Saturday, December 19, 2009

What America Wants

The PCCC sponsored a poll to get opinions of Americans on different variants of health care reform.

poll_HEALTH-CARE-large A new poll suggests that voters are not pleased by the idea of health insurance mandates without a public option or a Medicare expansion.

Conducted by Research 2000 for the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC), the survey finds only 33 percent of likely voters favor a health care bill that does not include a public health insurance option and does not expand Medicare, but does require all Americans to get health insurance. Slightly more Democrats -- 37 percent -- favor the idea, while only 30 percent of Republicans and 31 percent of independents do.

Meanwhile, if the public option and Medicare buy-in are added, 58 percent of people support the idea. The number of Republican supporters drops to 22 percent, but independent support rises to 57 percent and Democratic support to a whopping 88 percent.

"This poll shows voters in full-blown revolt against the Senate bill," said PCCC co-founder Stephanie Taylor. "Only one-third of voters support mandates without a public option, while nearly two-thirds want the public option and Medicare expansion. This will be a disaster of epic proportions for Democrats in 2010 if it's not fixed -- fast."… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Common Dreams>

To clarify this putting the public option and Medicare buy-in back into the health care reform bill loses 8% of Republicans, but gains 26% of Independents, 51 of Democrats and 25% of all voters.  We knew that the American people wanted real reform, but now we can quantify it and the people’s preference is overwhelming.  Democrats have a choice.  At least try to give the people what we want or try to cram what we don’t want down our throats.  If we try and and the GOP and Blue Dogs block it, they will face the voters’ ire.  If we don’t try, we will.

10 comments:

Jack Jodell said...

Yeah, you can fool some of the people some of the time and all of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people THIS time! The public knows when it is getting screwed, and they don't like it! This Senate bill, overwhelmingly beneficial to the greedy health insurance industry, falls FAR short of what this country needs right now and in the future. LIEberman, Nelson, and the entire Republican Senate caucus ought to be impeached and removed from office for being health care saboteurs. The vastly overpaid health insurance and pharma execs ought to be jailed for treason and for grand larceny. Enough is enough. It's CLOBBERIN' TIME!

Mauigirl said...

Remember this isn't the final bill. The House and Senate have to come to a final agreement on the bill. However, it does look pretty bleak for having a public option, so I'm not pleased about that.

Holte Ender said...

There is no evidence to prove my thinking, but maybe the Democrats are being clever and will slip things in at the last moment. Well it is Christmas and dreaming is OK at this time of year.

One Fly said...

They wouldn't be that stupid to force people to buy shitty insurance without a choice now would they??

Just kidding. They do so I could turn tea bag in a second.

Unknown said...

Thank you for the renewed hope Mauigirl!
Did anyone see Sen. Nelson's camera op today? That he's going to vote HCR in?
Unfortunately I'm thinking that our government might be that stupid, shitty insurance may win the day....

JUDI M. said...

I'm hoping that the final bill will be better. I like the public option, but some sort of buy in like the FEHB Plan is good. My mom has it and premiums are reasonable and you choose which you want. (She has Mailhandlers) You pay for what you need, of course. If we don't pass something now...it will never be done. It'll be kicked down the road to NEVER. Don't forget the employer sponsored ins. (if you have it) is already being "subsidized" by someone else. You never see the real cost. Insurance companies and 3rd party payers (rip off) should be banned really. We got along without them until the 70's I believe.

Lisa G. said...

I still think this bill is a piece of crap. I'm with Jack on this.

But here's what Victoria Reggie Kennedy (Ted's widow) said in the Wash Post today:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/18/AR2009121803506.html

TomCat said...

Jack, I feel your anger.

Maui, that's my point in posting this. Conference committee is the chance we still have. Read my third article today for more on that.

Holte the House may, but I think the Administration just wants ANY bill passed.

Fly, somehow I knew you were kidding.

Gwen, if Nelson is in, it's LIEberman's turn again.

Judi, FEHB is fine, but what they are supposedly offering now falls far short of that.

Lisa, I do too.

libhom said...

Gillibrand and Schumer will lose my votes permanently if they vote to put this piece of garbage past closure. This bill is such a terrible, Republican bill, the Democrats should be the ones filibustering it.

TomCat said...

Libhom, I hace ofren woindered why some aren't.