Polls

From NPR today: "If the world had its say, this election would be a blowout."

That's according to a BBC World Service poll taken in 21 countries. It found for the most part, foreign countries preferred Obama. The only exception was Pakistan where more people said they preferred Romney.

Very interesting.

I saw this poll on Yahoo recently ... I am really trying hard not to get my hopes up, but this poll has made it more difficult.

On a broader polling note, the latest series of North Carolina polls concerning the presidential election looks pretty good. The really shocking number comes from the Civitas poll which gives President Obama a 4 point lead. I am glad I didn't have any food in my mouth when I saw that :)

I can't wait for early voting to start. (crosses fingers, knocks wood, looks for 4 leaf clover)

From the New York Times:

Few voters in the polls are satisfied with how much time the presidential candidates have spent on gun laws. More than 4 in 10 in Virginia and Wisconsin say too little time has been spent on the issue, while nearly 3 in 10 say it has been the right amount; Colorado voters are more divided. About 2 in 10 in each state say they have spent too much time discussing the issue.

About half of voters in each state say they or someone in their household owns a gun.

The polls found majority support in each state for a nationwide ban on the sale of high-capacity ammunition magazines, ranging from 52 percent in favor in Virginia, where 32 people were killed by a gunman in 2007 at Virginia Tech, to 57 percent in Wisconsin and 58 percent in Colorado.

This month's [Civitas] poll luncheon will be held in Raleigh, NC at the Cardinal Club. Our guest speaker will be Brad Crone, president of Campaign Connections, a political and public affairs consulting firm. Mr. Crone has extensive experience in media consulting, campaign management and state government.

Also don't miss Civitas "Quiz" here.

Details from Civitas on its Poll Luncheon:

“North Carolina's support for then-candidate Barack Obama in 2008 was a game-changer for his campaign that signaled country was willing to follow a different path to the future.

“Expect the outcome of the Marshall-Burr race to again signal not only what direction North Carolina intends to follow after two tumultuous years of change, but also what direction America as a whole now wants to follows. Like the choices offered by an unemotional and logical GPS unit, we can cancel the current route of the Democratic Party or just update and continue with them to our chosen destination”

"...valuable to the Democrats, however, is her willingness to embrace the Democratic agenda. She stands in agreement with the Democratic Party on virtually every issue.

MARSHALL SUPPORTS:

1. Investing in infrastructure
2. Offering economic support to state and local governments
3. Investing in "green" technology
4. Resisting privatization of Social Security
5. Healthcare reform
6. Building international relationships
7. Avoiding long-term military engagements in the name of fighting terrorism
8. Wall Street financial reform

The Civitas poll released Aug. 4th shows Sen. Basnight just 1 point ahead of his Republican challenger among likely voters.
http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-60417-Wake-County-Elections-2010-Exam...
Also, see a blog from the winter by Asheville Citizen-Times legislative reporter on the reason Basnight and Rand lost control in 2009 leading to Rand's departure from the Senate and to Martin Nesbitt's election as Senate Majority Leader.
According to John Davis' reports, "The caucus majority, led by Sen. Martin Nesbitt (D-Buncombe) and Sen. Dan Blue (D-Wake), issued an ultimatum to the leadership: support the Racial Justice Act or else. As with all who rule with autocratic arrogance, the day came when their subjects refused to be pushed around anymore. Thus, the coup succeeded and the Basnight/Rand Empire fell. Rand, humiliated in defeat, quit."

A recent Rasmussen survey revealed that 59% of "likely voters" believe states should have the right to opt out of federal programs with which they don't agree. Such a number would have been unimaginable just a few years ago, but I wonder which way this is trending.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics...

Over the last few days, residents of Wake County, N.C. -- the site of a nationally watched battle over its school diversity policy -- have been receiving calls from phone pollsters asking for their views on the county's education future.

Yesterday, Facing South editor Sue Sturgis received one of the automated poll calls. But the question of who's behind it is a mystery: The number traces back to a line in Conyers, Georgia that doesn't pick up, and at no time during the "robo-poll" was information provided about who was doing the survey.

Such anonymous automated calls are likely in violation of North Carolina consumer protection laws, which require that the "name and contact information" of the person or group making the call be clearly identified.

Amid all the handwringing on dKos about Obama's shrinking poll numbers, Insider Advantage has some good news.

This poll was just taken yesterday. McCain's only up two, with 45 percent to Obama's 43 percent. And almost a week after the Saddleback Forum, no less. It hasn't been factored into the Pollster.com composite yet, but I'm betting this turns North Carolina yellow again (it's currently pink). The Senate race is a flat-footed tie, with Dole and Hagan getting 40 percent apiece.