National Polling Summary

Dan Seals is a successful businessman with an MBA from the University of Chicago who took on entrenched, popular Republican incumbent Mark Kirk in 2006 and 2008 - running one of the closest races in the country. Now running for an open seat, Dan 's priority is to help families get back on solid ground, and to make healthcare and energy costs more affordable, while focusing on job growth. Recent Anzalone Liszt Research polling has shown that Dan begins the 2010 campaign with a dominating 55-point lead over his primary opponents (Dan Seals 63% / Julie Hamos 8% / Elliot Richardson 2%). If you would like to learn more about Dan Seals, visit him here.

August 14, 2009
Anzalone Liszt Research
National Polling Summary

Welcome to the Anzalone Liszt Research National Polling Summary, a quick look at national public polls detailing key political environmental measures as well as attitudes of voters on the pressing issues of the week. We hope this summary will be helpful to you and your clients.

The healthcare debate has reached a fevered pitch in the last couple of weeks, led in large part by boisterous and volatile town-hall crowds. Though they've been successful in generating news coverage, the townhalls have not galvanized the public against healthcare reform - with a majority of voters saying the protests have made no difference in how they view reform or made the protesters' views less sympathetic. Fundamental support for reform is still strong, with 69% saying it's important to pass reform in the next few months, and 55% saying the healthcare system needs "major reform." And by double-digits voters still trust Barack Obama over Republicans on health care reform and the economy.

Enjoy,

John Anzalone and Jeff Liszt

Health Care

Affect of town hall protests on your sympathy to protesters' views

Polling Firm	Date	More Sympathetic	No Difference	Less Sympathetic
USA Today/ Gallup	8/11/09	34%	36%	21%

USA Today/ Gallup: From what you know or have read, have these town hall meeting protests against the proposed bills made you more sympathetic to the protestors' views, do the protests not make any difference to you either way, or have the protests made you less sympathetic to the protestors' views?

Are the town-hall protests appropriate?

Polling Firm	Date	Appropriate	Inappropriate
Pew	8/11/09	61%	34%

Is booing members of Congress at town hall meetings democracy in action?

Polling Firm	Date	Democracy in action	Abuse of democracy
Gallup	8/11/09	44%	47%

Is shouting down supporters of health care reform at town hall meetings democracy in action?

Polling Firm	Date	Democracy in action	Abuse of democracy
Gallup	8/11/09	33%	59%

Importance of health care reform bill passing in the next few months

Polling Firm	Date	Important	Not Important	Unsure
Time	7/28/09	69%	28%	3%

Time: Turning to health care reform, how important is it to you that Congress and the President pass a major health care reform bill in the next few months: very important, somewhat important, not very important, or not at all important to you?

Reform needed in the health care system

Polling Firm	Date	Minor Adjustments	Major Reform	Unsure
Time	7/28/09	43%	55%	3%

Time: Would it be better to pretty much stay with the current health care system and just make some minor adjustments, or does the system need major reform?

President Obama's Job Rating on Handling Health Care

Polling Firm	Date	Approve	Disapprove	DK
Gallup	8/9/09	43%	49%	8%
Time	7/28/09	46%	46%	8%

Who do you trust more on health care reform: President Obama or Republicans in Congress?

Polling Firm	Date	Obama	Reps	Neither
Time	7/28/09	47%	32%	14%
CBS/ NY Times	7/28/09	55%	26%	7%

Time: Who do you trust more to develop new health care legislation: President Obama, or Republicans in Congress? CBS/ NY Times: Regardless of how you usually vote, who do you think has better ideas about reforming the health care system: Barack Obama, or the Republicans in Congress?

Barack Obama's Health Care Plan

Polling Firm	Date	Favor	Oppose	No Opinion
Rasmussen	8/10/09	42%	53%	-
CNN/ ORC	8/3/09	50%	45%	5%

Rasmussen: Generally speaking, do you strongly favor, somewhat favor, somewhat oppose or strongly oppose the health care reform plan proposed by President Obama and the congressional Democrats? CNN/ORC: From everything you have heard or read so far, do you favor or oppose Barack Obama's plan to reform health care?

Favor or oppose a government administered health insurance plan?

Polling Firm	Date	Favor	Oppose	Unsure
CBS/ NY Times	7/28/09	66%	27%	7%
CBS	7/12/09	64%	29%	7%
CBS/ NY Times	6/16/09	72%	20%	8%

CBS/ NY Times: Would you favor or oppose the government offering everyone a government administered health insurance plan - something like the Medicare coverage that people 65 and older get - that would compete with private insurance plans?

Should government exert more control over nation's health care system

Polling Firm	Date	Should	Should not	Unsure
CBS	7/12/09	62%	34%	4%

CBS: Given the problems the county is facing, do you think the government should or should not exert more control over the nation's health care system?

Taxing Americans with high income to pay for healthcare reform

Polling Firm	Date	Favor	Oppose	Unsure
CBS/ NY Times	7/28/09	65%	32%	3%

CBS/ NY Times: In order to help pay for health care reform, would you favor or oppose increasing taxes on Americans with high incomes?

