A MONTHLY P OLL C OMPILATION Volume 7, Issue 11 • December 2011

Getting to 270: Blue, Red, and Purple States We show below the eighteen states that Democratic presidential candidates have won in each of the past five elections. In 2012, these states and the District of Columbia will have 242 electoral votes. Two hundred seventy are needed to win. Our friend and colleague at the National Journal Ron Brownstein calls these eighteen states the “blue wall.” He writes that “the last time Democrats won that many states so consistently was from 1932 to 1948, when Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman won twenty-two states in five consecutive elections.” George H.W. Bush won ten of these states in 1988, but John McCain did not come within 10 percentage points of Obama in any of them, he says. We also show how President Obama is doing in these states, first with Gallup data from January through June, and then in more recent polls where they are available. The Blue Wall States Democrats have won in all of the past five elections Obama’s rating, Latest available 2012 Electoral College votes Gallup (Jan–June) Obama approval California* 55 53% 46% (August) Connecticut* 7 60 50 (September) Delaware* 3 59 - District of Columbia 3 83 - Hawaii 4 56 56 (October) Illinois* 20 54 50 (October) Maine* 4 50 47 (October) Maryland* 10 59 49 (October) Massachusetts 11 57 57 (July) Michigan* 16 50 50 (July) Minnesota 10 52 - New Jersey* 14 54 48 (November) New York 29 57 50 (September) Oregon 7 44 - Pennsylvania* 20 48 42 (November) Rhode Island 4 50 - Vermont* 3 54 53 (July) Washington 12 50 - Wisconsin 10 50 44 (August) Total Electoral Votes in 2012: 242 Note: For the sources used for this table, see page 2. (continued on the next page) * States that George H.W. Bush carried in 1988.

AEI POLITICAL REPORT CONTRIBUTORS Karlyn Bowman, Senior Fellow; Research Assistants: Jennifer Marsico, Norman Ornstein, Resident Scholar; Editor; Andrew Rugg, Editor. Michael Barone, Resident Fellow. Interns: Robyn Giannini, Brent Scher.

1150 Seventeenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 202.862.5800 www.aei.org (continued from the previous page) The Red Fence We look next at the states that have voted for the Republican presidential candidate in the past five elections. The thirteen states here will have 102 electoral votes in the 2012 election. The Republican bloc looks a little more like a fence than a wall. Below, we examine several toss-up or purple states that will play a major role in electing the next president. States Republicans have won in all of the past five elections Obama’s rating, Latest available 2012 Electoral College votes Gallup (Jan–June) Obama approval Alabama 9 38% 38% (August) Alaska 3 39 - Idaho 4 27 - Kansas 6 38 - Mississippi 6 45 36 (November) Nebraska 5 39 35 (Sept–Oct) North Dakota 3 37 - Oklahoma 7 32 - South Carolina 9 43 45 (November) South Dakota 3 41 - Texas 38 40 40 (September) Utah 6 32 31 (July) Wyoming 3 32 - Total Electoral Votes in 2012: 102

The Purple Maze In only one of the competitive purple states shown below is President Obama’s most recent approval rating at 50 percent.

Number of times Unemployment 2012 Electoral a Republican has % Point Change Latest available College Votes won since ’92 2008–2011 Obama approval Colorado 9 3 +4.1 46% (August) Nevada 6 2 +7.9 44 (October) New Mexico 5 1 +3.5 50 (June) Iowa 6 1 +2.4 43 (November) New Hampshire 4 1 +1.9 44 (October) Ohio 18 2 +3.6 44 (November) Florida 29 3 +6.0 41 (November) North Carolina 15 4 +5.6 45 (October) Virginia 13 4 +3.1 40 (September) Total Electoral Votes in 2012: 105 Note: State-level polling conducted by the following organizations: Alabama: Capitol Survey Research Center; California: Field Poll; Colorado: Public Policy Polling (PPP); Connecticut: Quinnipiac; Delaware: CNN/Time; Florida: Quinnipiac; Hawaii: PPP; Iowa: NBC/Marist (Registered voters); Kansas: SurveyUSA; Maine: PPP; Maryland: Gonzales Poll; Massachusetts: Mass Inc Polling Group; Michigan: PPP; Mississippi: PPP; Minnesota: PPP; Nebraska: PPP; Nevada: PPP; New Hampshire: UNH/WMUR; New Mexico: PPP; North Carolina: PPP; Ohio: Quinnipiac; Oregon: SurveyUSA; New Jersey: Quinnipiac; Rhode Island: PPP; New York: Quinnipiac; Pennsylvania: Quinnipiac; South Carolina: Winthrop Poll; South Dakota: PPP; Texas: PPP; Utah: PPP; Vermont: PPP; Virginia: Quinnipiac; Washington: Survey USA; Wisconsin: PPP; and Wyoming: PPP.

