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NBC Poll: Only 33% Favor Health Bill

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Other Politics
Posted on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 01:12:47 PM EST
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For those who think it is simple for the House to just pass the Senate bill, consider this:

[A]ccording to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll [. . .], only 33 percent say President Obama's health-reform effort is a good idea, versus 46 percent who consider it a bad idea.

It is simply ridiculous to argue that the simple political calculus is to pass the Senate bill as is. At the least, a play to the Democratic base, especially unions, through a reconciliation modification is essential.

Speaking for me only

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    NBC Poll: Only 33% Favor Health Bill | 59 comments (59 topical)

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    God, if I had only been nicer (5.00 / 5) (#1)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 01:21:08 PM EST
    not used so many swear words, and been less of a feminist....this wouldn't be happening.  If only I had hated Firedoglake, none of this would be happening.

    If you (none / 0) (#10)
    by Wile ECoyote on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 02:05:04 PM EST
    curse you are a feminist?  Boggles the mind.

    Parent
    If I curse you (5.00 / 3) (#14)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 02:09:42 PM EST
    I'm a feminist.

    Parent
    Whatever Dems do now (5.00 / 5) (#2)
    by shoephone on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 01:33:09 PM EST
    will be seen as a failure, because the lead-up to this moment has been comprised of nothing but spinelessness and churlishness on their part. The old game of blaming the Republicans didn't work, so they switched to the other game of blaming the liberal base -- the citizens. What a stupid move that was. In the process, they have turned everybody off. And yet, if Coakley squeaks out a win today, they will have learned nothing.

    Once the House CPC members started backing away from their sternly worded letters to Obama and Pelosi, I backed away from them. I am not represented. The 67% of Americans who oppose the Senate health care bill -- whether they be Democrat, Republican, or Independent -- are making clear they do not feel represented either.

    The Health Insurance Companies could promise jobs (5.00 / 2) (#4)
    by Dan the Man on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 01:35:12 PM EST
    to anyone Democrats who vote for the bill and lose their seats.  This would make it easier for the Democrats to vote for the bill.

    So, does this mean that (5.00 / 9) (#6)
    by dk on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 01:51:49 PM EST
    Rachel Maddow and Olberman will go on the TV tonight to tell us that 67% of Americans, including Dennis Kucinich, are a bunch of Teabaggers?

    Top Comment of my Day (none / 0) (#7)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 01:53:19 PM EST


    Parent
    and snicker while they say it, (none / 0) (#39)
    by observed on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 04:38:49 PM EST
    thinking they've pulled one over on us.

    Parent
    hmmmnnn (5.00 / 6) (#8)
    by TeresaInPa on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 01:59:07 PM EST
    and the fact that Martha started dropping in the polls when she said she would vote for the POS legislation will be lost on the democratic party because passing anything and calling it victory seems to be all that matter to the Obama admin.

    Sure (none / 0) (#41)
    by cal1942 on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 05:01:30 PM EST
    and Democratic leadership may conclude that healthcare reform can't be passed ever and that the party should move farther right and naturally assume that the base will come along because, after all, there's no place to go.

    Parent
    and i'm guessing (5.00 / 8) (#16)
    by Turkana on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 02:15:09 PM EST
    that a public option is still well above 50%. funny what happens when you jettison the most popular parts of a bill.

    Take out the most popular (5.00 / 2) (#34)
    by MO Blue on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 03:50:10 PM EST
    parts of the bill and replace them with one of the least popular idea - the excise tax on insurance plans. Way to go Dems. Rah, Rah, Rah. Hows that for being a mindless cheerleader.

    Parent
    I don't think (5.00 / 1) (#18)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 02:24:30 PM EST
     the current mess is fixable unless they are willing to lose the one thing that they seem unable to: mandates. Mandates are a political killer without some sort of public option to go with them.

    strip out mandates (none / 0) (#45)
    by Socraticsilence on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 05:20:12 PM EST
    and you'd also have to junk guarenteed issuance, which whould mena those with pre-exisiting conditions wouldn't be able to get insurance.

    Parent
    Right-o, which is why (none / 0) (#53)
    by gyrfalcon on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 06:06:30 PM EST
    there needs to be a public option.

    Parent
    Many (none / 0) (#56)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 06:23:18 PM EST
    with preexisting conditions still aren't going to get coverage even with this bill so it's really a moot point.

    Parent
    Who knew... (5.00 / 1) (#19)
    by kdog on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 02:25:21 PM EST
    33% of the country worked in the insurance business...I thought it was around 1/6th, not 1/3rd, of our economy.

