Poll: Almost Two-Thirds of U.S. Oppose Health Law

[Dos Equis]

This will probably be the no. 1 issue in the November elections. 

Poll: Almost Two-Thirds of U.S. Oppose Health Law
Wednesday, 31 Mar 2010   
By: Dan Weil

Almost two-thirds of Americans believe the new healthcare law is too expensive and gives too much authority to the government for healthcare, according to a USA Today/Gallup Poll.

That could be bad news for Democrats in November’s congressional elections.

Supporters "are not only going to have to focus on implementing this kind of major reform," Robert Blendon, a Harvard professor of health policy and political analysis, told the paper.

"They're going to have to spend substantial time convincing people of the concrete benefits of this legislation."

Poll respondents are worried that the reform package will cost them more while lessening their quality of care.

Even President Obama has acknowledged problems on the cost front. "We are still going to have adjustments that have to be made to further reduce costs," he said Tuesday on NBC’s Today,

To some extent, poll respondents have contradictory views of the new legislation. A plurality believes the law will generally improve healthcare coverage and the overall health of Americans.

But 65 percent say the government’s role in healthcare is being expanded too far, 64 percent say the program will cost the government too much, 58 percent say it doesn’t do enough to brake rising costs and 51 percent say it doesn’t do enough to regulate the healthcare industry.

Half of respondents in the March 26-28 poll say the law is “a bad thing,” while 47 percent view it as “a good thing.”

That’s a shift from a poll March 22 — one day after the House approved the legislation — in which supporters outnumbered opponents 49 to 40 percent.

A Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted March 23-26 produced mixed results for Democrats.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s approval rating dropped to 29 percent from 35 percent in January.

But approval of Obama’s handling of healthcare reform rose to 48 percent from 43 percent.

http://newsmax.com/InsideCover/Poll-Two-Thirds-Oppose-Health-Law/2010/03/31/id/354336

[Soul Crusher]

240 - says Gallup is the gold standard so I believe him. 

[dario73]

I can't wait until November. Most of my family is voting Republican this time. In 2008, most voted for the false messiah. This year, they regret making that choice.

[BM OUT]

240 said this will be a losing campaign for republicans because Obama is so darn popular he will sell this to Americans.54 speeches later the country still hates it,and are slowly beggining to hate him.

[240 is Back]

hey, let's bring up 240, cool beans.

[BM OUT]

How can conservatives help it?Your always on here pretending to be a conservative but you obviously get your talking points from the democrats.I thought this law was going to storm the nation.Wait until people REALLY find out all thats in it.Obama will be at 25% by Nov.

[240 is Back]

when the american public was 2-to-1 against the surge, the white hosue (and repubs here) pretty much told the americans to shove their opinions up their ass.

precendent is set.  The president does what he wants.  If you don't like it, make an empty threat to move to costa rica.

[Soul Crusher]

when the american public was 2-to-1 against the surge, the white hosue (and repubs here) pretty much told the americans to shove their opinions up their ass.

precendent is set.  The president does what he wants.  If you don't like it, make an empty threat to move to costa rica.

Lets see 240 - I dont remember the public being against the surge.  i remember the democrats like Biden, obama and pelosi against it more than anything.

Also Petraues had a proven record and knew what he is doing.  In this disaster we have an incompetent marxist and a hag telling us to Trust us, we need to pass it so you can know later" when that bs already is proven in rthe stim bill, WHICH YOU SUPPORTED! 

[240 is Back]

" I dont remember the public being against the surge."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/08/opinion/polls/main2338195.shtml

Google it.  A majority of Americans were against the surge.  Bush decided it was the right thing to do, and didn't sway with fickle public opinion.  Most people came around later to liking it, of course.

So there are times when people in office will make decisions that are against public opinion.  You didn't think this practice began on jan 21, 2009 didja?

[BM OUT]

" I dont remember the public being against the surge."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/08/opinion/polls/main2338195.shtml

Google it.  A majority of Americans were against the surge.  Bush decided it was the right thing to do, and didn't sway with fickle public opinion.  Most people came around later to liking it, of course.

So there are times when people in office will make decisions that are against public opinion.  You didn't think this practice began on jan 21, 2009 didja?

