Converting The Split
The headline reads "Americans Split On Healthcare Reform," which I guess is true. The Gallup Poll shows 35% of Americans want Congress to pass healthcare reform, 36% don't and 29% have no opinion.
But this split isn't quite as even as it may seem. First, a month ago, the same poll showed 56% favored Congress passing healthcare reform, so support is plummeting. (Also, people who have been paying more attention to the issue tend to be more opposed to it.)
More important, the question is vague, and designed, seems to me, to get a positive response. They're not asking about any particular plan, just, in general, if the public wants to see Congress act on healthcare reform. Heck, I want to see healthcare reform. Ask this general sort of question about any issue Americans think is important--education, the environment, tort reform, bank regulation, whatever--and you'll find the public is willing to go along with the concept that there oughta be a law. It's only when the particulars are revealed, and it's crunch time, that they start having serious doubts.
posted by LAGuy @ 12:40 AM
3 Comments:
It's all about the wording of the question. Professional pollsters will tell you they can move the numbers 20 points with 2 changed words. Which is why I faithfully discount polls from DailyKos and Fox News.
I love to see arguments today that Obama's declining popularity numbers are partly due to people who thinks he has not been liberal enough. I imagine this is true, but the point was ignored when George Bush's numbers dropped, I think largely because he had failed to meet conservative expectations (with respect to the economy and the war).
I tend to think that the greater number of people who answer the question do not view it on a liberal/conservative axis but whether they agree with the specific issue or issues that are at the forefront at the time of asking
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