Requiring health insurance companies to cover people regardless of preexisting conditions

Polling Firm	Date	Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
CBS/ NY Times	7/28/09	76%	19%	5%

CBS/ NY Times: Some lawmakers have proposed requiring health insurance companies to cover anyone who applies for health insurance regardless of whether or not they have an existing medical condition or a prior illness. Do you approve or disapprove of requiring health insurance companies to cover anyone who applies?

Who would be helped by health care reform?

Polling Firm	Date	Would Help Own Family	Would Help Other Families	Wouldn't Help Anyone
CNN/ ORC	8/3/09	30%	44%	20%

CNN/ ORC: From what you know of the health care proposal which Obama supports, which of the following statements comes closest to your view? Those proposals would help you and your family if they became law. Those proposals would help other families in this country, but would not help you and your family. Those proposals would not help anyone in the country.

What is a more serious problem right now: keeping costs down or providing insurance?

Polling Firm	Date	Keeping costs down	Providing insurance	Unsure
CBS/ NY Times	7/28/09	43%	53%	4%
CBS/ NY Times	4/5/09	40%	54%	6%

CBS/ NY Times: If you had to say, which do you thin is a more serious problem right now: keeping health care costs down for average Americans, OR providing health insurance for Americans who do not have any insurance?

Effect of health care reform on cost

Polling Firm	Date	Increase/ Raise	Decrease/ Lower	Remain the same
Rasmussen	8/10/09	51%	19%	21%
Time	7/28/09	62%	26%	3%
CBS/ NY Times	7/28/09	59%	15%	16%

Rasmussen: If the health care reform plan passes, will the cost of health care go up, go down, or stay about the same? Time: Overall, when you hear about what's being talked about in the health care debate, do you think the final legislation is likely to lower your health care costs in the long run, OR, raise you health care costs in the long run? CBS/ NY Times: From what you've heard or read, do you think the health care legislation under consideration in Congress will increase health care costs for most Americans, decrease health care costs for most Americans, or will it have no effect on health care costs for most Americans?

Effect of health care reform on freedom to choose your doctors and your coverage

Polling Firm	Date	More	Less	Same
Time	7/28/09	30%	56%	5%

Time: Overall, when you hear about what's being talked about in the health care debate, do you think the final legislation is likely to give you more freedom to choose your doctors and your coverage, OR, give you less freedom to choose your doctors and your coverage?

Health care reform will make things more complicated or simpler?

Polling Firm	Date	Complicated	Simpler	Unsure
Time	7/28/09	65%	29%	5%

Time: Overall, when you hear about what's being talked about in the health care debate, do you think the final legislation is likely to make everything more complicated, OR, make things simpler?

Fixing the Health Care System

Polling Firm	Date	Cannot Afford Right Now	Need to fix now	Unsure
CBS/ NY Times	7/28/09	52%	44%	4%

CBS/ NY Times: Which comes closest to your view? (1) The U.S. needs to fix its health care system now as part of fixing the overall economy. OR, (2) Because of the state of the economy, the U.S. cannot afford to fix its health care system right now.

The Economy

President Obama's Job Rating on the Economy

Polling Firm	Date	Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
Gallup	8/9/09	48%	49%	3%
Time	7/28/09	51%	44%	5%

Time frame in the Obama administration to see noticeable results in the economy

Polling Firm	Date	In the first year	Longer than that	Unsure
AP-GfK	7/20/09	16%	83%	2%

AP-Gfk: When it comes to improving the economy, do you think it is realistic to expect at least some noticeable results in the first year of the Obama administration, or do you think it will take longer than that to see any noticeable results?

President Obama's policies effect on the economy

Polling Firm	Date	Have Made Better	Will Make Better	Don't Think So	Unsure
CNN/ ORC	8/3/09	44%	11%	40%	5%

CNN/ ORC: Do you think Barack Obama's policies have made the economy better, or don't you think so? If responded don't think asked: Do you think Barack Obama's policies will eventually make the economy better, or don't you think so?

Which party is responsible for the country's current economic problems?

Polling Firm	Date	Dems	Reps	Equal
CNN/ ORC	8/3/09	23%	44%	24%
CNN/ ORC	5/17/09	21%	53%	22%

CNN/ ORC: Do you think the Democrats or the Republicans are more responsible for the country's current economic problems?

Who do you trust more to handle the economy President Obama or Republicans in Congress?

Polling Firm	Date	Obama	Reps	Neither
ABC/ Wash Post	7/18/09	56%	33%	9%
ABC/ Wash Post	6/21/09	55%	31%	9%

ABC/ Wash Post: Who do you trust to do a better job handling the economy: Obama or the Republicans in Congress?

Long term impact of the stimulus package on the economy

Polling Firm	Date	Better	Worse	No Impact	DK
AP-Gfk	7/20/09	48%	31%	19%	2%
CBS	7/12/09	42%	21%	29%	8%

AP-Gfk: In the long term, do you think Obama's economic stimulus plan will make the economy better, nto have an effect, or make the economy worse? CBS: In the long run, do you think the federal government's stimulus package will make the economy better, will make the economy worse, or will it have no impact on the economy in the long run?