Your right,BUT the surge worked.This plan will fail!!Do you know how I know?Because EVERY GOVERNMENT PLAN FAILS!!!!!They are all bankrupt.

[MM2K]

when the american public was 2-to-1 against the surge, the white hosue (and repubs here) pretty much told the americans to shove their opinions up their ass.

precendent is set.  The president does what he wants.  If you don't like it, make an empty threat to move to costa rica.

That's a valid point. But:

1. On foreign policy it has generally been accepted that the President should have more sway with those decisions than the public becuase he usually has more info about it. He has access to more classified info. Also, it just so happens that more Americans are not as educated in military history as they are about something about healthcare. Bush talks to military strategists all the time. This doesnt mean that he doesnt take the public's opinion into account, but he should rely on his own opinion quite a bit when it comes to military matters. Espeacially in a liberal democracy like the US where the public always gets overly sensual about war. But on a domestic issue like healtcare, the public knows atleast as much as the president does.

2. Also, for the surge there were enough Democrats that agreed to give the funding for the operation. So while most of them were belly aching about pulling out, when push came to shove, they didnt have the guts to stop the funding. The healthcare bill didnt get a single Republican vote.

3. History says this bill will fail. And even though things seemed grim when the surge started, military hisotry said that insurgencys almost never win in the end.

[Soul Crusher]

That's a valid point. But:

1. On foreign policy it has generally been accepted that the President should have more sway with those decisions than the public becuase he usually has more info about it. He has access to more classified info. Also, it just so happens that more Americans are not as educated in military history as they are about something about healthcare. Bush talks to military strategists all the time. This doesnt mean that he doesnt take the public's opinion into account, but he should rely on his own opinion quite a bit when it comes to military matters. Espeacially in a liberal democracy like the US where the public always gets overly sensual about war. But on a domestic issue like healtcare, the public knows atleast as much as the president does.

Additionally, the surge is a one time deal.  This mess is forver unless it is repealed or collapses.

[240 is Back]

good points MM2k.

however...


1- where was it accepted that the prez can override american sentiment on foreign but not on domestic issues?   If the average american cannot tell us what healthcare will look like in 25 years without the bill (how much monthly, etc), then he/she doesn't have the base to decide if the bill is worthy or not.  many people's rates doubled in the last 5 years... what will 25 years bring? 

2- Enough dems supported the surge?  Hey, 60 members of the senate supported the healthcare bill when all was said and done, I believe.  What was the surge vote?

3- history says the bill will fail?  Most/many of the countries ranked above us in world health care rankings use socialized healthcare.

[Soul Crusher]

3- history says the bill will fail?  Most/many of the countries ranked above us in world health care rankings use socialized healthcare.
[/quote]

And most of those countries are even more broke than we are and/or have massively higher taxes.   

[MM2K]

good points MM2k.

however...


1- where was it accepted that the prez can override american sentiment on foreign but not on domestic issues?   If the average american cannot tell us what healthcare will look like in 25 years without the bill (how much monthly, etc), then he/she doesn't have the base to decide if the bill is worthy or not.  many people's rates doubled in the last 5 years... what will 25 years bring? 

2- Enough dems supported the surge?  Hey, 60 members of the senate supported the healthcare bill when all was said and done, I believe.  What was the surge vote?

3- history says the bill will fail?  Most/many of the countries ranked above us in world health care rankings use socialized healthcare.

1. Well, the president can do what he wants as long as he has the votes on foreign or domestic issues. But since the public usually has as much info as he does on domestic issues like healtcare, he should probably listen to them more on those issues. People's rates have gone up in healtcare, because the babyboomers are getting older and demanding more care. Something has to give. ANyone who knows anything about basic economics knows this healthcaer bill will cause rates to go even higher. BUt when you take into account the other necessities of life such as shelter, cllothing, energy , and food, we are paying about the same we paid years ago.


2. I dont know what the surge vote was but I woudl think it would have to have been atleast 51% with the opposing party in Congress.
3
3. The only ways to measure the quality of your healthcare are to measure cancer survival rates, how long it takes to see an doctor and/or speacialist, how long it takes to get surgery, and how much access you have to sophisticated equipment such as MRI machines. The US ranks number 1 in all of those.

[Straw Man]

Funny how NewsMax doesn't have a link to the poll. 
I wonder what else is in that poll that they didn't bother to include in their story