WHAT THE GOP DOESN'T TELL YOU ABOUT HEALTHCARE POLLS
BARRY SUSSMAN, HUFFINGTON POST - Comes now a McClatchy/Ipsos poll of 1,076 people that on first glance offers rocks to sling at Obama. The lead question asks, "As of right now, do you favor or oppose the health care reform proposals presently being discussed?" Forty-one percent said they favored them, 47 percent said they were opposed, and the rest said they were unsure. Those are numbers the Republican leaders could work with.
BUT... the pollsters went a step further, asking those opposed -- 509 people in all -- if they were against the proposals because they "don't go far enough to reform health care" or because they go too far. Thirty-seven percent said it was because the proposals DON'T GO FAR ENOUGH.. Thus the addition of an obvious, simple follow-up question completely turns the tables. The overall numbers switch to 59 percent in favor of health care reform, 30 percent against. Putting aside those with no opinion, it becomes 66 percent in favor of health care reform, 34 percent against. Some would call that a consensus, or these days, a super majority. . .
3/06/2010
BUT... the pollsters went a step further, asking those opposed -- 509 people in all -- if they were against the proposals because they "don't go far enough to reform health care" or because they go too far. Thirty-seven percent said it was because the proposals DON'T GO FAR ENOUGH.. Thus the addition of an obvious, simple follow-up question completely turns the tables. The overall numbers switch to 59 percent in favor of health care reform, 30 percent against. Putting aside those with no opinion, it becomes 66 percent in favor of health care reform, 34 percent against. Some would call that a consensus, or these days, a super majority. . .
3/06/2010
