July 2009 New Models Survey
Pollster.com: Drop in Polls Threatens Obama Agenda
David Winston is a guest pollster for Pollster.com today, writing about recent surveys that show Obama’s numbers are slipping dangerously below 50%, something the administration may have to be concerned about soon:
If Obama’s numbers continue to slide, his policy agenda is at serious risk. Don’t think for one moment that members of the House and Senate don’t pay attention to these national polls. They do, especially those who find themselves in competitive races. Equally important, their own internal state or district polls will likely also have a presidential job approval question. Whether Obama is under 50% or under water back home could and, in many cases, will impact their voting behavior in D.C.
To read all of David’s article, turn to pollster.com
The Right Idea, Episode 33 – Health Care Reform
The Right Idea, Episode 33: Health Care Reform from The Winston Group on Vimeo.
With Olympia Snowe giving the latest healthcare reform bill the thumbs up, can we really call it bi-partisan? Kristen chats with the Washington Times’ Andrea Carpenter and the Independent Women’s Forum’s Allison Kasic about the lastest in healthcare reform developments, as well as the bigger issue of the U.S. economy.
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Get Schooled Initiative Launches – Aimed At Broadening Americans’ Engagement in Solving the Education Crisis
Initiative Releases Poll Revealing Vast Majority of Americans Do Not Believe U.S. Education System is World’s Best, Have Concerns Over Its Impact on the Nation’s Economy
Hollywood, Calif. – Sept. 8, 2009 – Viacom (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, along with initiative partners AT&T, Capital One Financial Corporation and NYSE Euronext, today launched Get Schooled with a national broadcast and an education conference at the Paramount Pictures lot. The five-year initiative aims to generate greater awareness and engagement in addressing the nation’s education crisis and to offer practical resources and support to students.
“We couldn’t be having this conversation at a better time,” said Bill Gates, Co-chair of the Gates Foundation. “The education crisis is damaging our ability to compete in the global economy, and we need to do more to engage all Americans – from policymakers and corporate leaders to families and young people – in our efforts to support students in completing their education and achieving their dreams.”
The Get Schooled initiative also announced today the results of a poll conducted by The Winston Group showing that an overwhelming percentage of Americans believe that the United States is lagging behind other nations when it comes to the quality of education. Eighty-one percent of survey respondents said that they do not believe that the United States has the best public education system in the world. Eighty-nine percent believe that if American students are not receiving as good of an education as their overseas counterparts, it will have a negative effect on the American economy.
“We are committed to raising awareness and, even more importantly, to converting that awareness into action,” said Philippe Dauman, President and CEO of Viacom. “Improving the workforce readiness of America’s upcoming generations is a business imperative. By 2020, our nation may be short 14 million college-educated workers, and the trends are moving against us. The cost to the U.S. economy of students unprepared to enter college and the workforce is estimated at close to $4 billion dollars annually in lost wages and remedial education costs. But the long-term cost is exponentially greater.”
From 2006 to 2016 there will be more than two million new jobs created requiring at least an associate degree or postsecondary training, according to the New Democratic Leadership Council. However, the reality is that two-thirds of American ninth graders will not be prepared for college within four years, and half of those who actually go to college will never earn a degree.
“Investing in a well-educated workforce may be the single most important thing we can do to help the U.S. remain a leader in the global economy,” said Charlene Lake, Senior Vice President for Public Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer for AT&T. “If we come together as business leaders, policymakers, parents and as a community, we can ensure that today’s students have the skills and knowledge for meaningful careers, and that American businesses have a deep and diverse talent pool from which to hire. AT&T is proud to be a partner in Get Schooled.”
As part of Get Schooled’s mission to foster a national dialogue on education issues, AT&T is organizing “screening parties” and discussions around the premiere of the TV broadcast of Get Schooled: You Have the Right. Local events, organized with community partners, will take place in 14 cities across the nation.
“NYSE Euronext is proud to partner with all the sponsors of the Get Schooled initiative. Improving America’s education system is critically important to the future of our children and our prosperity,” said Duncan L. Niederauer, CEO of NYSE Euronext. “To continue developing future generations of innovators and investors, we must ensure that our young people are equipped with the necessary skills to compete in the global marketplace and succeed in life. At NYSE Euronext, we have a long-standing commitment to financial literacy, and we are pleased to offer our expertise and brand behind this great initiative.”
