Wednesday, August 19, 2009

New polling shows if there is no public option, forget about health care reform

In all essence this is true.

Without the public option, what is the use? Barack Obama and the Democrats campaigned on change, they campaigned on having a public option just as congress currently enjoys. This has resonated with the public and without a public option, what is the point.

Just 34% of voters nationwide support the health care reform plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats if the so-called “public option” is removed. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 57% oppose the plan if it doesn't include a government-run health insurance plan to compete with private insurers.

[snip]

Without the public option, just 50% of Democrats support the legislation. That’s down from 69% support measured a week ago. But here the enthusiasm gap is especially strong. A week ago, polling found that 44% of Democrats Strongly favored the reform plan. Without the public option, just 12% of Democrats Strongly support it.

This is the crux. While the public option has not been communicated properly to the public, they believe it is a government run health care program when it is not. The clean up job at this point will have to come from President Obama in explaining what the public option is, while cleaning up all the misunderstanding of the whole health care bill.

Communication is essential.

Poll

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