US Bureau of Labor Statistics Unemployment Rate

Date	Rate
July 2009	9.4%
June 2009	9.5%
May 2009	9.4%
July 2008	5.8%

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index

Polling Firm	Date
CB	June	49.3
CB	May	54.9
CB	April	40.8

President Obama

President Obama's Popularity

Polling Firm	Date	Fav	Unfav	Und/ Neutral
CNN/ ORC	8/3/09	64%	34%	2%
CBS/ NY Times	7/28/09	50%	23%	27%

President Obama's Job Rating

Polling Firm	Date	Positive/ Approve	Negative/ Disapprove
Gallup	8/12/09	53%	40%
CNN/ ORC	8/3/09	56%	40%

First six months of the Obama administration

Polling Firm	Date	Success	Failure
CNN/ ORC	8/3/09	51%	37%

CNN/ORC: Do you consider the first six months of the Obama administration to be a success or a failure?

The Parties and Congress

Party Self Identification

Polling Firm	Date	Dems	Reps	Ind
Ipsos/ McClatchy	8/3/09	35%	22%	44%
Time	7/28/09	34%	23%	32%

2010 Congressional Generic Ballot

Polling Firm	Date	Dems	Reps	Und/ Other
NBC/ WSJ	7/27/09	46%	39%	15%
NPR	7/26/09	42%	43%	10%

NBC/ WSJ: What is your preference for the outcome of next year's congressional elections: a Congress controlled by Republicans or a Congress controlled by Democrats? NPR: I know it is a long way off, but thinking about the elections in 2010, if the election for U.S. Congress were held today, would you be voting for the Democratic candidate or the Republican candidate in your district where you live?

Congressional Job Rating

Polling Firm	Date	Positive/Approve	Negative/Disprove
FOX	8/12/09	30%	59%
NBC/ WSJ	7/27/09	24%	63%

Congressional Democrats Job Rating

Polling Firm	Date	Pos/Approve	Neg/Disprove	DK
Quinnipiac	8/3/09	35%	55%	10%
CBS/ NY Times	7/28/09	47%	42%	11%

Congressional Republicans Job Rating

Polling Firm	Date	Pos/Approve	Neg/Disprove	DK
Quinnipiac	8/3/09	29%	59%	12%
CBS/ NY Times	7/28/09	28%	61%	11%

United States Direction

Polling Firm	Date	Right Direction	Wrong Direction	No Opinion
Ipsos/McClatchy	8/3/09	46%	48%	6%
Time	7/28/09	51%	44%	6%

Fun Facts

Some Tweeting Facts From Tweetcongress.org (as of August 13)

� 159 Members of Congress are on Twitter:

o 43 Democratic Representatives (10 of them are ALR clients = 23%)

o 15 Democratic Senators (2 of them are ALR clients = 13%)

o 20 Republican Senators

o 81 Republican Representatives

o 23 ALR Clients are on Twitter (or 49% of our current clients)

� Our Top 5 clients with the most followers are:

1. Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee - 3,757
2. Artur Davis - 2,003
3. Anthony Foxx - 1,045
4. Kay Hagan - 1,017
5. Leonard Boswell - 921
Not including President Obama our clients are followed by a total of 11,185 tweeters.
President Obama is followed by 1,964,349 tweeters

Health Care

Affect of town hall protests on your sympathy to protesters' views

Polling Firm

Date

More Sympathetic

No Difference

Less Sympathetic

USA Today/ Gallup

8/11/09

34%

36%

21%

Are the town-hall protests appropriate?

Polling Firm

Date

Appropriate

Inappropriate

Pew

8/11/09

61%

34%

Is booing members of Congress at town hall meetings democracy in action?

Polling Firm

Date

Democracy in action

Abuse of democracy

Gallup

8/11/09

44%

47%

Is shouting down supporters of health care reform at town hall meetings democracy in action?

Polling Firm

Date

Democracy in action

Abuse of democracy

Gallup

8/11/09

33%

59%

Importance of health care reform bill passing in the next few months

Polling Firm

Date

Important

Not Important

Unsure

Time

7/28/09

69%

28%

3%

Time: Turning to health care reform, how important is it to you that Congress and the President pass a major health care reform bill in the next few months: very important, somewhat important, not very important, or not at all important to you?

Reform needed in the health care system

Polling Firm

Date

Minor Adjustments

Major Reform

Unsure

Time

7/28/09

43%

55%

3%

Time: Would it be better to pretty much stay with the current health care system and just make some minor adjustments, or does the system need major reform?

President Obama's Job Rating on Handling Health Care

Polling Firm

Date

Approve

Disapprove

DK

Gallup

8/9/09

43%

49%

8%

Time

7/28/09

46%

46%

8%

Who do you trust more on health care reform: President Obama or Republicans in Congress?