CNN Poll: 6 point jump in support for health care bill - Obama approval also +6 (54%)

[jefferson_dem]

CNN Poll: 6 point jump in support for health care bill
Posted: December 21st, 2009 12:01 PM ET

Washington (CNN) - Support for the health care reform bill that Democrats are pushing through the Senate has risen six points since early December, according to a new national poll, and although a majority of Americans still oppose its passage, only four in ten agree with Senate Republicans that the bill is too liberal.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey, released Monday, also indicates that President Barack Obama's approval rating has experienced a similar six-point rise.

According to the poll, 42 percent of Americans, based on what they've read or heard about the bill, support Senate Democrat's legislation. That's up from 36 percent in a poll conducted December 2-3. Nonetheless, a majority of people questioned in the survey, 56 percent, oppose the bill.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted Wednesday through Sunday, as Senate Democrats were negotiating a final health care bill, but before a crucial party-line vote early Monday morning to end debate, a huge hurdle to eventual passage of the legislation that the Democrats successfully were able to jump.

"Virtually all the increase in support for the Senate health care bill has come from Democrats, with a 10-point increase since early December," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Support is also up 10 points among younger Americans, compared to only two points among people 50 and older."

The survey also indicates the public's divided on whether the Senate bill will help most Americans, with 38 percent saying if the bill becomes law things will change for the worse, 34 percent feeling that the bill will change things for the better and 26 percent saying things will not change.

<SNIP>

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/12/21/cnn-poll-6-point-jump-in-support-for-health-care-bill/

[NJmaverick]

1. Knowledge is a wonderful thing, the more the public learns

the better these numbers will be.

[coti]

22. Yup, 42% in favor and 56% against- whoohoo, we're goin' places now. nt

[NJmaverick]

23. a snapshot rarely conveys as much information as a video

[karynnj]

29. Given the date, that might not be that bad

Dec 2 and 3 was before most of the anaylsis on what is in the bill. Oddly, Howard Dean might have helped - the fact is that his comments were then refuted with facts that the media had not previously spoken of. (ie The JK group had the Kerry provision and Prosense posted it here, but I doubt otherwise it would have gotten musch coverage beyond the Boston Globe.)

Now that the bill is in essence close to finalized - there is a narrow range that could still pass the Senate - Obama and others can speak clearly about the good provisions in detail and sell the bill more effectively. The industry has to this point paid billions to make people not trust it - and the level is at 42%. In addition, at that point, significant change was thought to be possible. There are people who said no because they wanted more.

In away, it would be like asking in April 2008, do you approve of Obama becoming President and then doing it again in July 2008. The difference would be huge and would likely not reflect MUCH change in the perception of Obama - it was just that in April, some preferred HRC - and so said no to Obama. (Somewhat shaky analogy, but the point is when the option is this or nothing, this looks better than when many options existed.

[WI_DEM]

30. That is the start once it passes I think it will be higher.

[GreenPartyVoter]

55. I think the more that can be done to improve the bill further, the higher the poll numbers will go.

[Arkana]

2. Good news, but prepare to be unrec'd or whatever into the ground

by the Angrypants Brigade

[euphoria12leo]

18. I listen to one of those angry pants come in

for an exercise class to hate on everything. I don't think she realizes it but she has a pre existing condition.
She's overweight but she has HC for now. Things can change.

[still_one]

3. That is an interesting observation, and it might demonstrate what someone brought up here on DU

People are respect strong action.

I disagree with a lot of elements in the HCR act, but against all odd it appears they will get it through

[mzmolly]

4. CNN had excellent analysis on last night about the expansion of medicade

and how subsidies will help average Americans. I'm sorry, but I'm feeling pretty good about where we're at. I'd love to see a public option, but this is a good start IMHO.

[DrToast]

7. Did you listen to that lady who had Medicade save her son's life...

...and then she went on to rail about how she's against socialized medicine.

[mzmolly]

8. Thankfully, I missed it.

:hi:

[tomm2thumbs]

17. she was a total PLANT -and Sanjay was obviously annoyed she snuck through the filter

but in the end, he handled it pretty well, asking her 'what she would do' and I think she probably was lying that she had her insurance up'd and is fine now. She was so blatantly repeating talking points, it sounded like my sister! bwahahahahahaha

I try not to repeat talking points if I can, although i know we all do at some point, but she was so OBVIOUS!

[DrToast]

19. She definitely got in all the talking points

Yeah, I liked how she said her insurance has a $5 million limit now so everything is okay. I guess she doesn't care that they already almost killed her son.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

5. Support rises for things that are going to happen

We see this in a lot of contexts... when it becomes apparent that a contentious question will be resolved in a certain way there's a shift of public opinion toward the winning side.

I am not saying the HCR bill is comparable to the Iraq War (!) but as a polling thing, the most dramatic example that comes to mind of the effect I am noting was how 50-50 support/opposition for invading Iraq became 70% support during the week it became obvious that nothing could be done to stop it.

[girl gone mad]

6. "Nonetheless, a majority of people questioned in the survey, 56 percent, oppose the bill."

"less than 1 in 4 think the bill will make their own health care coverage better, 15 points lower than the 37 percent who say their health care will get worse if the bill becomes law. Nearly 4 in 10 say there will be no change in their or their immediate family's coverage."

"According the to poll, 54 percent of Americans approve of the job Obama's doing as president, up 6 points from early December, with 44 percent disapproving, down 6 points."

But the survey also indicates Obama may not be living up to expectations. Nearly half of those polled, 48 percent, feeling that Obama's fallen short. The 48 percent who say the president's fallen short of their expectations is up 20 points from May.

"There is less confidence in Obama at the end of his first calendar year in office," says Holland. "In the spring, 64 percent thought his policies would succeed. That's down 12 points. And the number who say they want his policies to fail has doubled, to 22 percent, in that time."

Not very positive, overall. Looks like the increase in support for the bill is directly linked to the increase in Obama's popularity, meaning it's likely that people are responding to him, not the issue.

[jefferson_dem]

11. "it's likely that people are responding to him, not the issue."

Absolutely, the President as a personality and his policy agenda are intertwined.

I hope you are correct, anyway. We will need Obama with strong approval rating so that he may be more successful in shepherding through even more Democratic-friendly policy initiatives.

[HughMoran]

9. good poll for Dems - unrecced

gotta love it!

[girl gone mad]

10. I didn't see it as a good poll for Dems.

The improvement in Obama's popularity is good for him, but some of the other numbers have to be making Dems very nervous.

[jefferson_dem]

12. Democratic-led reforms +6. Obama +6.

Not good at all. Why would anyone on the "Democratic Underground" be happy about the upward tick in those numbers? :crazy:

Keep on spinning...

[dave29]

13. these numbers will continue to rise when the bill passes.

.

[no limit]

20. Right, because Democratic automatically means good.

I would think most here would understand the concept of independent thinking, I keep being disappointed.

[HughMoran]

21. There are plenty of sites without DEMOCRATIC in their name

We support Democrats here

[no limit]

26. Thank you for speaking on behalf of the entire DU, much appreciated

I have been here a long time, back in the day this type of group think was frawned down upon. And actually it still is, just bothers me to see so many people here that don't know how to think for themselves.

Me personally, I don't support corporate whores. Even if they have a (D) after their name. Call me crazy.

[HughMoran]

33. You can insult me all you want

The charter of this site is to support Democrats for public office - hyperventilate all you want - I'm simply stating a fact

[no limit]

37. never insulted you. The charter of this site is to get progressive people together

nowhere does this site claim everyone needs to support democrats. Just because Lieberman puts a (D) after his name in an upcoming election won't mean he'll get my support; I'm sorry you don't understand this concept.

[HughMoran]

62. Nowhere

"Who We Are: Democratic Underground is an online community for Democrats and other progressives. Members are expected to be generally supportive of progressive ideals, and to support Democratic candidates for political office."

[gardenista]

45. amen to dat!

[NJmaverick]

24. Independent of Howard Dean? or are you talking the Democratic party?

[no limit]

27. You do know that your argument right now is absolutely absurd, right?

But hey, enjoy being raped by corporate interests. And keep pretending that anyone that doesn't enjoy getting raped by them only does so because Howard Dean said so. Projection was always a great tool for republicans, I see you are picking up on it.

[NJmaverick]

28. OK let me see if I get this straight

anyone who thinks supporting the Democrats because they feel that they are the best means of keeping the crazy GOP out of power is guilty of group think.

Anyone letting Howard Dean do their talking for them or agrees with your position is a brilliant independent thinker.

So it seems to me that if I want to get your coveted independent thinker badge, I need to align my views to yours. :crazy:

[no limit]

32. Did I ask you to align your views to mine or get the hell out?

No, I never did that. I simply said that telling someone to get the hell out because they don't fully agree with the democratic party is absolutely idiotic.

Then to come on here and claim I am saying this because Howard Dean told me to do so is even more absurd. You know nothing of what I think about this issue, you are pulling stuff out of your ass based on your simplistic assumptions.

If your only motivation on this planet to is keep the GOP out of power then you have every right to that opinion, nobody is asking you to leave the site. Me personally? Just because Lieberman caucuses with the democrats doesn't mean he'll get my support when he sells out to corporate interests. Same goes for any other democrat. I'm sorry that this is such a difficult concept for you to understand.

