The Health Care Overhaul Has an 'Enthusiasm Gap,' Polls Find

While different polls on health care reform have produced different numbers, there is one constant in three recent polls -- and that is the small percentage of those who say they are either enthusiastic about the legislation that passed and approve of it with no reservations.

The latest example is a CNN/Opinion Research poll conducted March 25-28 in which 15 percent said they approved of the bill becoming law and have no reservations about it, 27 percent approved but did not think it went far enough, 31 percent disapproved but supported some of its provisions and 25 percent opposed it altogether.

Asked if they felt enthusiastic, pleased, displeased or angry about the legislation, 15 percent said they were enthusiastic, 30 percent said they were pleased, 27 percent were displeased and 26 percent were angry.A Washington Post/ABC News poll conducted March 23-26 asked those surveyed how they felt about the changes to the health care system that will be made by the overhaul measure. Fifteen percent said they were enthusiastic, 32 percent were satisfied, 26 percent said they were dissatisfied and 26 percent said they were angry. (Respondents were specifically asked to choose among those four sentiments).

A Gallup poll conducted March 22 asked those surveyed to choose whether they felt "enthusiastic," "pleased." "disappointed" or "angry." Again, 15 percent said they were enthusiastic. Thirty-five percent described themselves as pleased, 23 percent as disappointed, 19 percent as angry and 8 percent were undecided.

In the CNN poll, 47 percent said Congress should repeal major provisions of the bill and replace them with a "completely different" set of proposals, 27 percent favored additional changes to increase government involvement in the health care system and 23 percent favored leaving the legislation as it is.

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