1150 Seventeenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 202.862.5800 www.aei.org 2 Ready, Set, Go: Previewing the Early Caucus and Primary States Iowa Caucus (January 3, 2012) Our colleague Michael Barone began writing the Almanac of American Politics in 1972, and he has been a principal author of every biennial edition since. His knowledge of state–level politics is unparalleled, and we have drawn heavily on this work for the pro- files here. Iowa has had a caucus and convention system since the state joined the union in 1846, but it wasn’t until 1972 that the caucus was moved early in the cycle. That year, the Democratic Party moved its caucus ahead of the New Hampshire primary, and George McGovern’s victory put him on his way to the Democratic nomination. In 1976, the Iowa caucuses made then-unknown candidate Jimmy Carter a national contender. Republican winners of Iowa have a mixed record of success. In 1980, George H.W. Bush won Iowa, although he ulti- mately lost the nomination to Ronald Reagan. In 1988, Bush finished in third place behind Bob Dole and Pat Robertson. Dole’s narrow victory previewed the struggles his candidacy would face going forward. In 1992, Pat Buchanan waited until New Hampshire to challenge George H.W. Bush, who was the victor in 1992. Iowa played a decisive role in 2000. After George W. Bush won the Ames straw poll, Dan Quayle, Lamar Alexander, and Elizabeth Dole soon dropped out. Bush then went on the win the caucus over Steve Forbes. In 2008, the Iowa caucus helped to launch Barack Obama’s candidacy on the Democratic side. On the Republican side, after heavily outspending his rivals, lost the caucus to , 34 to 25 percent. Huckabee was helped by the large evangelical contingent that turned out for the caucuses. But it was John McCain, who received only 13 percent of the vote in Iowa and placed fourth in the caucus, who would go on to win the nomination.

Population makeup Economic indicators % Point Change 2010 2000–2010 2008 Latest White 92.9% -2 Unemployment 3.6% 6.0% (Sept. 2011) Black 3.7 +1.2 Homeownership 73.3% 70.5% (2011) Hispanic 5.0 +2.2 Median household income $50,142 $49,177 (2010) Source: Population makeup: U.S. Census; Unemployment, January 2008 and September 2011: BLS; Homeownership, QI 2008 and QII 2011: U.S. Census; Median household income, in current dollars: U.S. Census.

2008 entrance poll of Republican caucus goers � 45% called themselves very conservative, 43% somewhat conservative. � 60% called themselves evangelical/born again Christians. � Caucus goers were heavily male (56% male to 44% female). � The caucus goers were older (Seventy-three percent were 45 years of age or older. Of this group, 27% were ages 65 and older.) � 99% of caucus goers were white. � Nearly seven in ten said they lived in small cities or rural areas. � Iowa caucus goers said immigration (33%) was the top issue facing the country, followed by the economy (26%)

2008 Republican Caucus Results Huckabee 34% Romney 25 McCain 13 Thompson 13 Paul 10 Source: The Rhodes Cook Letter, October 2011. (continued on the next page)

1150 Seventeenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 202.862.5800 www.aei.org 3 (continued from the previous page) New Hampshire Primary (January 10, 2012) Since 1920, New Hampshire has held the first-in-the nation primary and has had extraordinary influence on the presidential selection process. Given its small size, it is known for its “retail poli- tics,” where candidates meet voters one-on-one. Its retail politics allows little-known candidates to propel themselves into the national spotlight. However, none of these lesser-known candidates has gone on to win his party’s nomination in the last 25 years. George McGovern in 1972 and Jimmy Carter in 1976 were the last to do so. In 2008, John McCain beat Mitt Romney 37 to 32 percent in New Hampshire, injecting new life into the McCain campaign. He also won in 2000, although George W. Bush was the eventual nominee. Pat Buchanan won it in 1996, with Bob Dole becoming the eventual nominee. Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan won the primary in New Hampshire in 1976 and 1980, and both went on to win their party’s nomination.

