The poll of polls does not have a sampling error.

Obama and McCain had the same levels of support in the previous CNN poll of polls released Tuesday.

DENVER (CNN) - The race for the White House is as close in some of the key battleground states as it is nationally.

Quinnipiac University polls out today in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania are an indicator of just how tight the battle stands right now between John McCain and Barack Obama.

The survey suggests that the Arizona senator has a four point lead, 47 to 43 percent, over Obama in Florida. Last month Obama had a two point lead in the state that decided it all back in the 2000 election.

In Ohio, the Quinnipiac University poll puts Obama up by one point, 44 to 43 percent, over McCain, down from a two point lead in their last survey. That’s a statistical dead heat.

The Illinois senator has a 49 to 42 percent advantage in Pennsylvania. That seven point lead is unchanged from last month.

The surveys in the three states, which have a combined 68 electoral votes, were conducted from August 17 to 24, which was partially before and after Obama’s naming of Delaware Senator Joe Biden as his running mate.

The state surveys show what we are also seeing nationally, that the race between McCain and Obama and is basically all tied up. Our latest CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll out earlier this week had the race deadlocked at 47 percent. The CNN survey was taken entirely after the naming of Biden as Obama’s running mate.

“Given all of the obstacles facing the Republican Party this year, John McCain has to be pleased. The race for the White House up for grabs,” says CNN Senior Political Researcher Alan Silverleib.

DENVER, Colorado (CNN) - It’s a dead heat in the race for the White House. The first national poll conducted entirely after Barack Obama publicly named Joe Biden as his running mate suggests that battle for the presidency between the Illinois senator and Republican rival John McCain is all tied up.

In a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll out Sunday night, 47 percent of those questioned are backing Obama with an equal amount supporting the Arizona senator.

“This looks like a step backward for Obama, who had a 51 to 44 percent advantage last month,” says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.

“Even last week, just before his choice of Joe Biden as his running mate became known, most polls tended to show Obama with a single-digit advantage over McCain,” adds Holland.

So what’s the difference now?

It may be supporters of Hillary Clinton, who still would prefer the Senator from New York as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.

Sixty-six percent of Clinton supporters, registered Democrats who want Clinton as the nominee, are now backing Obama. That’s down from 75 percent in the end of June. Twenty-seven percent of them now say they’ll support McCain, up from 16 percent in late June.

“The number of Clinton Democrats who say they would vote for McCain has gone up 11 points since June, enough to account for most although not all of the support McCain has gained in that time,” says Holland.

Clinton and Obama battled throughout the primary season, with Clinton winning more than 40 percent of the delegates. She suspended her bid for the White House and backed Obama in early June, after the end of the primary season.

A majority of registered voters, 54 percent, think Obama’s choice of Delaware Senator Joe Biden as his running mate is an excellent or good decision. That number jumps to 73 percent when just asked of registered Democrats. But it drops to 59 percent when narrowed to Clinton supporters.

“It's not that there's anything wrong with the choice of Joe Biden. A majority of those polled rate the Biden selection as excellent or pretty good. Voters think he is qualified to be president, and with the exception of Al Gore in 1992, the public ranks Biden as the most qualified running mate in recent times," says Holland.

"A lot of Americans don't know who he is, but his favorable rating is 13 points higher than his unfavorables But Biden is not Hillary Clinton, and it's possible that is enough to have moved some of her supporters away from the Democratic ticket, at least temporarily."

Among all Democrats, only 38 percent say Obama should have selected Clinton as his running mate.

Will Biden’s naming as Obama’s running mate make a difference? Maybe not. Seventy-four percent of all voters questioned in the survey say it won’t have any effect on their vote for president.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted on Saturday and Sunday, with 1,023 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey’s sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for all voters. For registered Democrats, it is plus or minus 4.5 percentage points, and for Democrats who still support Clinton for the party's nomination, it is plus or minus 7.5 percentage points.

Sen. Obama is leading in Michigan according to a new poll.

(CNN) - Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee, is leading in the battleground state of Michigan, according to a poll released Friday.

Obama leads Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, by 7 percentage points – 46 percent versus 39 percent. In the survey, 12 percent said they were unsure about their choice for president, 2 percent supported Ralph Nader, and 1 percent backed the Libertarian Party's Bob Barr.

The Detroit Free Press/Local 4 poll of 600 likely Michigan voters was conducted August 17-20 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

CNN considers Michigan a toss-up state. Click here to see CNN's Electoral Map.

More Democratic delegates want Clinton for VP than any other candidate.

(CNN) – Hillary Clinton was the top VP choice of Democratic delegates willing to state their pick in a new poll released just days before the party’s convention in Denver.

Twenty-eight percent of the 970 pledged delegates and superdelegates surveyed in a CBS News/New York Times poll want to see Clinton as Barack Obama’s running mate, with Joe Biden coming in at 6 percent and John Edwards, Bill Richardson, and Evan Bayh at 4 percent. Thirsty-six percent did not have a preference, or would not state their opinion.

