While Google was out collecting data for their brilliant Google Earth application, they also collected data that they may be wishing they never did - personal WIFI data from homes and businesses across the world. At least two prosecuters are asking for answers.
Massachussets Attorney General Martha Coakely and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan have sent correspondance to Google demanding information about the data that was allegedly collected in Google's street cars.
While Illinois and Massachusetts have formally asked for details, it is rumored that over 30 other Attorney Generals have been discussing the situation. Google fell under scrutiny from US Officials and privacy groups worldwide after they admitted to accidently collecting this data.
While many want to know how this happened, even more what to know why Google has retained the information and what they intend to do with the data.
On a side note, the data collected was sensitive information from unsecured Wi-Fi connections. If your connection is secured, your information was likely not compromised.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Daily Presidential Tracking Poll
Daily Presidential Tracking Poll
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Wednesday shows that 24% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president. Forty-four percent (44%) Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -20 (see trends).
Forty-eight percent (48%) of Democrats Strongly Approve while 75% of Republicans Strongly Disapprove. Among those not affiliated with either major party, 12% Strongly Approve and 52% Strongly Disapprove.
These results are based upon nightly telephone interviews and reported on a three-day rolling average basis. As a result, today’s results are based almost entirely on interviews conducted before the president’s speech to the nation. The impact of the president’s speech will be seen over the next several days.
Heading into the speech, 30% of voters gave President Obama good or excellent marks for handling the oil spill. Forty-five percent (45%) said he was doing a poor job. Most voters (57%) still favor offshore oil drilling.
On another topic, most Americans (53%) continue to believe the bailout of General Motors and Chrysler was a bad idea.
The Presidential Approval Index is calculated by subtracting the number who Strongly Disapprove from the number who Strongly Approve. It is updated daily at 9:30 a.m. Eastern (sign up for free daily e-mail update). Updates are also available on Twitter and Facebook.
Overall, 42% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the president's performance. That’s the lowest level of approval yet recorded for this president. Fifty-seven percent (57%) now disapprove. Those are the lowest ratings yet recorded for this president. The president’s approval rating has held steady in the 46% - 47% range for six months and it remains to be seen whether this new low is merely statistical noise or the start of a lasting change.
The Rasmussen Reports Media Meter shows that media coverage of President Obama has been 41% positive over the past week. Since the passage of the health care law, coverage has ranged from a high of 60% positive to a low of 39% positive.
New state polling shows that Republicans are ahead in both the Colorado and South Dakota races for Governor.
Rasmussen Reports has released polls on the 2010 governor’s races in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
See the latest Rasmussen Reports 2010 Senate polling from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
Scott Rasmussen’s new book, In Search of Self-Governance , is available at Rasmussen Reports and Amazon.com. If you’d like Scott to speak at your conference or event, contact Premiere Speakers Bureau.
Scott has published several recent Wall Street Journal columns including “Why Obama Can’t Move the Health Care Numbers” and how Obama won the White House by campaigning like Ronald Reagan. He has also written an overview of the health care reform debate, a look at how President Obama is losing independent voters, and was the first to note the decline in the president's approval ratings.
You can also learn about Scott’s favorite place on earth and his time working with hockey legend Gordie Howe.
It is important to remember that the Rasmussen Reports job approval ratings are based upon a sample of likely voters. Some other firms base their approval ratings on samples of all adults. President Obama's numbers are always several points higher in a poll of adults rather than likely voters. That's because some of the president's most enthusiastic supporters, such as young adults, are less likely to turn out to vote. It is also important to check the details of question wording when comparing approval ratings from different firms.
Rasmussen Reports has been a pioneer in the use of automated telephone polling techniques, but many other firms still utilize their own operator-assisted technology (see methodology). Pollsters for Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton have cited our “unchallenged record for both integrity and accuracy.”
The Pew Center noted that Rasmussen Reports beat traditional media in covering Scott Brown's upset win in Massachusetts earlier this year: “ “It was polling—not journalistic reporting—that caught the wave in the race to succeed Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy.” Rasmussen Reports was also the first to show Joe Sestak catching Arlen Specter in the Pennsylvania Democratic Primary race this year.
In the 2009 New Jersey Governor’s race, automated polls tended to be more accurate than operator-assisted polling techniques. On reviewing the state polling results from 2009, Mickey Kaus offered this assessment, “If you have a choice between Rasmussen and, say, the prestigious N.Y. Times, go with Rasmussen!”
