CBS News Monthly Poll #1, January 2008

This poll, fielded January 30-February 2, 2008, is a part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way George W. Bush was handling the presidency and the economy, the most important problem facing the nation, the condition of the national economy, and how much attention they were paying to the 2008 presidential campaign. Registered voters were asked whether they were more likely to vote in a Democratic or Republican primary or caucus in their state, which candidate they supported and why, their opinions of the candidates, and whether respondents thought that the race and gender of a presidential candidate would affect their vote. Views were also sought on former president Bill Clinton, the effects of his involvement in Hillary Clinton's campaign, and opinions about the amount of influence he would have on her decisions if she were elected president. Other topics addressed the war in Iraq, personal finances, how respondents usually got their news, and how often they used the Internet to get information about the 2008 presidential election. Additional questions asked respondents whether they had experienced mostly good or bad luck so far in their lives, whether they ever went shopping to make themselves feel better when sad or stressed, their companionship preferences if stranded on a deserted island, which team they wanted to win the 2008 Super Bowl, and the likelihood that they would eat pizza during the game. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, marital status, whether respondents had children under 18 years of age, household income, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status and participation history, religious preference, frequency of religious attendance, and whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian.