These are some of the results of The Harris Poll® of 2,293 adults surveyed online between October 5 and 12, 2009 by Harris Interactive®.
Opposition increases
When President Obama was inaugurated, those who supported his “proposals for health care reform” outnumbered those who were opposed by more than two-to-one (50% to 20%). In Harris Polls in July and August, modest pluralities (of 42 and 49 percentage points respectively) supported his plans. Now for the first time as many people oppose as support them.
Health reform continues to be a deeply polarizing issue. Republicans oppose President Obama’s "proposals" by 79% to 14% (quotation marks are used because he is not committed to any one of the bills working their way through the Congress). Democrats support them by 75% to 16%, and Independents are split with 48% opposed, 44% in favor.
Agreement with criticisms of President Obama’s proposals
This Harris Poll asked people how strongly they agreed or disagreed with "eleven criticisms that have been made of the president’s health care proposals." Majorities, from 51% to 68% agree with seven of them, and pluralities with another three. The results are striking, to say the least.
Approximately two-thirds of all adults agree that:
- "We should reduce the cost of health care before trying to provide insurance to more people," by 68% to 23%.
- "The proposed reforms would result in higher taxes, by 67% to 18%.
- "The proposed reform would result in a government-run health care system" by 65% to 22%.
Smaller majorities agree that:
- "The proposed reforms would reduce the choices many people now have," by 55% to 32%;
- "Health insurance would be too expensive for many people to buy," by 52% to 31%;
- "The proposed reforms would not be good for people like me," by 51% to 31%;
- "The proposed reforms would make it harder for many people to get the care they need," by 51% to 35%.
Pluralities also agree with two criticisms, that:
- "The proposed reforms would change the system too much when only minor changes are needed," by 48% to 37%.
- "The proposed reforms would hurt Medicare," by 45% to 30%.
On one criticism the public is divided with 43% agreement and 42% disagreeing is that "the system we have now is better than what the president is proposing." A plurality disagreed with only one of the eleven criticisms, by 46% to 37%, that "the proposed reforms would create panels that would decide who should live and who should die." But the remarkable finding here is that fully 37% believe this to be true.
Unsurprisingly, majorities of Republicans, agree with all eleven statements while most Democrats do not. Majorities of Independents agree with seven of the statements.
One word of caution
There is a tendency for some people to agree rather than disagree with statements presented to them. It should also be noted, after having been told that "these are some of the criticisms that have been made," those surveyed were taken through the eleven criticisms without any statements in support of the proposals. It is possible that if similar questions were asked in a different way or a different context, the number agreeing with them might have been lower.
So what?
These Harris Poll results make dismal reading for the president, the Democrats and supporters of the Democratic reforms. Many commentators are somewhat confident that a reform bill will be passed as majorities of Democrats in both Houses, with or without any Republican votes, will vote for the final bill that emerges from the Conference Committee. However, if public opposition to the proposed reforms, and the very large number who agree with many of the criticisms, continue to grow, one wonders if some Democratic members of Congress, particularly the Blue Dog Democrats, will not support the bill that finally emerges.
