Well, so much for the lazy days of summer.
Nearly 1.8 million of you visited our site in August 2010 -- more than in any month since March, more than in any month in 2009, and more than in August 2008, when we had a hot presidential election on our hands.
With the calendar turning from August to September, President Obama attempting to "turn the page from Iraq" to other matters, and all political eyes turning to the midterm congressional elections, it's a good time to recap some of our biggest findings of the year so far.
Underscoring what a big month August was, three of our most popular stories from August also rank among our most popular stories of the year:
- Blacks and Whites Continue to Differ Sharply on Obama, Aug. 3, 2010
- GOP Takes Unprecedented 10-Point Lead on Generic Ballot, Aug. 30, 2010
- In U.S., Confidence in Newspapers, TV News Remains a Rarity, Aug. 13, 2010
Additionally, here are some of the other headlines that have brought many of you to our site over the past few months:
- Congress Ranks Last in Confidence in Institutions, July 22, 2010
- Americans Favor Confirming Kagan to High Court, 44% to 34%, July 15, 2010
- Obama Job Approval Rating Down to 38% Among Independents, July 7, 2010
- In 2010, Conservatives Still Outnumber Moderates, Liberals, June 25, 2010
- Obama's Highest Half-Year Approval Ratings in D.C., Hawaii, July 19, 2010
- Wyoming, Mississippi, Utah Rank as Most Conservative States, Aug. 2, 2010
- One in Three Adults Obese in America's Most Obese States, Aug. 4, 2010
- U.S. Drinking Rate Edges Up Slightly to 25-Year High, July 30, 2010
- Near-Record 49% Say Democratic Party "Too Liberal", June 14, 2010
- Federal Debt, Terrorism Considered Top Threats to U.S., June 4, 2010
- Americans' Acceptance of Gay Relations Crosses 50% Threshold, May 25, 2010
- Four Moral Issues Sharply Divide Americans, May 26, 2010
- Migration Could Triple Populations in Some Wealthy Nations, Aug. 20, 2010
Additionally, our daily and weekly updates on Obama job approval and our key economic metricscontinue to bring many of you to our site for the very latest of what real Americans think about their leadership and their economy.
As Election Day draws closer, we'll continue to track and report on our Election 2010 key indicators, including the generic ballot for Congress and enthusiasm about voting, and will begin reporting likely voter estimates in early October.
We thank the millions of you who have visited our site this year and look forward to continuing to provide data-driven insights on what's happening in your world in the months and years to come.