[NJmaverick]

34. Going back up the posting chain, I saw a post talking about how it

really is not good that good news for the Dems is being unrecced. I didn't see antyhing about anyone being told to "get out".


As for my motivations, I see keeping them out of power as critical to any of my other goals, as the GOP has a nasty habit of not listening to me or what I want.

Once the Dem's are secure, then I can go about pushing for a more progressive agenda.

[no limit]

35. Look a couple posts down after that one

And I don't think we'll ever be more secure than "60" dems in the senate. If you can't get your progressive agenda at least considered at this point it will never be taken seriously.

[NJmaverick]

38. I believe 2008 was an anti-GOP vote

I think the Dems need to get some things done (like turn around the economy and make progress on health care) to earn the voters support. If things go well in the next year (the economy moves in the right direction and the like) 2010 could be another Democratic victory and then then the Dems will have political capital to spend on more progressive actions.

[no limit]

40. I really don't believe that. No party has had a majority like this (I dont believe)

If they cared about progressive goals those goals would atleast be on the table, yet they aren't even being discussed. I wish I was hopeful as you, but my hope got lost somewhere along the way this year.

[NJmaverick]

41. Look at the margins FDR and LBJ had, they were much bigger than the 58 we have now

[no limit]

42. I stand corrected. But look at what FDR and LBJ got us

I don't have to name everything FDR did. LBJ got us medicare.

What progressive issue has even been considered in this new congress?

[NJmaverick]

46. They considered single payer health care, but they didn't go forward with it

I think the public option was something they tried to push through, only to fail. I think the nature of the economic stimulus (notice it wasn't the usual GOP tax giveway to the rich) was progressive in nature.

[no limit]

47. I dont think that they ever tried the public option. Back then even Nixon was for a public option

the public option back then was the compromise position. When the dems came in this year and didn't even put single payer on the table they allowed the public option to be the liberal position. I don't believe for a second we can get single payer at this time, but that doesn't mean you don't negotiate with it as a tool. The democrats are not stupid, they knew this.

But we are getting quite off topic. We all have a right to our opinions. Nobody will agree with the democrats 100% while others will be downright disgusted with them. That doesn't mean that some people shouldn't post here because of those positions simply because they don't tow the party line.

[gardenista]

44. Yes, where I come from, Democratic automatically means good

never perfect, though.

[no limit]

48. Where you come from got us people like Lieberman

[gardenista]

49. Just the opposite, babe, I always deliver a Democrat in my precinct.

[no limit]

54. Exactly my point. As long as Lieberman had a (D) by his name you guys supported him

his policies didn't matter, his party affiliation did.

[gardenista]

56. "us guys"? You mean democrats?

[no limit]

57. By "you guys" I meant "where you come from" (see your original reply to me)

I'm sorry you couldn't come up with a slightly more intelligent reply, although I wasn't expecting one.

[gardenista]

58. I'm not here to meet your expectations. I'm here because I'm a Democrat.

If that's not "intelligent" enough for you, perhaps you might seek affirmation elsewhere.

[no limit]

59. Saying I'm a democrat without understanding why isn't very intelligent politically imho

That's not to say you aren't intelligent in plenty of other areas. But if you are willing to be raped by a corporate whore because that corporate whore has a (D) after their name that is certainly your right, I just don't think it's very intelligent politically.

[gardenista]

60. Was born, and will die a loyal Dem. It's how I roll.

It's been working for me for over 50 years. Why? Because all I have to do is look at the alternative.

[gardenista]

50. Great independent thinkers:

Joe Lieberman
Ralph Nader

[gardenista]

52. Its like opposite day!

[HughMoran]

61. Seems like every day is opposite day on DU

:D

[cliffordu]

14. Haters arriving in 5,4,3,2,......

[cliffordu]

15. K&R....

[cilla4progress]

16. As they so often say --

it's all about the "optics." I moved over to the yes side on the bill when I understood (from Kuttner, I think) that a loss on this will make getting the rest of his agenda so much harder politically for Obama.

Spin spin spin. Rinse repeat. Blechh. But there it is - reality.

[Armstead]

25. Jump to retain a minority of support?

be still my beating heart

[jefferson_dem]

31. Opposition is less great than before.

:)

[grantcart]

36. after the final bill passes it will get another big kick

tens of millions who are locked out are going to be for it.

[Phx_Dem]

39. Just wait until the final bill passes!

[ClarkUSA]

43. 10% increase in support from Democrats in the past two weeks? Looks like the Failers failed.

:woohoo:

[TwilightGardener]

51. I am happy to see this.

[Aramchek]

53. the Big Domino is falling. more will follow.