Population makeup Economic indicators % Point Change 2010 2000–2010 2008 Latest White 95.4% -1.6 Unemployment 3.5% 5.4% (Sept. 2011) Black 1.7 +0.7 Homeownership 75.2% 74.3% (2011) Hispanic 2.8 +1.1 Median household income $66,176 $66,707 (2010) Source: Population makeup: U.S. Census; Unemployment, January 2008 and September 2011: BLS; Homeownership, QI 2008 and QII 2011: U.S. Census; Median household income, in current dollars: U.S. Census.

2008 exit poll of Republican primary voters � 21% called themselves very conservative, 34% somewhat conservative. � 23% called themselves evangelical/born again Christians. � Primary voters were heavily male (57% male to 43% female). � They were older (Seventy-two percent were 40 years of age or older. Of this group, 49% were ages 50 and older.) � 96% were white. � 75% reported an annual family income of over $50,000. � Two out of three New Hampshire primary voters were married. � 50% said they had a gun in their household. � 28% said most illegal immigrants working in the US should be offered a chance to apply for citizenship, 22% said they should be allowed to stay as temporary workers, and 50% said they should be deported to the country they came from.

2008 Republican Primary Results McCain 37% Romney 32 Huckabee 11 Paul 8 (continued on the next page) Source: The Rhodes Cook Letter, October 2011.

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1150 Seventeenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 202.862.5800 www.aei.org 4 (continued from the previous page) South Carolina Primary (January 21, 2012) South Carolina has played a decisive role in determining the Republican nomination since 1988. In 1980, the state Republican chairman scheduled the South Carolina pri- mary early to help Ronald Reagan, and he was victorious. In 1988, South Carolina chose moderate Republican George H.W. Bush, who beat Bob Dole and Pat Robertson, in a preview of the Southern sweep that clinched Bush’s nomination four days later. In 1992, Bush handily beat Pat Buchanan here, putting to rest Buchanan’s claims of Southern support. In 1996, Bob Dole won an impressive victory over Buchanan, helping to reinvigorate Dole’s campaign after disappointing showings elsewhere. George W. Bush beat John McCain here in 2000. In South Carolina, the state parties control the primary schedule, allowing each party to hold its contest on different dates. In 2008, after Florida moved its primary to January 29, South Carolina Republicans moved their primary up to January 19 in order to protect its status as the first Southern primary. John McCain narrowly beat Mike Huckabee, 33 to 30 percent. Mitt Romney finished fourth with 15 percent of the vote. Florida’s decision to move its primary to January 31, 2012 prompted South Carolina Republicans to move theirs to January 21. Democrats will hold their primary one week later on the 28th.

Population makeup Economic indicators % Point Change 2010 2000–2010 2008 Latest White 67.6% -0.4 Unemployment 6.1% 11.0% (Sept. 2011) Black 28.8 -1.1 Homeownership 74.5% 75.5% (2011) Hispanic 5.1 +2.7 Median Household Income $42,155 $41,709 (2010) Source: Population makeup: US Census; Unemployment, January 2008 and September 2011: BLS; Homeownership, QI 2008 and QII 2011: US Census; Median household income, in current dollars: US Census.

2008 exit poll of Republican primary voters � 34% called themselves very conservative, 34% somewhat conservative. � 60% called themselves evangelical/born again Christians. � The primary voters were older (Sixty-seven percent were 45 years of age or older.) � 96% were white. � 61% described themselves as living in the suburbs, 30% as living in a small city or rural setting. � 93% attended religious services (64% weekly, 29% occasionally). � 28% said most illegal immigrants working in the US should be offered a chance to apply for citizenship, 19% said they should be allowed to stay as temporary workers, and 52% said they should be deported to the country they came from.

2008 Republican Primary Results McCain 33% Huckabee 30 Thompson 16 Romney 15 Paul 4 Source: The Rhodes Cook Letter, October 2011. (continued on the next page)

1150 Seventeenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 202.862.5800 www.aei.org 5 (continued from the previous page) Florida Primary (January 31, 2012) Between 1988 and 2004, Florida was part of the South’s Super Tuesday. As one of many states voting on a single day, it did not attract a great deal of attention. In 2008, the Florida legislature decided to move its primary earlier, flouting national party rules. In selecting January 31 for its 2012 primary, Florida once again ignored the rules and forced other states to move their events up. In 2008, John McCain won the primary with 36 percent of the vote, followed by Mitt Romney with 31 percent. Governor Charlie Crist endorsed McCain in 2008 days before the election.