    What does this mean? (5.00 / 1) (#20)
    by oculus on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 02:34:02 PM EST
    President Obama's health-reform effort


    Yes, that always catches my eye too (none / 0) (#26)
    by ruffian on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 02:50:38 PM EST
    not sure it matters whose name is on the mess at this point. He can't very well claim it is not his.

    Parent
    Heh. (none / 0) (#30)
    by huzzlewhat on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 03:01:07 PM EST
    And Max Baucus heaves a big sigh of relief...

    Parent
    Baucus was (none / 0) (#42)
    by cal1942 on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 05:02:41 PM EST
    enabled by Obama.

    Parent
    Well, (5.00 / 4) (#25)
    by bocajeff on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 02:50:33 PM EST
    I think the poll reflects an answer to a different question. Get the economy moving, get people working, stop people from losing their homes and then you can do other things. But I digress...

    Maybe (5.00 / 0) (#27)
    by Spamlet on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 02:54:00 PM EST
    And maybe our "representatives" from both parties have a decades-long record of caring more about their megamillion-dollar contributions (cough) from Wall Street, big pharma, etc., than they do about the issues that matter to the people who sent them to Washington, and whose wishes they clearly feel at liberty to ignore.

    Nope. It has to be more than that. (none / 0) (#29)
    by nyrias on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 02:57:55 PM EST
    Because if that is the only thing, the voters can easily vote those who are not on their side out of office.

    It has a lot to do with political apathy. That is the typical cultural characteristics of well-to-do nations. After all, why do I have to care about politics if it only marginally impact me (or if I think so)?

    Parent

    Doesn't work (5.00 / 2) (#35)
    by hookfan on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 03:51:16 PM EST
    when the only viable replacements do the same thing.

    Parent
    Sure (none / 0) (#33)
    by Spamlet on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 03:50:03 PM EST
    the voters can easily vote those who are not on their side out of office

    They can vote. Fat lot of good it does them. The corruption in both major political parties cannot be ended by elections alone.

    People are not stupid. They've done a cost-benefit analysis of voting. They know they're up against the special interests when it comes to getting their representatives to, you know, represent them.

    I can remember a time when ordinary voting citizens used the term "special interests" to refer to plutocrats. But for at least 25 years both political parties have been using the term to designate the sort of voting blocs that used to be considered natural Democratic constituencies.

    Apathy? Cynicism? Sure. Why not?

    Parent

    The one stat in polls like these that always piss (none / 0) (#3)
    by Buckeye on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 01:33:38 PM EST
    me off is that 21% of the respondents apparently have no opinion, are not sure, are undecided...

    How the hell can more than 1 out of 5 either not know or not have an opinion about a 2,000+ piece of legislation that increases taxes $500 billion, cuts benefits $500 billion, and restructures American medicine?

    I have a couple of reasons (5.00 / 3) (#5)
    by BDB on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 01:50:21 PM EST
    1. The news/pundits/many blogs/political leaders on both sides/industry reps almost never actually tell people what is in the bill or tell them contradicting things about the bill; and

    2. The news/pundits/many bloggers/political leaders on both sides/industry reps. constantly lie about the bill.

    It's very difficult to be informed in today's environment where lies and propaganda rule our world.  I actually credit the 21% with being smart enough to know that they don't know what to think.

    Parent
    Absolutely. (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by shoephone on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 02:07:41 PM EST
    The politicians have made these bills unduly confusing. Even many who have follow health care, and have followed this process closely, don't understand all the details.

    It's a no brainer: Make it too complex and confusing and the public ends up saying "No."

    Parent

    I agree with you and BDB on this particular bill. (none / 0) (#21)
    by Buckeye on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 02:44:45 PM EST
    But it happens a lot, even with very simple matters where all info is available and have been discussed in detail, of great importance.

    I also think that if the Democratic party has been deliberately stealth in their approach, then the 21% should say they are against it.  Telling pollsters you are not sure because you do not know what is in it (and you do not know because the governing is deliberately not telling you) ought to be a GIANT red flag and reason enough to be opposed.

    Parent

    And you are surprised? (none / 0) (#22)
    by nyrias on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 02:45:48 PM EST
    Not every American makes politics the center of their lives.

    I am sure that you think they should know more. But I would bet money that more people cares about how LOST ends than how the HCR turns out.

    While that may be sad, it is the way it is and probably nothing you can do to change things.

    Parent

    About Lost (none / 0) (#54)
    by anniethena on Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 06:13:35 PM EST
    Sure, more Americans should know about politics (and how it affects their lives) but at least Lost has inspired a lot of people to:
    -read books
    -learn about ancient mythology
    -become familiar with Enlightenment philosophers and other historical figures
    -investigate some scientific theories
    -think! I've read some very interesting discussions online that go way beyond who's a Jater/Skater...
    Now, the popularity of American