But just 61 percent of Clinton’s delegates would still like to see her name the Democratic ticket this fall — leaving open the question of just how many will still cast their votes for her when her name is placed into nomination at next week’s convention..

Few Obama delegates surveyed — just 3 percent - would like to see him offer Clinton a place on the ticket. But the names currently rumored to be on Obama’s shortlist hardly fared better: Richardson garners 8 percent, and Biden draws 7 percent.

Nearly half the superdelegates interviewed didn’t offer a pick.

Most delegates heading to Colorado agree that Clinton would help the Democratic ticket win in November: 61 percent believe she would help the party re-capture the White House, while 13 percent believe she would hurt its chances. Yet another divide exists between the Clinton and Obama camps here: almost all of the New York senator’s pledged delegates say she would help, while just 35 percent of Obama’s say the same.

The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent.

Colorado is a toss-up state, according to CNN's latest Electoral Map.

(CNN) – Less than a week before the Democratic Party convenes in Denver to officially name its nominee, a new poll shows the typically-red state of Colorado shaping up as a battleground in the November election.

Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, leads his rival Sen. Barack Obama by 3 percentage points – 44 percent to 41 percent – in a new Rocky Mountain News/CBS 4 poll. Fifteen percent of those surveyed said they were unsure about their choice for president.

The poll of 500 registered voters conducted August 11-13 has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points, making the McCain-Obama race a virtual tie in Colorado.

Click here to see CNN's Electoral Map.

(CNN) – The CNN Poll of Polls has been updated to reflect a new AP-IPSOS poll. Sen. Obama now holds a five-point lead over Sen. McCain – 48 percent to 43 percent – with 9 percent of registered voters remaining unsure about their choice for president.

The latest CNN Poll of Polls is an average of the following four surveys: CNN/Opinion Research Corporation (July 27-29), AP-IPSOS (July 31-August 4), USA Today/Gallup (July 25-27), and Gallup tracking (August 2-4). The poll of polls does not have a sampling error.

The previous CNN poll of polls released earlier Tuesday showed Obama leading McCain by 4 percentage points.

CNN=Politics Daily is The Best Political Podcast from The Best Political Team.

(CNN) - It was tough crowds all around for the two presumptive presidential nominees Friday.

In the latest episode of CNN=Politics Daily, Suzanne Malveaux reports on how Sen. Barack Obama responded to being heckled over the attention he has paid to the needs of the African-American community. 

On the same day Obama was challenged by voters who felt he was not sensitive enough to African-American issues, Sen. John McCain spoke before the National Urban League, a powerful African-American civil rights organization.  Even though McCain's crowd would have appeared to favor Obama, the presumptive Republican nominee did not hesitate to suggest that the mostly African-American audience look beyond Obama's "rhetoric."

And, will the general election in November be a referendum on Obama rather than President Bush? Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider reports that the 2008 presidential election is appearing to come together as a test of the presumptive Democratic nominee rather than the current Republican administration.

Carol Costello has the story of a GOP fund-raising mailer that has confused some Republicans.

Finally, its Friday.  That means its time for Jennifer Mikell's Trail Mix – a look back at some of this week's most memorable moments from the campaign trail.

Click here to subscribe to CNN=Politics Daily.

Obama's trip abroad did little to alter the presidential race.

(CNN) - It was a weeklong trip that drew blanket media coverage and sharp criticism from Republicans, but Barack Obama's recent tour abroad did little to alter the standing of the presidential race, a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll shows.

According to the survey - the first national poll conducted entirely after the Democratic presidential candidate's trip to Iraq, Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Europe - the race for the White House has remained virtually unchanged since late June, with Obama holding a 51-44 percent edge over Sen. John McCain. In a similar poll conducted one month ago, Obama held a 5-point lead over the senator from Arizona , 50-45 percent.

The CNN poll of polls, an average of several recent national surveys, tells the same story - a single-digit lead for Obama (48-45 percent) that keeps McCain within easy striking distance of his Democratic rival with less than 100 days before voters weigh in at the polls.

The new survey also suggests the trip - carefully designed to burnish Obama's foreign policy credentials - did little to alter voters' perceptions of how the Illinois senator would handle national security issues.

"Did Obama's trip help his standing with the public on foreign policy issues? Not really," CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said. "Obama has not picked up any ground against McCain on foreign issues and some 52 percent think McCain would do a better job than Obama on the war in Iraq - virtually the same number who felt that way in April."

The poll also shows the presumptive Republican presidential nominee has an edge on terrorism, Iran, Afghanistan and the Middle East - in fact, every foreign policy and national security issue addressed tilts toward McCain. (Terrorism, Afghanistan, Iraq, Middle East, Iran, and Immigration.)

But in what is good news for Obama, the poll suggests few of the McCain campaign's criticisms of the trip have stuck - especially charges Obama was presumptuously acting as if he had already won the election, and claims he nixed a visit with injured troops because members of the media could not accompany him.