“At Capital One we recognize that one of the most important investments we can make in the future is an investment in education,” said Carolyn Berkowitz, President of Capital One Foundation and Vice President for Community Affairs at Capital One. “We are proud to support programs like Get Schooled to help reinforce the importance of financial literacy. Our goal is to help give students a solid foundation of money management knowledge and skills so that they can make wise financial choices in the future.”
The launch of Get Schooled, at the Paramount Pictures lot, includes a conference featuring a line-up of distinguished speakers: Bill Gates, Philippe Dauman, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Tony Miller, filmmaker Davis Guggenheim, author and political columnist Arianna Huffington, New York City Department of Education Chancellor Joel Klein and Los Angeles-area High School Athletic Director Stephen Minix. The education conference will be attended by an audience of almost one thousand – including corporate and nonprofit partners, students, thought leaders, celebrities and other education stakeholders. Its goal is to highlight fresh perspectives on ways to dramatically increase high school graduation rates and college completion rates. The speakers will draw from their personal and professional experiences, sharing insights on how to ensure that all students receive a top-notch education and are ready to compete in a global marketplace.
The launch events on the Paramount Pictures lot also include the premiere of the Get Schooled: You Have the Right documentary featuring President Barack Obama, Kelly Clarkson and LeBron James, and three professionals who work alongside them, which will air across all of Viacom’s U.S. networks, including BET, MTV, VH1, CMT, Comedy Central, Spike TV, TV Land and Nickelodeon, at 8 p.m. Eastern/Pacific and 7 p.m. Central.
ABOUT THE WINSTON GROUP POLL
The Winston Group survey of 1,000 voters nationwide probed Americans’ views about education. The telephone survey was conducted Aug. 23-27, 2009 and has a margin of error of +/- 3.1%.
ABOUT GET SCHOOLED
Get Schooled is a national program that connects, inspires and mobilizes people – from policymakers and corporate leaders to communities and kids – to find effective solutions to the problems facing our education system. It provides resources and information, community outreach and creative programming that engage a range of audiences to address America’s education crisis. Get Schooled’s co-developers are the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Viacom, including BET Networks, MTV Networks and Paramount Pictures. The initiative combines the Foundation’s deep knowledge of education reform with the power of Viacom’s diverse brands to raise awareness about the challenges facing America’s public education system and provide information and solutions for students and their families.
To find out more about Get Schooled and the initiative’s groundbreaking national television premiere airing today, visit www.getschooled.com.
CBS Survey and the Stimulus Package
In looking through the CBS Survey that was released last night there are a couple of very interesting results. First let’s put the sample in context. In the survey 25% were Republicans, 38% were Democrats, and 37% were Independents. In contrast the media exit polls for the House level had Republicans at 33%, Democrats at 40%, and Independents at 28%. So the CBS survey gives Democrats a +13 advantage as opposed to the exit polls that had the Democrat advantage at 7%. (more…)
GOP, Rothenberg Should See Futility of Relying on Attacks
In his critique of my Dec. 2 column, my Roll Call colleague, Stuart Rothenberg, in essence, defended the Republican political status quo — an attack-based campaign doctrine that has failed both the party and its candidates, much to the delight of Democrats. If I were on the other side hoping for a permanent political majority, I’d encourage Republican operatives to keep doing what they’ve been doing for years, too. Clearly, the American people have moved on and want more from political leaders than negative campaigns and pork-barrel politics. To suggest, as he did, that “when your party’s reputation is in the toilet, trying to drive up your opponents’ negatives is one of the few things you can do,” is “simply wrong.” (more…)
National party ID and ideology from the past 24 years
Different Polls, Different Results: Soltis Explains Poll Methodology and Variation
In today’s American Spectator online, I give my take on why many polls that seem to be checking the same thing – the McCain/Obama ballot test – can end up with very different results.
Kristen Soltis: Poll Vaulting [American Spectator]