Early polls give Obama a boost in health-care debate
Rasmussen reports a 10-point improvement since March 20 for President Obama in its unique and controversial “presidential approval index.” Its more standard approval/disapproval numbers are at 48/52, representing a five-point bump for Obama in recent days.
Gallup’s lastest three-day tracking numbers, just out, put Obama’s job approval numbers at 51-43, a five-point jump in the past week. A separate Gallup poll released yesterday found that 49 percent of Americans believe passage of health care reform was a good thing, while 40 percent say it was a bad thing.
However, those numbers are better than reported in other polls. CBS queried 649 adults last week on health care, then reinterviewed the same population a week later. It too found that support had jumped, although a plurality still opposed the bill:
“From what you’ve heard or read, do you approve or disapprove of the current health care reform bill?”
After vote:
Approve 42 percent/ Disapprove 46 percent
Before vote:
Approve 37 percent/ Disapprove 48 percent
Gallup also has compared public sentiment on how Obama, congressional Democrats and congressional Republicans have handled themselves on health care. It found:
The question, of course, is whether this is the start of a longer term uptick for Obama and the Democrats as attention shifts away from process to the legislation itself, or whether this bump is temporary. I don’t claim to have a read on that, but I do believe that in the weeks and months ahead, health care will recede in political relevance as other issues elbow their way to the forefront. The American voter does not have a long attention span.
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248 comments Add your comment
Dave R.
March 24th, 2010
5:41 pm
Thank you for not playing today, Doggone.
Or any day for that matter when it comes to actually debating an issue.
Of course, I seem to remember you’re the one who asserted that all taxes were voluntary, which should have clued me in that you weren’t really here to debate.
Dave R.
March 24th, 2010
5:42 pm
First on the third! Yes!
Awesome
March 24th, 2010
5:43 pm
SouthernComfort – No. fortunately for me.. I have never been spit on because of my color, but I have been called a baby killer, murderer, loser and had my vote denied in Florida.. all by the democratic party for serving my country..
Dagny Taggart
March 24th, 2010
5:44 pm
The money I do save from this in the short run will be more than gobbled up by the myriad increasing taxes coming down the road to pay for others healthcare, especially the 3.8% capital gains tax hit. The value of your home just fell 3.8% regardless of the market, if you intend to ever sell. Thats change you can believe in.
jewcowboy
March 24th, 2010
5:44 pm
Dagny Taggart,
“Thats anathema to Randian Objectivism..”
Then why are complaining about losing your company healthcare? Laissez-faire capitalism has no room for those that can’t make do for themselves…
Dusty
March 24th, 2010
5:45 pm
Doggone,
I believe this is an opinion blog. If you don’t like someone’s opinion, then it is your perogative to prove them wrong. Do you know the meaning of opinion? I mean from a dictionary?
Let me help you. The Merriam Collegiate dictionary says that an opinion is a view, a judgment or an appraisal formed in the mind about a particular matter.
Now if you want to change the dictionary, go ahead. I would not be surprised. But don’t expect us to believe it.
DoggoneGA
March 24th, 2010
5:45 pm
“Or any day for that matter when it comes to actually debating an issue.”
What’s left to debate? The bill has passed and been signed. It’s all over but the shouting, which you seem to want to do big time. Sorry, but I’m not joining in THAT “play”
Dave R.
March 24th, 2010
5:46 pm
Jackie, you really need to brush up on your reading comprehension skills.
“According to your logic, none of this is true and no one has died from treatable illness due to lack of health care?”
From what post of mine do you come to this conclusion? I’ve already posted that some other studies have shown that between 13,000 and 25,000 MAY have died from lack of insurance. So how can you POSSIBLY come to a conclusion such as you did?
What exactly is wrong with you?
jewcowboy
March 24th, 2010
5:46 pm
Dave R.,
“Or any day for that matter when it comes to actually debating an issue.”
Not to get into your back and forth with DoggoneGA, but usually when one debates, you have sources to back up your claims…otherwise it is just opinion.
Dave R.
March 24th, 2010
5:47 pm
Doggone, you’re just lazy AND uninformed.
Kamchak
March 24th, 2010
5:48 pm
jewcoboy
Then why are complaining about losing your company healthcare? Laissez-faire capitalism has no room for those that can’t make do for themselves…
Another example of irony.
DoggoneGA
March 24th, 2010
5:49 pm
“If you don’t like someone’s opinion, then it is your perogative to prove them wrong”
I don’t have a problem with anyone spouting their opinion, but when they try to back it up with “facts” and “figures” they can’t prove…I can, and will, call them on it. I don’t take anyone’s word for it, just because they “say it’s to”
jewcowboy
March 24th, 2010
5:49 pm
Dusty,
“If you don’t like someone’s opinion, then it is your perogative to prove them wrong.”