In 2008, Obama won 53%-46% and our final poll showed Obama winning 52% to 46%. While we were pleased with the final result, Rasmussen Reports was especially pleased with the stability of our results. On every single day for the last six weeks of the campaign, our daily tracking showed Obama with a stable and solid lead attracting more than 50% of the vote.
We also have provided a summary of our 2008 state-by-state presidential results for your review.
In 2004 George W. Bush received 50.7% of the vote while John Kerry earned 48.3%. Rasmussen Reports polling projected that Bush would win 50.2% to 48.5%. We were the only firm to project both candidates’ totals within half a percentage point by (see our 2004 results).
See also our 2008 state results for Senate and governor.
See 2006 results for senate and governor.
Daily tracking results are collected via telephone surveys of 500 likely voters per night and reported on a three-day rolling average basis. The margin of sampling error—for the full sample of 1,500 Likely Voters--is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Results are also compiled on a full-week basis and crosstabs for full-week results are available for Premium Members.
Like all polling firms, Rasmussen Reports weights its data to reflect the population at large (see methodology). Among other targets, Rasmussen Reports weights data by political party affiliation using a dynamic weighting process. While partisan affiliation is generally quite stable over time, there are a fair number of people who waver between allegiance to a particular party or independent status. Since the November 2008 election, the number of Democrats in the country has declined while the number of unaffiliated voters has grown.
Our baseline targets are established based upon separate survey interviews with a sample of adults nationwide completed during the preceding three months (a total of 45,000 interviews) and targets are updated monthly. Currently, the baseline targets for the adult population are 35.8% Democrats, 32.2% Republicans, and 32.1% unaffiliated. Likely voter samples typically show a slightly smaller advantage for the Democrats
A review of last week’s key polls is posted each Saturday morning.
Other stats on Obama are updated daily on the Rasmussen Reports By The Numbers page.
We also invite you to review other recent demographic highlights from the tracking polls. To get a sense of longer-term trends, check out our month-by-month review of the president’s numbers.
Rasmussen Reports is an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information.
The Rasmussen Reports Election Edge™ Premium Service offers the most comprehensive public opinion coverage available anywhere.
Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports, has been an independent pollster for more than a decade.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Wednesday shows that 24% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president. Forty-four percent (44%) Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -20 (see trends).
Forty-eight percent (48%) of Democrats Strongly Approve while 75% of Republicans Strongly Disapprove. Among those not affiliated with either major party, 12% Strongly Approve and 52% Strongly Disapprove.
These results are based upon nightly telephone interviews and reported on a three-day rolling average basis. As a result, today’s results are based almost entirely on interviews conducted before the president’s speech to the nation. The impact of the president’s speech will be seen over the next several days.
Heading into the speech, 30% of voters gave President Obama good or excellent marks for handling the oil spill. Forty-five percent (45%) said he was doing a poor job. Most voters (57%) still favor offshore oil drilling.
On another topic, most Americans (53%) continue to believe the bailout of General Motors and Chrysler was a bad idea.
The Presidential Approval Index is calculated by subtracting the number who Strongly Disapprove from the number who Strongly Approve. It is updated daily at 9:30 a.m. Eastern (sign up for free daily e-mail update). Updates are also available on Twitter and Facebook.
Overall, 42% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the president's performance. That’s the lowest level of approval yet recorded for this president. Fifty-seven percent (57%) now disapprove. Those are the lowest ratings yet recorded for this president. The president’s approval rating has held steady in the 46% - 47% range for six months and it remains to be seen whether this new low is merely statistical noise or the start of a lasting change.
The Rasmussen Reports Media Meter shows that media coverage of President Obama has been 41% positive over the past week. Since the passage of the health care law, coverage has ranged from a high of 60% positive to a low of 39% positive.
New state polling shows that Republicans are ahead in both the Colorado and South Dakota races for Governor.
Rasmussen Reports has released polls on the 2010 governor’s races in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
See the latest Rasmussen Reports 2010 Senate polling from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
Scott Rasmussen’s new book, In Search of Self-Governance , is available at Rasmussen Reports and Amazon.com. If you’d like Scott to speak at your conference or event, contact Premiere Speakers Bureau.
