Miscellany

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Miscellany	Most admired \| Hiroshima \| Supernatural \| Terri Schiavo \| Year ahead ► More Miscellany

Data are from nationwide surveys of Americans 18 & older.

Most Admired Man and Woman

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Dec. 12-14, 2008. N=1,008 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
MOST ADMIRED MAN "What man that you have heard or read about, living today in any part of the world, do you admire most? And who is your second choice?"

	Ranked according to number of responses in 2008	Combined First and Second Choices
	Ranked according to number of responses in 2008	2008	2007	2006	2005	2004	2003
		%	%	%	%	%	%
	1. Barack Obama	32	5	3	-	-	-
	2. George W. Bush	5	10	13	19	23	29
	3. John McCain	3	1	1	1	1	-
	tie 4. Pope Benedict XVI	2	2	2	3	-	-
	tie 4. Billy Graham	2	3	3	2	3	2
	tie 4. Bill Clinton	2	8	5	5	6	3
	7. Colin Powell	2	2	2	2	5	4
	8. Nelson Mandela	1	3	1	2	2	2
	9. Bill Gates	1	2	1	3	1	1
	10. The Dalai Lama	1	1	1	1	1	1
						.
MOST ADMIRED WOMAN "What woman that you have heard or read about, living today in any part of the world, do you admire most? And who is your second choice?"

	Ranked according to number of responses in 2008	Combined First and Second Choices
	Ranked according to number of responses in 2008	2008	2007	2006	2005	2004	2003
		%	%	%	%	%	%
	1. Hillary Clinton	20	18	13	13	13	16
	2. Sarah Palin	11	-	-	-	-	-
	3. Oprah Winfrey	8	16	9	12	11	7
	4. Condoleezza Rice	7	5	8	10	7	4
	5. Michelle Obama	3	-	-	-	-	-
	6. Margaret Thatcher	2	2	2	3	3	2
	tie 7. Laura Bush	2	3	4	4	8	6
	tie 7. Angelina Jolie	2	3	2	1	-	-
	9. Barbara Bush	1	1	1	-	2	3
	tie 10. Madeleine Albright	1	-	1	-	1	1
	tie 10. Ellen DeGeneres	1	-	-	-	-	-

Supernatural

Associated Press-Ipsos poll conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs. Oct. 16-18, 2007. N=1,013 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.
					.
"In general, do you believe in or do you not believe in [see below]?"
					.
		Believe In	Do Not Believe In	Unsure
		%	%	%
					.
	"Extra-sensory perception or ESP"
	10/16-18/07	48	49	3
					.
	"Unidentified flying objects or UFOs"
	10/16-18/07	34	63	3
					.
	"Ghosts"
	10/16-18/07	34	65	1
					.
	"Spells or witchcraft"
	10/16-18/07	19	80	1
					.
"Have you, personally, as an adult or as a child, ever [see below]?"
					.
		Yes	No
		%	%
					.
	"Woken up from sleep with sense of a strange presence in the room"
	10/16-18/07	30	70
					.
	"Seen or believed yourself to be in the presence of a ghost"
	10/16-18/07	23	77
					.
	"Seen an unidentified flying object"
	10/16-18/07	14	85
					.
	"Seen a monster in the closet of your bedroom"
	10/16-18/07	5	95

The Year Ahead

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Dec. 11-14, 2008. N=1,003 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3 (for all adults).
					.
"Looking ahead to next year, are you more hopeful, or more fearful, about what the year 2009 holds in store for you personally?"
					.
		Hopeful	Fearful	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/11-14/08	63	35	2
	12/7-11/06	73	24	2
	12/15-18/05	67	31	2
	12/16-19/04	66	30	4
	12/03	85	12	4
	12/02	63	35	2
	12/01	80	16	4
					.
"How about for the world in general? Are your more hopeful, or more fearful, about what the year 2009 holds in store for the world in general?"
					.
		Hopeful	Fearful	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/11-14/08	54	45	1
	12/7-11/06	55	43	2
	12/15-18/05	59	40	1
	12/16-19/04	54	43	2
	12/03	69	27	4
	12/02	43	56	1
	12/01	62	35	3
					.
"Thinking about the next 12 months, would you say you feel optimistic or pessimistic about [see below]?"
					.
		Optimistic	Pessimistic	Unsure
		%	%	%
	"The state of the national economy"
	12/11-14/08	48	50	3
	12/7-11/06	64	33	3
	12/15-18/05	55	44	1
					.
	"Your own family's financial situation"
	12/11-14/08	68	29	2
	12/7-11/06	82	16	2
	12/15-18/05	73	26	1
					.
	"The policies Obama will pursue"
	12/11-14/08	68	26	6
					.
	"The situation in Iraq" Half sample (Form A)
	12/11-14/08	65	30	5
	12/7-11/06	40	57	3
	12/15-18/05	54	44	2
					.
	"The way things are going in this country" Half sample (Form A)
	12/11-14/08	51	46	4
	12/7-11/06	61	36	2
	12/15-18/05	57	42	2
					.
	"The country's ability to defend itself against terrorist attacks" Half sample (Form B)
	12/11-14/08	67	30	3
	12/7-11/06	71	27	2
	12/15-18/05	65	34	1
					.
	"The situation in Afghanistan" Half sample (Form B)
	12/11-14/08	49	47	4

