CBS News National Poll, January #1, 2012

This poll, the first of three fielded January 2012, is a part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked how well Barack Obama was handling the presidency, foreign policy, and the economy. Opinions were collected on whether Congress was performing their job well, and the state of the national economy. Multiple questions asked about respondents' views concerning the 2012 primary and presidential elections, including who their preferred Republican nominee is, which candidate could best handle key issues, and which nominee would be most likely to win against President Obama. Additional topics include the level of attention the respondents paid to the 2012 presidential campaigns, their overall enthusiasm concerning the election, whether they were registered to vote, and general satisfaction with the choices of presidential candidates. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, employment status, religious preference, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, and whether respondents thought of themselves as born-again Christians.