Scott has published several recent Wall Street Journal columns including “Why Obama Can’t Move the Health Care Numbers” and how Obama won the White House by campaigning like Ronald Reagan. He has also written an overview of the health care reform debate, a look at how President Obama is losing independent voters, and was the first to note the decline in the president's approval ratings.
You can also learn about Scott’s favorite place on earth and his time working with hockey legend Gordie Howe.
It is important to remember that the Rasmussen Reports job approval ratings are based upon a sample of likely voters. Some other firms base their approval ratings on samples of all adults. President Obama's numbers are always several points higher in a poll of adults rather than likely voters. That's because some of the president's most enthusiastic supporters, such as young adults, are less likely to turn out to vote. It is also important to check the details of question wording when comparing approval ratings from different firms.
Rasmussen Reports has been a pioneer in the use of automated telephone polling techniques, but many other firms still utilize their own operator-assisted technology (see methodology). Pollsters for Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton have cited our “unchallenged record for both integrity and accuracy.”
The Pew Center noted that Rasmussen Reports beat traditional media in covering Scott Brown's upset win in Massachusetts earlier this year: “ “It was polling—not journalistic reporting—that caught the wave in the race to succeed Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy.” Rasmussen Reports was also the first to show Joe Sestak catching Arlen Specter in the Pennsylvania Democratic Primary race this year.
In the 2009 New Jersey Governor’s race, automated polls tended to be more accurate than operator-assisted polling techniques. On reviewing the state polling results from 2009, Mickey Kaus offered this assessment, “If you have a choice between Rasmussen and, say, the prestigious N.Y. Times, go with Rasmussen!”
In 2008, Obama won 53%-46% and our final poll showed Obama winning 52% to 46%. While we were pleased with the final result, Rasmussen Reports was especially pleased with the stability of our results. On every single day for the last six weeks of the campaign, our daily tracking showed Obama with a stable and solid lead attracting more than 50% of the vote.
We also have provided a summary of our 2008 state-by-state presidential results for your review.
In 2004 George W. Bush received 50.7% of the vote while John Kerry earned 48.3%. Rasmussen Reports polling projected that Bush would win 50.2% to 48.5%. We were the only firm to project both candidates’ totals within half a percentage point by (see our 2004 results).
See also our 2008 state results for Senate and governor.
See 2006 results for senate and governor.
Daily tracking results are collected via telephone surveys of 500 likely voters per night and reported on a three-day rolling average basis. The margin of sampling error—for the full sample of 1,500 Likely Voters--is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Results are also compiled on a full-week basis and crosstabs for full-week results are available for Premium Members.
Like all polling firms, Rasmussen Reports weights its data to reflect the population at large (see methodology). Among other targets, Rasmussen Reports weights data by political party affiliation using a dynamic weighting process. While partisan affiliation is generally quite stable over time, there are a fair number of people who waver between allegiance to a particular party or independent status. Since the November 2008 election, the number of Democrats in the country has declined while the number of unaffiliated voters has grown.
Our baseline targets are established based upon separate survey interviews with a sample of adults nationwide completed during the preceding three months (a total of 45,000 interviews) and targets are updated monthly. Currently, the baseline targets for the adult population are 35.8% Democrats, 32.2% Republicans, and 32.1% unaffiliated. Likely voter samples typically show a slightly smaller advantage for the Democrats
A review of last week’s key polls is posted each Saturday morning.
Other stats on Obama are updated daily on the Rasmussen Reports By The Numbers page.
We also invite you to review other recent demographic highlights from the tracking polls. To get a sense of longer-term trends, check out our month-by-month review of the president’s numbers.
Rasmussen Reports is an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information.
The Rasmussen Reports Election Edge™ Premium Service offers the most comprehensive public opinion coverage available anywhere.
Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports, has been an independent pollster for more than a decade.
Disaster in The Gulf- The BP oil spill
We have been hearing about the Gulf Disaster for weeks; it has made nearly every newspapers front page, every news stations headlines and every radio show's topic. We may be sick of hearing about it, but the reason it is still gaining so much international attention is because BP and our US governement has failed to offer a speedy recovery.
If President Obama couldn't access his bank account, or BP's CEO, Tony Hayward, had all of his assets frozen, it is likely that both would spend evey waking moment on the phone, auditing their accounts and calling in real professionals. But since this crisis is hitting regions far from their homes, and killing animals, not their pockets, the clean up efforts have been little more then a poorly put together circus act.
