Scott Rasmussen

Early life and education

Rasmussen was born on Eglin Air Force Base near Valparaiso, Florida, to Lois Ann and Bill Rasmussen. Scott's father was from Chicago, Illinois and attended DePauw University in Indiana, where he met Scott's mother.

From an early age, Rasmussen was exposed to the broadcasting business through his father, who had worked for radio stations and was a communications director for the New England Whalers ice hockey team. With the help of his father, Rasmussen taped his first radio commercial at the age of seven.

Rasmussen grew up spending summers in Ocean Grove, New Jersey, with his grandparents. He got his first job at age 14 as an umbrella boy. He later was an announcer for the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association. Rasmussen's childhood idol was hockey legend Gordie Howe. Around that time he was emcee for Howe's 50th birthday celebration in 1978, which Rasmussen cites as a highlight of his life: "nothing in my professional career will ever equal the thrill of celebrating [his] birthday."

Rasmussen graduated from Minnechaug Regional High School in 1974 and was goaltender for the high school hockey team. He started college at the University of Connecticut, taking a class from professor Everett Ladd, a pollster and political scientist.

Rasmussen earned a bachelor's degree in history at his father's alma mater, DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, graduating in 1986, and later an executive MBA from the Babcock Graduate School of Management at Wake Forest University.

Founding of ESPN

In 1978, Rasmussen and his father, Bill Rasmussen, founded ESPN. They came up with the idea on August 16, 1978, and went on the air on September 7, 1979. In between, they obtained broadcast rights to a wide range of NCAA sports events, obtained funding from Getty Oil, and signed Anheuser-Busch to what was then the largest advertising contract in cable television history. Five years later, the Rasmussens' ownership stake in ESPN was bought out by Texaco, who thereafter sold ESPN to ABC for $237 million. They went on to found the Enterprise Radio Network. Rasmussen and his father later had a falling out over what Rasmussen called unspecified "differences."

Public opinion polling

Rasmussen first became known for his public opinion polling work. In the 1990s, he was a leader of the term limits movement. He continues to conduct polls for U.S. Term Limits. In 1995, he founded a polling company called GrassRoots Research. In 1999, after changing the name to Rasmussen Research, the company was bought by TownPagesNet.com for about $4.5 million in ordinary shares.

The Washington Post referred to Rasmussen as "a driving force in American politics" and "an articulate and frequent guest on Fox News and other outlets, where his nominally nonpartisan data is often cited to support Republican talking points." In the Wall Street Journal, political journalist John Fund called him "America's insurgent pollster".

Susan Estrich, the first female campaign manager of a major presidential campaign, said of him, "If you really want to know what people in America think, you can't find a smarter guy to ask than Scott Rasmussen."

Rasmussen has described himself as "an independent pollster" who "[l]ike the company he started, [...] maintains his independence and has never been a campaign pollster or consultant for candidates seeking office." Speaking about the use of his polling data by Republicans, in 2009 Rasmussen said, "Republicans right now are citing our polls more than Democrats because it’s in their interest to do so. I would not consider myself a political conservative — that implies an alignment with Washington politics that I don’t think I have."

In 2010, some Democrats criticized Rasmussen's polling methodology. Democratic pollster Mark Mellman said Rasmussen Reports polls "tend to be among the worst polls for Democrats." Tom Jensen, a pollster for Democratic firm Public Policy Polling said: "The way [Rasmussen] does polls is that he's more likely to get high-energy voters. I think Rasmussen favors Republicans this year, but I don't think he inherently favors Republicans."

In August 2018, Rasmussen released a public opinion website, ScottRasmussen.com, in conjunction with the announcement of a partnership between ScottRasmussen.com and HarrisX, an online research company under The Stagwell Group, which was founded by former pollster and adviser to President Bill Clinton, Mark Penn.

Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich said that "Scott Rasmussen has done America an enormous service. He identified the driving forces behind the destructive radicalism which is pushing us into a cultural civil war."

Napolitan Institute

Rasmussen founded the Napolitan Institute in 2024. Through the Napolitan Institute and RMG Research, Rasmussen conducts polling focused on the "Elite One Percent" and federal government managers. Rasmussen's surveys of federal government managers revealed that a significant number of federal employees would not obey a legal order from President Trump.

In July 2025, the Napolitan Institute announced an AI-based partnership with Jigsaw, a technology incubator created by Google. The partnership will involve convening online conversations with Americans from every congressional district and presenting the public opinion gleaned from these conversations in a July 2026 commemoration of the United States Semiquincentennial.

