rssPolls Show Americans Like Choice More Than Health Care
Thursday, August 20, 2009 at 5:18 pm
- 3 Comments
When it comes to health care, at least, following the polls can be tricky.
Take this latest one Sam Stein reports on for The Huffington Post, showing that 77 percent of Americans think it’s important to have a “choice” between government-run health insurance and private coverage. That poll comes from Survey USA. Meanwhile, Rasmussen Reports found just 34 percent of Americans support a health care reform plan without a public option. Okay — so far, so good.
So how is it that Rasmussen’s last poll on health care reform found that only 42 percent of voters supported the Democrats’ proposed health reform plan, when that plan still clearly included a “public option”? Back then (last week), the whole Democratic proposal for health reform was sinking, leading President Obama and some members of his administration to start backing away from the government-run option and proclaiming their newfound flexibility.
Well, that Rasmussen poll referred to the Obama plan as simply “the health care reform plan proposed by President Obama and the congressional Democrats.” It seems significant that none of the Rasmussen questions included the word “choice” in them. And as pollsters for NBC found earlier this week, without the word “choice,” only 43 percent of the public favored “creating a public health care plan administered by the federal government that would compete directly with private health insurance companies.”
Meanwhile, another Rasmussen poll earlier this month found that “51% of the nation’s voters fear the federal government more than private insurance companies.” I guess that’s when they’re not offered a “choice” between the two.
If this confirms anything, it may be that Americans just don’t like to commit. MoveOn.org, which commissioned the SurveyUSA poll and supports the public option, was wise to that.
Still, as Stein notes, when read an actual description of the president’s health care plan (when it still included the public option), 51 percent of SurveyUSA respondents said they “favored” the approach; 43 percent opposed it. Asked the same question by NBC and the Wall Street Journal, 53 percent of respondents said they favored the president’s plan, and 43 percent opposed it.
3 Comments
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Comment posted September 3, 2009 @ 3:47 pm
MoveOn.org. Hmmm. Do I trust them to not spin doctor their questions? I think not. The “public” option is not viewed as an “option” by most Americans. They are beginning to catch onto the scam and realize it is just eye wash to call what is being proposed as “choice” versus “unfair competition” and those haning on the word “choice” are hanging their arguement on the lie that the “choice” should categorically be accepted on face value. Since when is congress' word worth a plugged nickle? Since when is Pelosi's? Obama is wise to keep himself as distant as he can. If he wades in here, he is going to sink, mark my words. 57% percent of americans, right now, would replace *every* congressman and senator if they could. That should clear up just how much trust they have in the emtpy words of “choice” being promised. That congress will not deliver a “real” choice is a forgone conclussion, in my mind. It does not matter if if is Democrats or Republicans. They all think they know better how to spend our hard earned money than we do. And we think the opposite. THAT IS THE CRUX OF THE MATTER!!!
The spin that is presented here is worth very little. The assumption is that there will ever be a real “choice” in any Government Program. Ask a senior citizen abount Medicare “choices”. The AARP initially supported ObamaCare. Their membership roles took a HUGE hit, by not only people choosing not just to let memberships lapse, but also by people significant numbers actively asking to revoke their memberships and get their dues back. As the demographic that has the highest experience level with Federally Governed Programs and the illusion of “choice” they are not buying into, I think their opinion is more solid than the one proposed by the author of this tripe!
Write a leading question and the answer is invalid as the assumptions that are presumed. I can write questions just as leading and crappy as they did ith the SurveyUSA poll. How accurate did they predict Obama's election? Ramussen got it by less than 1% accross the boards folks! THEY try to ask the questions correctly. THEY take proffesional pride in what they do and are not just out to spin the answers the way their benfactors would like them to. Me, I will take an independant poll over a commissioned poll any day of the week. There are lies, damned lies and statistics. The “poll” commissioned by MoveOn.org is a pointed example of that truth. Their poisoned outlook is worthless, and that makes this poll they want you to rely upon worth even less.
;'{P
Comment posted September 23, 2009 @ 1:18 pm
I think people need a more personal approach when it comes to doctors. I know i have a doctor which takes care of my problems(prosolution gel) and he is so nice. He always knows me by name, he's friendly and i gladly attent every meeting.
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