Founder and president of Rasmussen Reports, Scott Rasmussen is a political analyst, New York Times bestselling author, public speaker and independent public opinion pollster. The Wall Street Journal describes him as "today's leading insurgent pollster" and "a key player in the contact sport of politics." The Washington Post says Rasmussen is a “driving force in American politics.”
In 2012, Rasmussen became a New York Times bestselling author with his book The People's Money.His earlier books include Mad as Hell: How the Tea Party Movement is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System and In Search of Self-Governance .
Rasmussen provides public opinion updates three times a day for a nationally syndicated radio show anchored by WOR radio in New York and writes a weekly newspaper column distributed by Creators Syndicate. Beginning in September 2012, Rasmussen will be hosting a nationally syndicated TV show —What America Thinks—with WCBS-TV as the New York station.
Rasmussen's work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe, Investor’s Business Daily, the Christian Science Monitor and other major publications.
He is a frequent guest on Fox News, CNBC, BBC and other major media outlets. Rasmussen also has appeared on The Colbert Report on Comedy Central. Highlighting Rasmussen Reports' increasing pop culture presence, the firm has been mentioned on popular television shows like The West Wing, The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Gossip Girl.
Rasmussen and his firm have developed a reputation for delivering reliable, newsworthy and actionable public opinion data. Slate.com’s Mickey Kaus declared in 2009, “If you have a choice between Rasmussen and, say, the prestigious N.Y. Times, go with Rasmussen.” The Washington Examiner’s Michael Barone calls him “one of America’s most innovative pollsters.” Pat Caddell and Doug Schoen, pollsters for Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, say that Scott has an “unchallenged record for both integrity and accuracy.”
In 2008, Rasmussen projected then-Senator Barack Obama would win the presidential election by a 52% to 46% margin. Obama won 53% to 46%. In 2004, Rasmussen was within half a percentage point of the actual vote totals earned by both President Bush and Senator Kerry.
“If it’s in the news, it’s in our polls” is more than a company slogan; it’s the way Rasmussen runs his business. Polling topics are inspired by the day’s headlines, not dictated by any client or special interest group. As the influential Washington publication The Politico puts it, Rasmussen Reports is "an organization with fast zeitgeist reflexes."
Rasmussen speaks regularly at events around the country, translating poll numbers into meaningful analysis and commentary about current events, underlying trends and the questions that Americans are curious about. He may be booked for speaking engagements through Premiere Speaker’s Bureau.
Rasmussen has tremendous faith in the collective wisdom of the American people. That faith is displayed in his latest book, The People’s Money. In the book, Rasmussen argues that the American people are the solution to budget issues rather than the problem. He shows specific proposals supported by a majority of voters that would balance the budget, completely eliminate the federal debt and prepare the nation for the rest of the 21st century.
Rasmussen founded Rasmussen Reports, LLC in 2003 as a media company specializing in the collection, publication and distribution of public opinion polling information. The firm’s website, RasmussenReports.com, provides daily news coverage and commentary on political, business, economic and lifestyle topics. It has become America’s most visited public opinion polling site.
Rasmussen did his first radio commercial at the age of seven and considers the opportunity to emcee the 50th birthday of his childhood idol, hockey legend Gordie Howe, the most outstanding highlight of his career. He and his father founded the cable sports network ESPN, an entrepreneurial adventure that has been recounted in numerous books.