Population makeup Economic indicators % Point Change 2010 2000–2010 2008 Latest White 77.1% -2.6 Unemployment 4.6% 10.6% (Sept. 2011) Black 17 +1.5 Home ownership 71.2% 68.9% (2011) Hispanic 22.5 +5.7 Median Household Income* $44,857 $44,243 (2010) Source: Population makeup: U.S. Census; Unemployment, January 2008 and September 2011: BLS; Homeownership, QI 2008 and QII 2011: U.S. Census; Median household income, in current dollars: U.S. Census.

2008 exit poll of Florida Republican primary voters � 27% called themselves very conservative, 34% somewhat conservative. � 39% called themselves evangelical/born again Christians. � Primary voters were heavily male (56% male to 44% female). � They were older (83 percent were 40 years of age or older. Of this group, 33% were ages 65 and older.) � 84% were white. 12% were Latino and three percent were African-American. � 86% attended religious services (44% weekly and 42% occasionally). � 64% described themselves as living in the suburbs. � 29% said most illegal immigrants working in the US should be offered a chance to apply for citizenship, 29% said they should be allowed to stay as temporary works, and 40% said they should be deported to the country they came from.

2008 Republican Primary Results McCain 36% Romney 31 Giuliani 15 Huckabee 13 Paul 3 Source: The Rhodes Cook Letter, October 2011.

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1150 Seventeenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 202.862.5800 www.aei.org 6 (continued from the previous page) Nevada Caucus (February 4, 2012) Nevada’s late March presidential caucus attracted little attention for years. In 2008, the Demo- cratic National Committee, with strong backing by Nevada Senator Harry Reid, named Nevada as one of the four states allowed to hold early contests. Reid argued that predominately Caucasian Iowa and New Hampshire were not representative of an increasingly diverse nation and that Nevada, with a mix of Hispanics, African-Americans, and Asians, was. won the Nevada caucus in 2008. It was her only caucus victory that year. Mitt Romney won the Nevada caucus in 2008, with 51 percent of the vote. His closest rivals, John McCain and Ron Paul, each received 13 percent.

Population makeup Economic indicators % Point Change 2010 2000–2010 2008 Latest White 70.0% -8.2 Unemployment 5.5% 13.4% (Sept. 2011) Black 9.4 +1.9 Home ownership 65.1 57.2 (2011) Hispanic 26.5 +6.8 Median Household Income $54,744 $51,525 (2010) Source: Population makeup: US Census; Unemployment, January 2008 and September 2011: BLS; Homeownership, QI 2008 and QII 2011: US Census; Median household income, in current dollars: US Census.

2008 entrance poll of Nevada Republican voters � They were older (twenty-seven percent were 45 to 59 years of age. Forty-five percent were ages 60 and older.) � 88% of voters were white. � 51% described themselves as living in an urban setting (city over 50,000). � 26% were Mormon. � Caucus goers split about whether the economy (37%) or immigration (35%) was the top issue facing the country.

2008 Republican Caucus Results Romney 51% McCain 13 Paul 13 Huckabee 8 Source: The Rhodes Cook Letter, October 2011.

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1150 Seventeenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 202.862.5800 www.aei.org 7 President Obama and His Predecessors Approach Reelection The charts below show how incumbent presidents were faring in late fall as their reelection campaigns began in earnest. Satisfaction with the way things are going in the country is lower now than it was for previous presidents at this time. The proportion saying the country is headed in the right direction is 22 percent, which is about where it was at this point in Bill Clinton’s presidency. In 1979, during Jimmy Carter’s presidency, it was even lower. President Obama’s job approval rating is also lower than everyone else’s at this point, and consumer confidence as measured by the University of Michigan is one of the lowest in recent president's tenures.

Satisfied with the way things Country heading Job Consumer are going in the country in the right direction approval confidence Obama 12% 22% 42% 64.1 Nov/Dec 2011

G. W. Bush 50 52 55 92.6 2003

Clinton 24 21 51 91 1995

G.H.W. Bush 37 24 52 68.2 1991

Reagan 35 43 54 94.2 1983

Carter 19 16 51 61 1979

Nixon N/A 26 50 82 1971 Note: All questions asked in the fall or winter before the election year, except the “right direction” question for Bill Clinton (it was asked in January of 1996) and the “right direction” question for George W. Bush (asked March 2003). Source: For “satisfied with way things are going”: Gallup. For “right direction”: ABC/Washington Post, Market Opinion Research, and Roper. For “job approval”: Gallup. For “consumer confidence”: University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment.

