Just noticed this: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/01/18/new-poll-lows-for-nelson-after-health-care-vote/
Combine this with Coakley's dead heat senate run in the very blue state of Massachusetts and it seems that support for the current health care reform is toxic to approval ratings. But why? Reform, especially from the Senate, is taking a decidedly moderate flavor. The bill reduces the deficit, bans widely unpopular insurance company policies and offers boat loads of new subsidies for those that can't afford health insurance. Why does the American public dislike these bills so much?
A couple possibilities:
1) The Republican/Fox News PR machine is much better than the White House/Congressional Dem PR machine and the public has been convinced that this bill will somehow screw them over/deprive them of some freedom.
2) A significant number of Americans are mostly happy with their personal health insurance and are afraid of any kind of change, regardless if it could help other Americans.
3) The partisan nature of the Bills turns turns people off, so disapproval of the Bills is perhaps more so a disapproval of a partisan Congress than the policies the Bills contain.
I think 1) from above is probably the most significant explanation, but it's almost certainly a combination of all three possibilities as well as other things I haven't even considered. Will this disapproval prevent Obama from being able to sign health care legislation into law? And if he does will approval ratings of the legislation improve over time as people come to understand its effects better? What are your thoughts?
Friday: Employment Report
11 hours ago
As far as Ben Nelson's approval rating goes, I think the people of Nebraska don't like the negative image he just gave their state. If the bill passes they look like Health Care freeloaders who benefited from a back room deal.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that Fox News or the GOP have that much influence over the public perception of the bill. Barely 1 in 5 Americans call themselves Republicans. With the GOP vowing to obstruct any reform including a public option or stronger regulations, I don't think anyone can fault the Democrats for being partisan. If the GOP had 41 senators, they would not try to be a part of the legislative process. They would filibuster for the next 9 months straight.
I'd like to propose option #4. The people wanted a strong health care bill and what they got was weak sauce.
In fact, I think that moderating the bill is exactly what is turning the public against it. Look at the promises we started with coming from Pelosi, Reed, and Obama: Strong Public Option, No middle class tax hike, no Medicare spending cuts or taxes. Look at where we are now: no Public option or a very weak public option, ambiguous tax increases on employer provided plans (except to some union members) and cuts to Medicare with some tax changes there too (plus the Nebraska deal).
The sweeping change of the health care industry promised to the American people is starting to look like a band-aid rather than reconstructive surgery.
Its not just the public - the far left is unhappy. The far right was against it from the get-go. Fiscally conservative members of Congress are against the bill. Religious democrats were against the abortion provisions.
So, deals were made, support grew in congress and finally we had two fairly different versions of the bill pass and go into reconciliation. But the public, who wanted something substantial, was shut out.
Even the time line has gone nuts. This bill was supposed to be finished in August. Barry put on his cape and gave a big speech in September! Then they were supposed to be done by winter recess. Its dragging on and on, which makes congress look inept and makes people unhappy.