Instead, more than two-thirds of voters surveyed said the trip was appropriate for a presidential candidate, and 72 percent think Obama cares abut veterans and the troops currently in Iraq.

Full story

CNN=Politics Daily is The Best Political Podcast from The Best Political Team.

(CNN) — Potentially the oldest candidate ever elected to a first term, Sen. John McCain has faced questions about his ability to maintain his health and handle the nation at the same time. Now, Dana Bash reports on the presumptive Republican nominee latest trip to the doctor.

The worsening economy is issue #1 for voters and will likely be a deciding factor in who becomes the next president. Returning home from overseas, Sen. Barack Obama turns his attention to the struggling market while McCain focuses on the issue of off-shore drilling. Dana Bash and Senior Political Analyst Gloria Borger discuss the two nominees' strategies in the next phase of the general election campaign.

Also: the estimated federal budget deficit for the next fiscal year is a record-setting $482 billion. White House Correspondent Elaine Quijano explains what the projected shortfall means for the Bush administration and how it might affect the White House race.

Finally: the general election is 100 days away and new polls show a sizeable lead by Sen. Obama. But how predictive are summer polls for a November election? Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider takes a look at the historical record of how well summer polls have forecast the general election in past cycles.

Click here to subscribe to CNN=Politics Daily

A new poll shows a racial divide over Americans' views on whether conditions in this country have improved for black men.

(CNN) - Although blacks and whites agree that conditions have improved for African-American women over the past decade, there are very different views on the status of black men, according to a CNN/Essence Magazine/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Thursday morning.

According to the new poll, while 60 percent of whites think that conditions have improved for African-American men in the last 10 years, only 35 percent of blacks agree. Nine percent of whites and more than a third of blacks say conditions have worsened for African-American males in the same time period.

There is greater optimism about the past 40 years, but the gap remains the same - 85 percent of whites and only 58 percent pf blacks think that conditions have improved for black men since 1968.

Conversely, a majority of both races believe black women have made progress over the last decade, and especially since 1968. The survey shows 65 percent of blacks and 70 percent of whites say conditions have improved for black women since 1998 while 75 percent of blacks and 87 percent of whites say life has improved for black women over the last 40 years.

The poll results are part of a CNN special report hosted by Soledad O'Brien, Black in America: Stories of success, struggle, pain and pride. The special airs on CNN Wednesday and Thursday night, 9 p.m. ET.

When it comes to media's treatment of African-American men, just a quarter of blacks think the media treats them fairly. That compares to close to 60 percent of whites who say the media treats black men fairly.

Both races believe rap music has been a bad influence for African-American men: 68 percent of blacks and 72 percent of whites say rap has negatively affected that demographic.

Meanwhile, when it comes to interaction between the two races, close to 60 percent of blacks report they have daily contact with whites; by contrast, 39 percent of whites say they have daily contact with blacks.

"Do not take this as evidence that whites who live close to blacks avoid contact with them," CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said. "These results may simply be a function of the fact that many whites live in areas where few or no blacks live, such as Appalachia, the Great Plains or the Rocky Mountain states."

Whites are also more likely than blacks to report the same phenomenon in their neighborhoods, their workplaces, and in local schools. But when it comes to churches, blacks and whites say in roughly equal numbers that their church is comprised mostly or entirely of people of the same race.

"The old adage that Sunday is the most segregated day of the week may still be true in the U.S.," Holland said.

The poll was conducted March 26-April 2 and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 2 or 3 percentage points depending on the question. 1,014 blacks and 1,001 whites were surveyed.

(CNN) – A new national poll suggests that black and white Americans don’t see eye-to eye-on race relations and racial discrimination.

In a CNN/Essence Magazine/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Tuesday morning, 43 percent of African-Americans questioned say that racial discrimination against blacks is a very serious problem, with only 11 percent of whites agreeing. On the flip side, 42 percent of whites surveyed say that racial discrimination against blacks is not a serious problem, with only 12 percent of blacks agreeing.

More than half of blacks questioned say they’ve been the victim of racial discrimination. But only 32 percent of white respondents said they’ve been a victim of discrimination because of their race, a difference of 24 points.

There’s also a difference of opinion when it comes to the future. Fifty-one percent of blacks polled say that race relations will always be a problem in the U.S. Only 41 percent of white respondents agreed.
When it comes to their children, a slight majority, 55 percent, of black respondents with kids under the age of 18 say they feel financially secure to provide for their children. That number rises to 72 percent for whites questioned in the survey.

The survey was conducted from March 26 to April 2, with 2,184 adult Americans, equally split between black and white respondents, questioned by telephone.

The survey has a sampling error of plus or minus two percentage points.

Black in America - Stories of success, struggle, pain and pride. Don't miss this CNN special documentary series, reported by Soledad O'Brien. Tonight, 9 ET