Join us AEI’s Election Watch series for the 2012 campaign. Election Watch brings together AEI's nationally renowned team of political analysts and other commentators to talk about the latest polls and offer their insights on the presi- dential, congressional, and gubernatorial races.

Election Watch, Session II: January 26 Election Watch Session III: February 21

1150 Seventeenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 202.862.5800 www.aei.org 8 The Nation’s Mood Dissatisfaction Extremely High

Q: Some people say they are basically content with the federal government, others say they are frustrated, and others say they are angry. Which of these best describes how you feel? Basically content with the federal government 17% Frustrated 58 Angry 21 Source: Pew Research Center, September–October 2011.

Q: How much of the time do you think you can trust the government in Washington to do what is right? Can trust the government in Washington just about always 3% Most of the time 17 Only some of the time. 72 Never (Vol.) 7 Note: The “only some of the time” 2011 response is the highest Pew has gotten on this question. Source: Pew Research Center, September–October 2011.

Q: Do you . . . ? National ——Response of—— Rep. Dem. Ind. Approve of the way Congress is handling its job 9% 13% 10% 6% Disapprove 83 78 82 86 Note: Twenty-two percent approved of the way Democrats in Congress were handling their job. Nineteen percent approved of the way the Republicans in Congress were. Source: CBS, November 2011.

Q: When it comes to the effect of President Obama’s Q: If the Republican candidate wins the presidency, policies in improving economic conditions, would you would economic conditions be . . . ? say his policies have . . . ? If a Republican wins, economic conditions President Obama’s policies have would be helped 30% helped economic conditions 22% Hurt 25 Hurt 30 Not make much of a difference Not made much of a difference one way or the other 43 one way or the other 47 Source: NBC/Wall Street Journal, November 2011. Source: NBC/Wall Street Journal, November 2011.

Q: If you had to choose, would you rather have a . . . ? National Smaller government providing fewer services 48% Bigger government providing more services 41 Source: Pew Research Center, September–October 2011. (continued on the next page)

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Q: Which party can do a better job of . . . ? Republican Party Democratic Party Dealing with health care 38% 49% Representing your views on abortion 36 49 Dealing with Social Security system 39 45 Improving the job situation 42 42 Dealing with immigration 45 37 Dealing with the federal budget deficit 46 37 Source: Pew Research Center, September–October 2011. The Race Q: Generally speaking would you say that you personally . . . ? Care a good deal who wins the 2012 presidential election 81% Don’t care very much 8 Source: Pew Research Center, September–October 2011.

Q: Do you . . . ? Agree with your vote in the 2008 presidential election Disagree National 84% 8% Obama voters 87 9 McCain voters 90 7 Note: Sample is registered voters. Source: Fox, November 2011.

Q: As I read some names, please tell me if you have a . . . ? Never heard of/ Have a favorable impression of Unfavorable Can’t rate Barack Obama 52% 45% 3% Mitt Romney 36 42 21 Rick Perry 25 50 25 Herman Cain 29 50 21 31 48 21 Source: Pew Research Center, November 2011.

The 2012 Field Q: Is your mind made up, or is it still too early to say for sure? Republican primary voters who named their choice for the Republican nomination in a previous question Mind made up 28% Still too early to say for sure 72 Source: CBS, November 2011.

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Q: Overall, what’s your impression of the candidates running for the Republican presidential nomination? As a group, would you say they are . . . ? Impressions of GOP candidates as a group ——Response of Republicans and Republican leaners—— Excellent Good Only Fair Poor November 2011 10% 38% 39% 7% November 2007 9 47 34 7 October 1995 5 46 40 6 Source: Pew Research Center, latest that of November 2011.