Rasmussen Reports

Main article: Rasmussen Reports

In 2003, Rasmussen founded Rasmussen Reports, LLC, a U.S.-based public opinion polling company, to track consumer confidence, investor confidence, and presidential approval. Rasmussen Reports has been called "one of the most consistently interesting polling and analytics companies," generating a daily cycle of news reports based on original survey results as well as political, business, economic and lifestyle content. Unlike traditional pollsters whose polls are often influenced by partisanship, the company's business model relies on website advertising and paid subscriptions for premium content. Rasmussen Reports' polls were notable for their use of automated public opinion polling, involving pre-recorded telephone inquiries, which have been shown to produce accurate results at low cost.

In 2009, Noson Lawen Partners provided a significant investment in Rasmussen Reports. In 2010, Rasmussen Reports was one of two firms providing daily tracking updates of the president's job approval ratings as well as consumer confidence. By 2012, Rasmussen Reports had garnered a national reputation for providing "reliable, newsworthy and actionable public opinion data," receiving over one million visits per day during the presidential election that year.

In January 2013, Rasmussen informed his investors that he would not be renewing his contract without changes in the company's business and operations. In a press release from Rasmussen Reports, the company confirmed Rasmussen's departure and said, "[i]n part, the move reflects disagreements over company business strategies .... The Company emphasized that Mr. Rasmussen's legacy remains intact. His polling methodologies and protocols, widely acknowledged as among the most accurate and reliable in the industry, continue to guide and inform the company's public opinion survey techniques. In addition, the editorial culture of excellence that he built is still very much in place."

In 2024, Michael Hiltzik wrote in The Los Angeles Times that "Rasmussen Reports used to be a fairly creditable and credible political polling organization," but that in the years since Scott Rasmussen's departure "Not only have its results become more sharply partisan, favoring Republican and conservative politicians, but it also has increasingly promoted right-wing conspiracy theories." Scott Rasmussen has noted his separation from the firm on social media, tweeting: "For clarity, I left my old firm more than a decade ago and have had nothing to do with it since."

Books

In 2010, Rasmussen co-authored a book with pollster Douglas Schoen, Mad as Hell: How the Tea Party Movement is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System, explaining the causes of Tea Party movement's frustrations, namely excessive federal spending, high taxes, and a failure of politicians in Washington to listening to the people.

In his 2010 book titled In Search of Self-Governance, Rasmussen argued that Americans would rather govern themselves rather than being governed from the left, the right, or even center and this desire for self-governance is under assault by elites in Washington, D.C. and Wall Street."

Rasmussen's 2012 book, "The People's Money: How Voters Will Balance the Budget and Eliminate the Federal Debt," argues through polling data, that the federal government does not have the consent of the governed. The book reached number 17 on the New York Times Bestseller List in March 2012.

In 2018, Rasmussen authored a book entitled The Sun is Still Rising: Politics Has Failed But America Will Not. While expressing a general sense of pessimism as to the political process in America, Rasmussen makes a case for the "legitimacy" of optimism in the virtual and psychical communities outside of Washington, D.C. that allow the talents of individuals flourish. Jonathan Rauch, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said of the book: "in this optimistic, open-hearted book, Scott Rasmussen delivers a spirited and timely reminder that civic groups, innovative businesses, and personal networks are where the real action will be in the 21st century—and that their potential to improve our lives and our country is vast."

Television

For many years, Rasmussen was a regular guest on Fox News, appearing on shows including Fox & Friends, Hannity, The Factor, and America Live.

In 2010 he made an appearance on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report.

From 2012 through 2013, Rasmussen hosted a syndicated television show called What America Thinks With Scott Rasmussen with WCBS-TV. An episode of the show titled What New Hampshire Thinks won a 2012 Granite Mike Award from the New Hampshire Association of Broadcasters.

He appeared as himself in the movie A Long Way Off (2014).

In February 2018, Rasmussen participated as a panelist in a televised discussion moderated by former Hewlett-Packard chairman and CEO Carly Fiorina, discussing the implications and impact of the recently enacted tax reform package.

Personal life

Rasmussen lives in Florida with his wife, Laura.

Speaking about his political views, Rasmussen said, "I was brought up loosely as a Republican, but at our family dinner table we talked about the important politics of the New York Giants and the New York Yankees. There was no political discussion in my life growing up. I became a Democrat after Richard Nixon and into the Jimmy Carter era and have been an Independent ever since. I spoke today about how the American people were skeptical about politicians—well, I'm more skeptical. I really do see the core issue as the political class versus mainstream voters. I think that is a much bigger gap than Republican, Democrat, conservative, or liberal."

In March 2010, Rasmussen's home was destroyed by a fire. Rasmussen noted thereafter that his local community—the "local government, our insurance company, our church, local businesses, our neighbors and the kindness of strangers"—were instrumental in the recovery process. Rasmussen also cited this experience as an inspiration for the "upbeat message" in his book, Politics Has Failed: America Will Not.