Associated Press-AOL News Poll conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs. Dec. 12-14, 2006. N=1,000 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"I'm going to read you a list of items that may or may not happen in the year 2007. For each one, please tell me if it is very likely, somewhat likely, not too likely or not at all likely to happen in the year 2007. In 2007, how likely is it that [see below]? Is this very likely, somewhat likely, not too likely or not at all likely to happen in 2007?"
					.
		Very Likely/ Somewhat Likely	Not Too Likely/Not at All Likely	Unsure
		%	%	%
	"Gas prices will go up"
	12/12-14/06	93	7	1
					.
	"The U.S. Congress will raise the minimum wage"
	12/12-14/06	81	19	-
					.
	"Global warming will get worse"
	12/12-14/06	74	25	1
					.
	"The United States will be hit with a major natural disaster"
	12/12-14/06	70	28	2
					.
	"Terrorists will attack somewhere in the world with biological or nuclear weapons"
	12/12-14/06	64	35	1
					.
	"The United States will be hit with a terrorist attack"
	12/12-14/06	61	38	2
					.
	"A U.S. state will legalize gay marriage"
	12/12-14/06	57	42	1
					.
	"Bird flu will arrive in the United States"
	12/12-14/06	50	49	2
					.
	"The United States will go to war with Iran"
	12/12-14/06	40	58	2
					.
	"A cure for cancer will be found"
	12/12-14/06	35	64	1
					.
	"The military draft will be reintroduced"
	12/12-14/06	35	64	-
					.
	"The United States will withdraw its troops from Iraq"
	12/12-14/06	29	71	1
					.
	"The United States will go to war with North Korea"
	12/12-14/06	26	72	1
					.
	"Jesus Christ will return to earth"
	12/12-14/06	25	67	8
					.
	"Scientists will find evidence of extraterrestrial life"
	12/12-14/06	19	79	1
					.
"Looking back at the year 2006, overall would you say this was a good year or a bad year for the COUNTRY?"
					.
		Good Year	Bad Year	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/12-14/06	39	58	3
					.
"And looking back at the year 2006, overall would you say this was a good year or a bad year for YOU AND YOUR FAMILY?"
					.
		Good Year	Bad Year	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/12-14/06	76	23	1
					.
"Overall, are you optimistic or pessimistic about what the year 2007 will bring for the COUNTRY?"
					.
		Optimistic	Pessimistic	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/12-14/06	72	24	3
					.
"Overall, are you optimistic or pessimistic about what the year 2007 will bring for YOU AND YOUR FAMILY?"
					.
		Optimistic	Pessimistic	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/12-14/06	89	9	2

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Dec. 15-18, 2005. N=approx. 500 adults nationwide. Fieldwork by TNS.
					.
"Thinking about the next 12 months, would you say you feel optimistic or pessimistic about the country's ability to respond to natural disasters?"
					.
		Optimistic	Pessimistic	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/15-18/05	59	40	1

Gallup Poll. Dec. 17-19, 2004. N=1,002 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"As I read a series of statements, please tell me which you think is more likely to be true of 2005.
					.
	"A year of economic prosperity, or a year of economic difficulty?"
					.
		Prosperity	Difficulty	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/04	44	54	2
					.
	"A peaceful year, more or less free of international disputes, or a troubled year, with much international discord?"
					.
		Peaceful	Troubled	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/04	29	69	2
					.
	"A year when America will increase its power in the world, or a year when American power will decline?"
					.
		Increase	Decline	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/04	51	44