Q: Which one of the following qualities is most important to you in deciding who to support for the Republican presi- dential nomination. A candidate who . . . ? Response of Republicans and Republican leaners Shares your values 33% Has the experience to govern 27 Is closest to you on issues 23 Can beat President Obama 13 Source: Marist/McClatchy, November 2011. And Then There Were Two? Q: Next I’d like you to think about the Republican nomination for President in the 2012 election. Please tell me if you would find ______to be an acceptable nominee for president for the Republican Party or not. —Responses of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents— Acceptable candidate Not acceptable Newt Gingrich 62% 34% Mitt Romney 54 41 Rick Perry 41 52 Michelle Bachman 37 56 Herman Cain 37 58 Ron Paul 34 62 Jon Huntsman 28 58 Rick Santorum 27 62 Source: Gallup, November-December 2011. (continued on the next page)

Romney and Republicans in a General Election If he becomes the nominee, will Mitt Romney have a problem with Republican voters in the fall? Not according to recent polling from Pew. In a mid-November poll, 87 percent of Republicans say they would back him in a contest with Barack Obama. Eighty-six percent of Republicans said they would back Newt Gingrich, 81 percent Rick Perry, and 80 percent Herman Cain.

1150 Seventeenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 202.862.5800 www.aei.org 11 (continued from the previous page) Health Care: Patient is Steady The Supreme Court will consider the constitutionality of provisions of the new health care law sometime early next year. Opinions have not moved considerably over the past year. Q: Thinking about the health care legislation passed by Barack Obama and Congress last year, what, if anything, do you think Congress should do with the law now? September 2011 January 2011 November 2010 Expand it 31% 35% 30% Leave it as is 22 20 22 Repeal it 38 37 40 Source: Source: Pew Research Center, September–October 2011. Occupy Wall Street: Not Growing Attention towards the protests have held relatively steady since early October. Even still, significant numbers don’t have an opinion on whether they approve or disapprove of the movement’s goals. Growing numbers disapprove how the protests are being conducted. Q: As I read a list of some stories covered by news organizations this past week, please tell me if you happened to follow each news story . . . ? Following the anti-Wall Street protests in cities around the country very closely and fairly closely Oct. 6–9, 2011 42% Oct. 13–16, 2011 53 Oct. 20–23, 2011 48 Oct. 27–30, 2011 46 Nov. 3–6, 2011 47 Nov. 10–13, 2011 46 Nov. 17–20, 2011 50 Note: Question wording prior to October 27–30, 2011 was about “anti-Wall Street protests in New York and other cities.” Source: Pew Research Center, latest that of November 10–13, 2011.

Q: Do you . . . ? Nov. 19–29 Oct. 15–16 Approve of the goals of the Occupy Wall Street movement 25% 22% Disapprove 16 15 Don’t know enough to say 59 63 Source: Gallup.

Q: Do you . . . ? Nov. 19–29 Oct. 15–16 Approve of the way the Occupy Wall Street movement protests are being conducted 20% 25% Disapprove 31 20 Don’t know enough to say 49 55

Source: Gallup. (continued on the next page)

1150 Seventeenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 202.862.5800 www.aei.org 12 (continued from the previous page) America Leaves Iraq President Obama will withdraw nearly all U.S. combat forces from Iraq by the end of the year. A substantial majority approve of the decision. Eight years after the war started, Americans are divided about whether the initial decision to go to war was the right decision, but most believe, on the whole, that the costs of the war have outweighed the benefits. Q: Do you think . . . ? The U.S. made the right decision in using military force in Iraq 48% The wrong decision 46 Source: Pew Research Center, November 2011.

Q: All in all, do you . . . ? Think that considering the costs to the versus the benefits, the war in Iraq has been worth fighting 36% Not 57 Source: Pew Research Center, September 2011.

Q: Do you . . . ? Approve of removing nearly all U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of 2011 77% Disapprove 17 Source: CBS News, November 2011.

Debates, Debates, and more Debates Twenty-six GOP debates have been scheduled thus far in the election cycle. Seventeen of them will have taken place before the Iowa caucuses, including one sponsored by AEI-Heritage-CNN. The Commission on Presidential Debates has announced the schedule and sites of its three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate. They are:

Presidential debates October 3, 2012 University of Denver Denver, Colorado October 16 Hofstra University Hempstead, New York October 22 Lynn University Boca Raton, Florida

Vice Presidential debate October 11 Centre College Danville, Kentucky

Q: Which do you think better describes most presidential debates? Debates are a good way to get to know the candidates 56% Debates are a waste of time and money 35 Note: Sample is registered voters. Source: Fox, November 2011.

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