From 2006 to 2011, Rasmussen was volunteer president of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association (OGCMA), "a ministry organization whose mission is to provide opportunities for spiritual birth, growth, and renewal in a Christian seaside setting." OGCMA is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

Bibliography

• The Sun Is Still Rising: Politics Has Failed But America Will Not (2018)
• Politics Has Failed: America Will Not. Sutherland Institute. 2017. .
• {{cite book
• (with Doug Schoen)
• {{cite book
• {{cite book

References

References

1. "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iGNKlwLl4E Scott Rasmussen Interview]" (September 2009) and "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IwFFnqvNa4 Scott Rasmussen Interview]" (July 2009) on ''[[The Fred Thompson Show]]''.
2. (January 18, 2011). "Polling the Pollster". Maine Ahead.
3. (25 April 2025). "Partisan Divide Deepens Within The Administrative State, Survey Reveals". Tampa Free Press.
4. (24 March 2021). "America's founding ideals - are they worth fighting for? 83% say yes.". CBS Austin.
5. (2018-08-29). "The founder of Trump's favorite poll predicts Democrats win House, GOP earns extra Senate seat in midterms". Newsweek.
6. Levenson, Eric. "Scott Rasmussen Leaves Rasmussen Reports to Become a GOP Pundit". The Atlantic.
7. (2 August 2024). "Notoriously Pro-Trump Pollster Scott Rasmussen Has Kamala Harris Up 5 Points". Mediaite.
8. Rasmussen, Scott. (2012). "The People's Money: How Voters Will Balance the Budget and Eliminate the Federal Debt". Threshold Editions.
9. "Lois Ann Mickey RASMUSSEN". Seattle Times.
10. Faude, Wilson. (2013). "Connecticut Miscellany: ESPN, The Age of the Reptiles, CowParade & More". Arcadia Publishing.
11. (September 13, 2012). "How Bill Rasmussen Started ESPN and His Entrepreneurship Advice". Forbes.
12. (2010-06-17). "Pollster Scott Rasmussen's numbers are firing up Republicans and Democrats". [[Washington Post]].
13. "Scott W. Rasmussen - Summer Tents in Ocean Grove". Scottrasmussen.net..
14. "Scott Rasmussen - The King's College". The King's College.
15. "Working With Gordie Howe".
16. Tom Shea: [http://www.masslive.com/tomshea/index.ssf/2010/08/local_ties_to_power_politics_s.html Rasmussen Reports founder Scott Rassmussen has Pioneer Valley ties] Masslive.com, August 29, 2010
17. Reeves, Thomas C.. (2000-05-18). "Twentieth-Century America: A Brief History". Oxford University Press.
18. [http://www.depauw.edu/news/index.asp?id=22006 Pollster Scott Rasmussen '86 Has Yet to See Convention Bounce for Barack Obama] DePauw University News, August 28, 2008
19. (February 17, 2024). "The Untold Origin Story of ESPN". Air Mail.
20. (2011-10-25). "Two talks by ESPN's cofounder will benefit children's museum". HeraldNet.com.
21. "Sports' Junkies Rejoice:The Birth of ESPN", Bill Rasmussen; QV Publishing, inc., Hartsdale, New York (November 1983)
22. [https://web.archive.org/web/20100930063931/http://www.allbusiness.com/marketing/market-research/597741-1.html He got out of sports to be a poll vaulter] Business North Carolina, October 1, 1996
23. Horowitz, Jason. (2010-06-17). "Pollster Scott Rasmussen's numbers are firing up Republicans and Democrats". [[The Washington Post]].
24. (16 February 1995). "Gingrich Explores New Way To Limit Terms in Congress". The New York Times.
25. (Spring 2012). "Meet the Man Who Takes America's Pulse". Washington Business Magazine.
26. (17 January 2025). "New Poll: 75% of Mississippi Voters Support Term Limits on Congress".
27. (2010-06-17). "Pollster Scott Rasmussen's numbers are firing up Republicans and Democrats". [[Washington Post]].
28. Fund, John. (2010-08-21). "America's Insurgent Pollster". Wall Street Journal.
29. "Estrich commentary, Creators.org, 2009". Creators.com.
30. (1988-05-06). "Behind the 2 Democratic Contenders, 2 Hard-Driving Campaign Managers; Susan Estrich Brings Assurance And Toughness to Dukakis Drive". The New York Times.
31. David Weigel: [https://web.archive.org/web/20130507104852/http://washingtonindependent.com/30539/rasmussen-the-only-poll-that-matters Rasmussen, the Only Poll that Matters] [[The Washington Independent]], 18 February 2009
32. Isenstadt, Alex. (2010-01-02). "Low favorables: Democrats rip Rasmussen". Politico.
