Health Care’s Polls and (Un-)Popularity
In conjunction with yesterday’s six month benchmark since the health care bill was signed into law, several organizations released polls regarding the measure. The American Action Forum released polling data indicating a majority of voters oppose the health care law – and when informed about the law’s tax increases and other onerous provisions, opposition only grows. Likewise, the US Chamber of Commerce released a poll of small business leaders, which found that 55% of small business owners believe the law makes them less likely to hire new workers, and a whopping 78% of small business leaders believe the law will increase costs – as a result of which a majority of small business leaders are more likely to reduce health insurance benefits.
The continued negative turn of polling results was duly noted at the law’s six month mark. Yesterday’s CongressDaily PM noted that Speaker Pelosi – she of the infamous “We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it” – did not make a public appearance six months to the day after the massive overhaul passed. (Is it because she found out what was in the law?) The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza analyzed “Why Democrats Aren’t Running on Health Care,” stating that “sometimes a picture is really worth 1,000 words,” a reference to the Pollster.com summary of surveys on the health measure (reproduced below). And Democrat pollster Peter Hart advised Democrats to “opt for avoiding the subject rather than wading into the subject.” In perhaps the most interesting example of the backpedaling on health care, Nancy-Ann DeParle was interviewed by liberal blogger Ezra Klein yesterday, which included this exchange on the law’s continued unpopularity:
Finally, the bill isn’t popular, and it looks to have slipped a bit further in the last month. Why do you think that is?
I don’t look at polls that much but to the extent I have, it looks pretty stable. There’s a certain number of people who’ve never liked it and their intensity has remained about the same. There’ve been people who’ve always loved it and they’ve been stable. And then there are people in the middle, who’ve been pretty stable…
In other words, Democrats have moved from claiming approval will go up “the minute the President signs the health care reform bill” to trumpeting the fact that polling “looks pretty stable” – which some may view as an example of the soft bigotry of low expectations.
Finally, I’ll note that Heritage has released a graphic interpretation of the health care law that you may find both interesting and useful. Have a great weekend!