One proves facts wrong, not opinions…
DoggoneGA
March 24th, 2010
5:50 pm
“Doggone, you’re just lazy AND uninformed”
good one! You’re can’t back up what you claim are the true facts…but it’s ME that’s lazy. I love it! Keep it up.
Dagny Taggart
March 24th, 2010
5:50 pm
I was not complaining about losing it, I was pointing out the irony that obamacare just caused more uninsured americans.
As I said above, I am going to come out cheaper for the time being, and the company loses the HR headache
Dave R.
March 24th, 2010
5:52 pm
jewcowboy, I told you that I’m not your librarian. You may take the Harvard study as gospel without doing any research whatsoever to try to find out if it is valid or not.
I don’t. I looked and found it wanting.
You apparently didn’t. That is YOUR problem, not mine. If you go out and try to find the data that backs up my claim and cannot find it, you may come back and say so, but if you can tell me truthfully that you did the same thing as I did and can’t come to the same conclusions, THEN we’ll have an interesting debate.
But it is not my job to overcome anyone’s lack of intellectual curiosity.
Southern Comfort
March 24th, 2010
5:53 pm
Awesome
You have your perspective, and I can respect you for that. I think a little respect from each other would go a long way towards easing all the crap going on.
jewcowboy
March 24th, 2010
5:54 pm
Dagny Taggart,
“I was not complaining about losing it, I was pointing out the irony that obamacare just caused more uninsured americans.”
All Obama’s fault…overnight…just like that..he is like a freakin’ GOD or something…
AmVet
March 24th, 2010
5:55 pm
I’ve already
postedfabricated that some other studies have shown that between 13,000 and 25,000 MAY have died from lack of insurance.DoggoneGA
March 24th, 2010
5:56 pm
“I was pointing out the irony that obamacare just caused more uninsured americans”
Actually, no it didn’t. That’s the excuse you were given (and appear to have believed) – the REASON was that your company was no longer willing to pay the bill for it.
Dagny Taggart
March 24th, 2010
5:57 pm
yeah that IS how it works, because you have to plan for next fiscal quarter spending, as premiums are paid quarterly for the employee base, and the bill signing provided clear economic guidance.
Dusty
March 24th, 2010
5:58 pm
jewcowboy,
Your back up facts are gleaned from propaganda sources.
Please tell liberals here about wrong facts. They are the one producing them. You consistently make fun of conservative opinions because you wish to make them look foolish. Go back and read your own stuff. You are against everything conservative no matter what. It is a mindset, not a fact finding search. But you are just one among many liberals here. making America look like a basket case falling apart.
DoggoneGA
March 24th, 2010
5:58 pm
“your company was no longer willing to pay the bill for it.”
Which makes me think. When you were hired were you told that your insuance would be paid? Because if you were, and it’s written down anywhere…your company may be in violation of your employment contract.
Dave R.
March 24th, 2010
5:59 pm
Oh, Look! AmVet has learned to cross out words in his posts!
Just proves that you can teach an old dog new tricks.
jewcowboy
March 24th, 2010
5:59 pm
Dave R.,
“But it is not my job to overcome anyone’s lack of intellectual curiosity.”
As long as you understand that when you don’t use verifiable facts to back up your statement, it is the equivalent of saying, “Because I said so.”
When people do that, they are usually dismissed out of hand.
By the way, Obama is the love child JESUS and Agnetha Fältskog (…I read that somewhere…must be true…
Dave R.
March 24th, 2010
6:03 pm
And you know what jecowboy? I’ll do a little research about your claim that Hope & Change is the love child of Jesus and Agnetha Fältskog. If I can’t find it to be true and my intellectual curiosity is still not satisfied, I’ll let you know.
Because I am MY own freakin’ librarian and actually DO research things that people claim might be different that what I believe.
Jay
March 24th, 2010
6:04 pm
Rollergirl/Vandygirl, come back for a visit have you?
jewcowboy
March 24th, 2010
6:04 pm
Dusty,
“Your back up facts are gleaned from propaganda sources.”
What do you consider propaganda sources?
“You consistently make fun of conservative opinions because you wish to make them look foolish.”
No, I make fun of conservative opinions when they are false…they make themselves look foolish all on their own.
“But you are just one among many liberals here. making America look like a basket case falling apart.”
I mean honestly, what am I suppose to do with this type of tripe?
Dusty
March 24th, 2010
6:05 pm
Thank you , AmVet.
Of course, I may NOT believe you because I have fabricated a claim that I counted 19,000 dead without insurance and one died from a pedicure which is still in doubt who caused him to die. In fact, one source said he is not really dead, just playing possum for the Obama press corps. So I want to be absolutely correct . I change my figure to 18, 999. OK??
jewcowboy
March 24th, 2010
6:08 pm
Dave R.,
“Because I am MY own freakin’ librarian and actually DO research things that people claim might be different that what I believe.”
