Support For Health Care Reform Increasing Per Public Policy Polling–But Only Among Democrats

Support for health care reform fell dramatically in the polls over the past year due to the right wing misinformation campaign. Polling has showed that people opposed the current bill but also opposed doing nothing in even great numbers. Polling has also showed that strong majorities have supported the individual components of the bill (along with a public option which has been removed) but also said they oppose the current bill. This is most likely due to a lack of understanding of what is in the bill with polls also showing as much as a twenty point jump in support after the bill was explained to people.

Support for health care reform still remains depressed but is gradually improving in recent polls. Public Policy Polling presents another example of this:

…support for health care is on the rise. 45% of voters now say they’re for his plan while 49% are opposed. A month ago the spread was 39% in support and 50% opposed.

Dennis Kucinich’s flip on the health care vote this morning is symbolic of a broader shift among liberals. Last month 73% said they supported the plan with 19% opposed. Now 89% say they support the plan with only 3% opposed. Whether it’s because of the President’s increasing visibility on the issue or because liberals finally decided the current bill is as good as they’re going to get and better than nothing, there’s been a big rise in support since early February.

Unfortunately the improvement in this poll remains almost exclusively among Democratic voters. Reducing the opposition from the left is of value but is hardly enough.

The Republicans continue to win the spin war and Democrats must do a better job of explaining what is actually in the bill to avoid major defeats in November. This is complicated by the fact that most of the benefits will not be seen for a few years, and it will take at least that long for people to see that there is no truth to the Republican scare stories about a “government take over of health care” or of “death panels.”

1 Comment

  1. 1
    Brett Robinson says:

    RT @ronchusid: Support For #HCR Increasing Per Public Policy Polling–But Only Among #Democrats http://bit.ly/cMs0Ck #p2 #dems

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