33. "HarrisX Partners with Veteran Pollster Scott Rasmussen on New Daily Poll Tracking American Political Sentiment". Business Insider.
34. O'Reilly, Lara. (2018-08-14). "Mark Penn's Stagwell Group Raises $260 Million". Wall Street Journal.
35. Baker, Peter. (2018-05-21). "Mark Penn, Ex-Clinton Aide, Dismisses Mueller Inquiry, and the Clintons Along With It". The New York Times.
36. (2 February 2024). "Gingrich: The elite 1 percent behind the cultural civil war". North State Journal.
37. (28 October 2024). "Pollster Scott Rasmussen's Predictions for 2024 Election". The Daily Signal.
38. (June 19, 2024). "On the Elites and Counter-Elites: Polling the Elites". capitalresearch.org.
39. (16 April 2025). "Democratic Party troubles mount as more voters turn right, give GOP edge". Washington Examiner.
40. (January 13, 2025). "Deep state? Most pro-Harris government managers plan to resist Trump's efforts, poll finds". Just The News.
41. (July 2, 2025). "Napolitan News announces AI partnership to revolutionize polling". Just The News.
42. "Rasmussen Reports, LLC: Private Company Information - Bloomberg".
43. Tartakoff, Joseph. (2009-08-10). "Public Opinion Firm Rasmussen Reports Gets 'Major Growth Capital Investment'". [[The Washington Post]].
44. (2010-03-14). "About Us". Rasmussenreports.com.
45. "Scott Rasmussen's Heroic Battle With Tyrannophilia Rex, The Love Of Dictatorship". Forbes.
46. (2012-09-18). "Meet the Man Who Takes America's Pulse - Washington Business Magazine".
47. [https://web.archive.org/web/20100420142229/http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2010/04/use-of-likely-voter-model-does-not.html Use of Likely Voter Model Does Not Explain Rasmussen "House Effect"], by Nate Silver, [[FiveThirtyEight.com]], April 17, 2010
48. "Rasmussen Reports Announces New Growth Capital Investment". Rasmussen Reports.
49. (2010-12-21). "Obama's job approval bouncing back". Weekly Standard.
50. Blumenthal, Mark. (2013-08-22). "Pollster Scott Rasmussen Leaves Firm He Founded A Decade Ago". Huffington Post.
51. "One Of The Biggest Political Pollsters Has Left The Company That Bears His Last Name Over 'Disagreements'". Business Insider.
52. (2013-08-22). "Rasmussen Reports Announces a Change in Management". Rasmussen Reports.
53. Byers, Dylan. (2013-08-22). "Rasmussen founder leaves company". Politico.
54. (19 June 2024). "Column: This GOP-leaning political polling firm has turned into a purveyor of anti-vaccine propaganda". Los Angeles Times.
55. ""For clarity, I left my old firm more than a decade ago and have had nothing to do with them since."". X.
56. (2010). "Mad As Hell: How the Tea Party Movement Is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System". Harper.
57. (2010-01-15). "Don't Shoot the Pollster". Wall Street Journal.
58. "KCSG Television - Americans Strongly Support Ideals of Declaration of Independence". Kcsg.com.
59. Rasmussen, Scott W.. (January 2010). "In Search of Self-Governance". Rasmussen Reports.
60. "Hardcover Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - March 25, 2012". The New York Times.
61. Rasmussen, Scott. (2018). "The Sun is Still Rising: Politics Has Failed But America Will Not". Sutherland Institute.
62. Rasmussen, Scott. "A Journey From Pessimism to Optimism". Townhall.
63. "Scott Rasmussen Authors Politics Has Failed: America Will Not". DePauw University.
64. "on The Colbert Report March 11, 2010". Colbertnation.com.
65. Cramer, Ruby. (2012-10-25). "The Secret Economy Of Pollsters". BuzzFeed.
66. "For Voters, Tax Reform Means Tax Equality by Scott Rasmussen on Creators.com - A Syndicate of Talent". Creators.com.
67. Staff. (24 May 2011). "Telco Develops Syndie Offerings With Rasmussen". TVNewsCheck.
68. "2012 Granite Mikes Winners". NHAB.
69. Stead, Cynthia. (2013-01-03). "Faithfully moving into the new year". Cape Cod Times.
70. "Scott Rasmussen {{!}} Producer, Writer".
71. "Your Voice, Your Future: Tax Reform". Sinclair Broadcast Group.
72. "Ballotpedia:Scott Rasmussen - Ballotpedia".
73. Scheller, Christine. (2011-12-11). "Lifelong Ocean Grove Resident Takes Helm of Camp Meeting Association". Manasquan-Belmar Patch.
74. "About The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association". Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association.
75. (January 11, 2019). "Q&A: The sun is still rising". Center of the American Experiment.