Good for you! But, if you talk to Agnetha directly, don’t mention jewcowboy…you know…restraining order and all…Jesus ain’t to thrilled with the jewcowboy either
Dave R.
March 24th, 2010
6:08 pm
Got me a dog who has noticed that it is time for her to be fed. Later dudes and dudettes.
Dave R.
March 24th, 2010
6:09 pm
Don’t worry, jewcowboy. I know how to be discreet.
jewcowboy
March 24th, 2010
6:09 pm
Dave R.,
Later…
Dusty
March 24th, 2010
6:13 pm
jewcowboy,
Tripe is best when fried. Try it sometimes. Tripe named by liberals is really sirloin.
You can tell a propaganda source when it consistenly reports crazy information about Bush, Cheney & Palin. You probably have a file on them. Go check.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: Impeach Drunken Fool obozo! Just sayin...
March 24th, 2010
6:13 pm
Rep. Darrell Issa, the top Republican on the House Oversight committee, told CBS News Wednesday that he will call for a special prosecutor to investigate the White House if it does not address Rep. Joe Sestak’s claim that he was offered a federal job in exchange for dropping out of the Pennsylvania Senate primary.
Aahhh, the beginning of the impeachment proceedings…….the very thought sends tingle up my leg.
jewcowboy
March 24th, 2010
6:16 pm
Dusty,
Crazy information about Bush, Cheney and Palin huh?
Its called Rueters.
DoggoneGA
March 24th, 2010
6:19 pm
“Your back up facts are gleaned from propaganda sources”
When you can’t refute the facts, attack the source.
Mick
March 24th, 2010
6:20 pm
**you are just one among many liberals here. making America look like a basket case falling apart**
Ummmm….beauty is in the eye of the beholder,,,in my opinion the past administration made america look like the most inept, incompetent bully the world has seen this new millenium.
TaxPayer
March 24th, 2010
6:45 pm
I do my own homework on every issue. I don’t bother to keep any of the links to my research, and I am not about to do it all over again for lazy people who really don’t want to see another side of an issue anyway.
Duh! As though you really need to inform us that you cannot support any of your claims, Dave R. Your fantasy research is quite obvious.
G Cancryn
March 24th, 2010
6:56 pm
I hate to appear polarizing, but the democratic party really kicked the republicans asses. Looks like more beat downs coming down the pike. It’s good to see a strong winning democratic party ready to kick ass and don’t need to take names, JUST SAYING
NJ
March 24th, 2010
8:17 pm
Even better, is the fact that the Tea Party Movement, by the best statistics and polls available, are such a relatively small percentage of the electorate that they fit what George W. Bush called in 2002 “A Focus Group” There was a larger percentage of the electorate who sided with those who opposed invading Iraq in 2002-2003 when these groups were protesting against the United Nations vote to invade or not invade Iraq in February 2003. The numbers for the “Tea Partiers” comes to:
Poll: Thirteen Percent Of Voters Involved With The Tea Party Movement
March 24, 2010
According to a new poll released Wednesday from Quinnipiac University, 13 percent of voters consider themselves members of the Tea Party movement.
“Only 13 percent of American voters say they are part of the Tea Party Movement…which is mostly made up of those who consider themselves as Republicans,” says Peter Brown, Assistant Director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
The poll notes that 74 percent of those who consider themselves within the movement identify as Republicans.
The 13 percent could be an electoral dream for the Republicans if the Republican party decides to scoop the Tea Party movement under their tent come November.
However, if the Tea Partiers are not energized to support a Republican candidate, they could hurt the GOP by putting a Tea Party candidate in the mix, and therefore split the conservative vote in favor of Democrats.
Brown outlined further findings on the makeup of the movement, such as gender and socio-economic data.
“It’s not a regional movement as such, they are pretty representative of the country,” said Brown. “On some issues they are not representative of the country on what they think, their politics and voting behavior.”
The poll showed that the majority of the Tea Party movement is made up of women, whites, Republicans and those who voted for John McCain during the 2008 presidential election. They are also strong supporters of Sarah Palin.
Also, only 4 percent of voters making $250,000 per year consider themselves a part of the movement and 7 percent in the tea party movement are African-American.
“They are less educated but are more interested in politics than the average Joe and Jane Six-Pack and are not in a traditional sense swing voters,” said Brown.
Quinnipiac University Poll will be releasing a post Health Care bill poll later this week.
http://talkradionews.com/2010/03/poll-thirteen-percent-of-voters-involved-with-the-tea-party-movement/
In 2002-2003 there were between two and three times as many voters who opposed the invasion of Iraq and took a strong anti-War position compared to the current batch of radical right wingers who assert that they have the right to violently oppose legislation they do not agree with, and to force their ideas about health reform, as well as to allow the health insurance industry to abuse millions of Americans every year by the fact that they operate a virtually unregulated industry.
