Obama is losing support in healthcare

August 5, 2009 - Scrap Health Care Reform If It Adds To Deficit, U.S. Voters Tell Quinnipiac University National Poll;

Voters Disapprove Of Obama's Handling Of Health Care
American voters, by a 55 - 35 percent margin, are more worried that Congress will spend too much money and add to the deficit than it will not act to overhaul the health care system, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll released today. By a similar 57 - 37 percent margin, voters say health care reform should be dropped if it adds "significantly" to the deficit.

By a 72 - 21 percent margin, voters do not believe that President Barack Obama will keep his promise to overhaul the health care system without adding to the deficit, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University national poll finds.

American voters disapprove 52 - 39 percent of the way President Obama is handling health care, down from 46 - 42 percent approval July 1, with 60 - 34 percent disapproval from independent voters. Voters say 59 - 36 percent that Congress should not pass health care reform if only Democratic members support it.

Voters are split 39 - 41 percent on whether the President's health care plan will improve or hurt the quality of health care in the nation, with 14 percent saying it won't make a difference.

Only 21 percent of voters say the plan will improve the quality of care they receive, while 36 percent say it will hurt their quality of care and 39 percent say it will make no difference.

"President Barack Obama and Democratic leaders in Congress appear to be losing the public relations war over their plan to revamp the nation's health care system," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

"Americans are more willing to scrap a health care overhaul than they are to increase the deficit in order to produce such legislation. That's a bad omen for the White House and Congressional leadership as they try to sell their plan to the country this month before the vote counting gets serious on Capitol Hill in September."

There is still strong support for critical elements of the Obama/Democratic plan:
62 - 32 percent in favor of giving people the option of a government insurance plan;
61 - 36 percent for higher taxes on high income earners to pay for health care reform;
60 - 32 percent in favor of insurance subsidies for individuals making up to $43,000 and families of four making up to $88,000;
54 - 38 percent for requiring businesses to provide insurance or pay the government.

Voters oppose 68 - 26 percent requiring people to have health insurance or pay a fine and oppose 68 - 27 percent taxing employees for health care benefits from employers.

Independent voters, perhaps the key voting group, are more worried about the deficit rising than congressional inaction, 54 - 37 percent. These voters say 59 - 36 percent that overhaul should not occur if it would "significantly" increase the deficit. Independents oppose 63 - 33 percent passing a bill with only Democratic votes.

Independent voters also don't think Obama can keep his promise to avoid increasing the deficit and pass health care by an overwhelming 77 - 17 percent.

"The key to this political battle over health care out in the country is independent voters. And that bloc is the key to most elections," Brown added. "These are the voters who broke strongly for the President last November and who were in his corner during the first months of his administration. But on these key health care questions they are siding with critics who question whether health care reform is worth the projected cost."

Support for Obama's handling of health care is down among key groups:
Women disapprove 49 - 41 percent, down from a 48 - 39 percent approval July 1;
Voters 18 to 34 years old disapprove 48 - 44 percent, down from a 54 - 35 percent approval;
Low income voters disapprove 47 - 43 percent, down from a 49 - 37 percent approval.


Since Quinnipiac University's July 1 survey, support for a government-run option has fallen from 69 - 26 percent to 62 - 32 percent and the number who would rather buy insurance from a private rather than public insurer has jumped from 53 - 28 percent to 61 - 25 percent.

"Another indication that opponents of the President's approach have been making points with the voters," said Brown.

From July 27 - August 3, Quinnipiac University surveyed 2,409 registered voters nationwide with a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points.

Would the indicated almost 2-1 margin favoring a public option mean that the dissatisfied faction is from both sides of the political fence and therefore 62% do not support no measure at all, but an even stronger bill with a public option? That's the dissatisfied faction I belong in, so, obviously, our goals are different.
Under the current system how can US companies compete against foreign companies with the cost of employee healthcare on their backs? Is it just(fair) for US citizens to be forced into bankruptcy because of catastrophic healthcare bills? Should Medicare be able to negotiate for lower drug costs? Should drugs be sold to the rest of the world by US companies for less than they cost here? Should Americans be forced to illegally buy their prescriptions overseas to save huge amounts compared to the local pharmacy?(Is that not a tax?) Should insurance companies take 100s of billions out of the system in profit while rejecting pre-existing conditions? When your guys can answer questions like that, maybe some folks would change their minds without being frightened by lies and threats.
 
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The alternative is to do the same thing we did in 1994 with the same people using the same fear mongering against it today as then. We all know how that turned out 15 years later. That should make the GOP, the insurance companies and the pharmaceutical companies happy shouldn't it?

Yeah, let's let the idiots who did the estimating for the CASH FOR KLUNKERS program estimate the demand for the new untested healthcare system... woops! We underfunded the program because we didn't forsee such great demand. We're going to have to tax you folks another 15%. Sorry.
 
Yeah, let's let the idiots who did the estimating for the CASH FOR KLUNKERS program estimate the demand for the new untested healthcare system... woops! We underfunded the program because we didn't forsee such great demand. We're going to have to tax you folks another 15%. Sorry.

The damn thing has worked beyond expectations, thus the need for additional money to continue it.
Re the healthcare system, I rest my case. Better back to 1994 than improve the system.
Let me guess, someone is paying for your healthcare beside you?
 
The damn thing has worked beyond expectations, thus the need for additional money to continue it.
Re the healthcare system, I rest my case. Better back to 1994 than improve the system.
Let me guess, someone is paying for your healthcare beside you?

So to you programs which are poorly planned and vastly underfunded are huge successes? Your version of logic is unique, to say the least.

People will always take free money. That doesn't mean it's a good use of taxpayer dollars.

i swear, you're a mongoloid.
 
So to you programs which are poorly planned and vastly underfunded are huge successes? Your version of logic is unique, to say the least.

People will always take free money. That doesn't mean it's a good use of taxpayer dollars.

i swear, you're a mongoloid.

I see, the fact that hundreds of thousands of vehicles are being sold beyond all expectations and maybe there will be additional jobs created is a bad thing. Forgive me, for us taxpayers maybe the 3 billion would be better spent on cluster bombs.
 
The damn thing has worked beyond expectations, thus the need for additional money to continue it.
Re the healthcare system, I rest my case. Better back to 1994 than improve the system.
Let me guess, someone is paying for your healthcare beside you?

It's a temporary fix. Besides, most of the cars that are selling are foreign made. How does that help the American car companies?
 
It's a temporary fix. Besides, most of the cars that are selling are foreign made. How does that help the American car companies?

There you go buying that "stuff" again without analysis. Honda,Toyota, Nissan etc. make their most popular models right here in the USA. My wife's Accord is made in Ohio, I don't know where Camry, Civic, and Corrolla are made but it is in the USA by American workers. My son's Merc has a Mexican made engine and tires and I'm sure the radio etc. are also imported. Tell me the difference.
That said, this thread was started by you about healthcare. I did not start the Clunker conversation. I posted a response to your initial post to which you did not reply. Have at it.......please.
 
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