There was a lot of tall talk in last nights presidential address. Talk about another commission, an escrow fund, and the reorganization of corrupt agencies. But no one heard a clear plan of action for now, to deal with the problem at hand, the millions of gallons of oil currently in the Gulf of Mexico and the millions more that will potentially spill into the animal and wildlife sanctuary.
We think about the escrow accounts and feel that it is some restitution for those in the region. Sure it provides a little relief, but not for all. As an example, when a hotel isn't booked, and there isn't any work for those who are employed there, they will get the pink slip. Sure, the business owner has padded his pockets a bit, but what about all of the low-level positions that are being slashed? Also, let's not forget that BP is estimated to be cyphoning about 15,000 barrels of oil a day from the spill, which translates into $750,000 USD a day if a barrel is trading at $50.00 a barrel. So that escrow fund is hardly replacing the damage being done.
This disaster in the Gulf is threatning wildlife, causing long and painful deaths among our animals, and turning pardise into a profit-driven mess. More people wanted to hear a firm push for future regulation banning offshore drilling and instead we got an earfull of political rethoric, and a childhood blaming game.
If President Obama couldn't access his bank account, or BP's CEO, Tony Hayward, had all of his assets frozen, it is likely that both would spend evey waking moment on the phone, auditing their accounts and calling in real professionals. But since this crisis is hitting regions far from their homes, and killing animals, not their pockets, the clean up efforts have been little more then a poorly put together circus act.
There was a lot of tall talk in last nights presidential address. Talk about another commission, an escrow fund, and the reorganization of corrupt agencies. But no one heard a clear plan of action for now, to deal with the problem at hand, the millions of gallons of oil currently in the Gulf of Mexico and the millions more that will potentially spill into the animal and wildlife sanctuary.
We think about the escrow accounts and feel that it is some restitution for those in the region. Sure it provides a little relief, but not for all. As an example, when a hotel isn't booked, and there isn't any work for those who are employed there, they will get the pink slip. Sure, the business owner has padded his pockets a bit, but what about all of the low-level positions that are being slashed? Also, let's not forget that BP is estimated to be cyphoning about 15,000 barrels of oil a day from the spill, which translates into $750,000 USD a day if a barrel is trading at $50.00 a barrel. So that escrow fund is hardly replacing the damage being done.
This disaster in the Gulf is threatning wildlife, causing long and painful deaths among our animals, and turning pardise into a profit-driven mess. More people wanted to hear a firm push for future regulation banning offshore drilling and instead we got an earfull of political rethoric, and a childhood blaming game.
Alvin Greene for South Carolina?
Many people say they voted for Alvin Greene because the name sounded familiar, or perhaps it was simply because his name appeared first on the ballot? Either wouldn't be surprising. Neither of the South Carolina contenders for the Senate seat for the Democratic party campaigned, other than some small online video's. But who is Alvin Greene?
Alvin Greene is an unemployed military veteran who lives with his father in South Carolina. Mr. Greene has stated his situation as destitute, yet he paid the $10,400 filing fee to submit his application to be on the ballot. Questions from both parties have surfaced, including where Mr. Greene received the money from. The Obama administration has stated that they do not feel Mr. Greene is a viable option.
To make matters even more confusing, Mr. Greene is currently facing felony charges, accused of showing a 19 yr old college student internet porn.
This clearly leaves little competition for the GOP nominee, US Sen. Jim DeMint. It is believed by many, that Alvin Greene was a plant placed in the Democratic race by the Republican party. An investigation is likely to ensue.
We would like to hear your opinions! Feel free to sound off in our comments section, or answer our poll.
Alvin Greene is an unemployed military veteran who lives with his father in South Carolina. Mr. Greene has stated his situation as destitute, yet he paid the $10,400 filing fee to submit his application to be on the ballot. Questions from both parties have surfaced, including where Mr. Greene received the money from. The Obama administration has stated that they do not feel Mr. Greene is a viable option.
To make matters even more confusing, Mr. Greene is currently facing felony charges, accused of showing a 19 yr old college student internet porn.
This clearly leaves little competition for the GOP nominee, US Sen. Jim DeMint. It is believed by many, that Alvin Greene was a plant placed in the Democratic race by the Republican party. An investigation is likely to ensue.
We would like to hear your opinions! Feel free to sound off in our comments section, or answer our poll.
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