The Tea Partiers basically take a position which is basically an effort to force an extreme right wing dictatorship on the nation by use of violence against elected officials and anyone who disagrees with their minority position.
theyeshaveit
March 24th, 2010
9:23 pm
NowReally, I can’t disagree with you about the reaction of a few miscreants following the vote, but I’m still waiting to see or hear any tape of the N-word or spitting incident. With ALLLLLL those cameras and microphones around that day, we have NO video or sound of what allegedly happened?
Nothing like a little manufactured race or victim card to pull when you know you can’t justify what you’re doing on the facts, now is there?
Dave R, “a few miscreants” you say? You would think that at least one person among those miscreants would have had the decency to speak out. I remember John McCain diffusing a certain miscreant woman who had, perhaps, attended too many Pailin rallies. Or perhaps, it is not about decency. Perhaps, the assumed non-miscreants in that group were simply gutless. Or perhaps, the assumed non-miscreants in the group actually condoned the spiting and the name calling.
PulSamsara
March 25th, 2010
2:40 am
The Republican Party is a dead party – out of gas and out of ideas.
The GOP will split into two parties within 2 to 3 election cycles.
The strain being placed upon the American culture and political system will soon spell an intractable fracture.
After a short lived three party system we will then have four as the Dems will too split… and then much more minor parties.
By 2050 we will enjoy a true multi-party democracy.
If I’m so fortunate – I’ll be a very old man – and imploring my children and grandchildren to register as I always have: No Party Affiliation.
zac
March 25th, 2010
12:06 pm
Obama is a complete idiot and all you people who like him join the club with him. He is ruining this economy and he will lead us to demise. The framers of our constitution enacted a revolution because taxation without representation.Our representation consist of congressman on 169300 salary who know what poor is?..Mandated health insurance?Now we live in a communist economy.A communist economy with forced government controlled capitalism. ARE YOU BLIND? Congratulations to the general public, your poor asses elected a crazy hypocrite when you should of just got up and got a job.
Dan
March 27th, 2010
11:28 pm
Boy is this president and most of congress corrupt and arrogant!!! I cannot wait to send these clowns packing! I bet companies like AIG could hire some of these financial wizards and learn a thing or two. No wonder our Federal balance sheet is so messed up. What idiot actually believes that this health insurance plan will lower costs? The only reason anyone could actually be for this messed up bill is because they think they will come out ahead by having someone else pay the freight.
theyeshaveit
March 28th, 2010
1:28 pm
Speaking of Hypocrisy…
Not so long before Republicans were against Health Care Reform, they were for it. In the 1970’s Richard Nixon was in favor of a MANDATE that employers provide insurance. Let’s translate – Big Government intrusion in our daily lives. In the 1990’s the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank (an oxymoron to some, I suppose) favored an individual requirement. But not now? That begs the question – why not?
By the way, while Mitt Romney will no doubt crow, “We did it at the state level, we did it at the state level,” the fact is, he did it. And guess who supported it? Why, it was now GOP Senator, Scott Brown!
So why did Republicans embrace the idea of mandated health insurance before it became part of what they now like to call “ObamaCare”? Does anyone recall a prominent Republican Congressman calling Healthcare, Obama’s Waterloo? Check this out:
http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/president-obama/audio-of-jim-demint-saying-health-care-will-be-obamas-waterloo/
Ah, the “Party of No”. Or is it, as John Boehner would suggest, the party of “hell, no”? After all, we do not just want to say “No”, we want to be emphatically angry when we say “No”. The Republicans think that if we are angry, we are more likely to convince others. That sounds similar to shouting at someone whose first language is not English. Shouting will make the bugger understand, right?
This issue, for the conservatives, is not so much about health care as it is about politicare, that is, the health of the Republican Party.
kfmcpa/pfs crpc
April 2nd, 2010
3:34 pm
http://outofthejungle.blogspot.com/2009/07/new-student-loan-rules-as-of-july-1.html
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/mar/31/new-student-loan-rules-mean-saved-tax-dollars/
Now a lot of you (students apparently) are freaking out about how much more this is going to cost you. That is not what I see. Could any of you quote research to back up your opinion (to which all is entitled)
Have a happy and holy Easter. The love you take is equal to the love you make.
kfmcpa/pfs crpc
April 2nd, 2010
4:32 pm
Apparently, I have to write it here again. Unless all of us who are not trained in deciphering and weighing facts from both sides of the isle, we will continue to be victims of our own emotional responses(which the politician know), hence the comment….opinions are like …….. everyone has them. When was the last time you helped anyone?