As the reality of health care "reform" continues to sink in,
public support continues to fall. Not only are most
Republicans strongly opposed to expanding federal control, but so
are independents.
According to Rasmussen Reports:
Public support for the health care reform plan proposed by
President Obama and congressional Democrats has fallen to a new
low as just 42% of U.S. voters now favor the plan. That's down
five points from
two weeks ago and down eight points from
six weeks ago.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that
opposition to the plan has increased to 53%, up nine points
since late June.
More significantly, 44% of voters strongly oppose the health
care reform effort versus 26% who strongly favor it. Intensity
has been stronger among opponents of the plan since the debate
began.
Sixty-seven percent (67%) of those under 30 favor the plan
while 56% of those over 65 are opposed. Among senior citizens
46% are strongly opposed.
Predictably, 69% of Democrats favor the plan, while 79% of
Republicans oppose it. Yet while 44% of Democratic voters
strongly favor the reform effort, 70% of GOP voters are
strongly opposed to it.
Most notable, however, is the opposition among voters not
affiliated with either party. Sixty-two percent (62%) of
unaffiliated voters oppose the health care plan, and 51% are
strongly opposed. This marks an uptick in strong opposition
among both Republicans and unaffiliateds, while the number of
strongly supportive Democrats is unchanged.
Sorry to contradict you Mr. President. But it appears that
it is the grassroots which has been speaking against your
proposals after all.
About the Author
Doug Bandow is a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute and the Senior Fellow in International Religious Persecution at the Institute on Religion and Public Policy. A former Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan, he is author of Beyond Good Intentions: A Biblical View of Politics (Crossway).