Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Public Option Still Gaining Support

Nearly all polls in recent months have shown that public support for a public option in health care is increasing. The latest example is the Washington Post-ABC News poll released yesterday. Public support for a public option went up from 55 percent in September to 57 percent now. According to this poll, the public option's lowest level of support was 52 percent in August. That is not too shabby of a number (still a majority)because it was taken in the midst of the corporate funded scare/confuse campaign.

Some of the interesting side notes from this poll is the fact that only 20 percent of adults identified themselves as Republicans. That is the lowest number in Post-ABC polls since 1983. In addition, the poll shows that 51 percent would back the Democratic congressional candidate if the midterm elections were held today. In comparison 39 percent said that they would vote for the Republican. As with all polling information of this type, the election is not being held today, and it shouldn't hold a huge amount of value for an election that is over a year away. That being said, I still find the information interesting and worth noting.

UPDATE: Heartland Hollar makes some interesting observations while also asking a few more key questions...Like this one:
So tell me again how these GOP challengers have a chance of winning when they are being outspent; running against a popular President; are on the wrong side of the biggest issue debate; when only 20% identify themselves as they do, as being Republicans; and when only 19% trust that they will do the right thing?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Interesting the poll data from the source you provide also says that during Nov 94 the Dem candidates for congress were favored 47-42...yet the election results vastly different. Makes this poll irrelevant based on actual results. But I am sure you like the numbers anyway...please, believe them.

Cory Liebmann said...

did you even read this blog post or are you just in the mood to argue over everything including points that were never even made?

i listed items from the poll that I thought were interesting. I also clearly stressed that there is a full year before the mid-term and that these numbers could do a lot of changing in that time (in either direction).

for the sake of the argument that you apparently want to have:

1. this is not 1994 and the situation is different on several levels (see Heartland Hollar's outstanding points in the update).

2. a five point difference (1994) a year out is not the same as a 12 point difference (now) a year out. that is more than twice the lead that dems had in 1994 at this point.

3. republican id is at an over 20 year low (20 percent). i don't know what it was in 1994 but i'm sure it was much better than today's sad number.