Obama and the Health Care Polls

2 years ago

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Contributing Editor

There's an opinion piece about some of the recent health care reform polling in the New York Times today which basically boils down to this: the way the struggle over an overhaul package is shaping up, if one passes Obama gets the credit, and if it doesn't Republicans will be getting the blame.

After studying various polls, Charles Blow notes that through August, when Republicans and town hall meetings activists were getting the headlines, "Obama maintained a Pollyannaish, laissez-faire disposition. Some found this worrisome. Others, like me, even thought it weak. But maybe not so fast...Anyone familiar with Aesop's fable "The Tortoise and the Hare" surely remembers this lesson: slow and steady wins the race. I was beginning to think of Obama as the hare, but maybe he's the tortoise."

Another interesting observation when it comes to looking at the newest health care polls comes from Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight.com who suggests these polls are no longer telling us anything new. He believes the battle for Public opinion has been "fought to a draw."

The numbers are liable to be fairly stubborn from this point forward. Both sides have really fired all their bullets here. Obama gave his big speech. The Democrats have also probably outmaneuvered the Republicans on maintaining the appearance of bipartisanship -- although to what ultimate end, I don't know. On the other hand, the public remains confused and skeptical over the details of health care reform, in ways that it is probably too late to reverse. The Republicans have played the socialism card, the death panels card, the deficits card, and pretty much everything else in their arsenal. The town halls, mercifully for Democrats, are over.

Some of the recent health care polls:

New York Times/CBS News , conducted Sept. 19-23

Gallup on Generation and Gender Gaps in Health Care Support, August/September data

Public Policy Polling, conducted Sept. 18-21

Wall Street Journal/NBC News, conducted Sept. 17-20

Franklin & Marshall, conducted Sept. 15-21

Filed Under: Republicans, Barack Obama, Health Care, Polls, Obama Administration, Poll Watch

Tagged: daily guidance, DailyGuidance

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