Poll: Health Care Reform Foes More Likely To Give Voice To Views
Are opponents of Obama’s health care reform more motivated to air their views than supporters are?
So suggests a number buried in the new CNN poll, and it adds some interesting context to the current war over the town hall rallies. From CNN polling director Keating Holland:
“Nearly half of those who oppose the Obama plan say they are more likely to attend town hall meetings to express their views on health care; only 37 percent of those who support Obama’s plan are very likely to attend a public forum on that issue,” Holland said.
Opponents of Obama’s plan are more motivated to go out and make their views heard at town halls than supporters are, it turns out. It’s likely that reform foes will seize on these numbers to argue that the notion that the town hall outbursts are being orchestrated is bogus. But the poll doesn’t prove this at all. It says reform foes are more likely to attend town hall meetings, which says nothing about any orchestrated efforts to disrupt them.
That aside, these numbers could be problematic for the pro-reform camp. They suggest members of Congress may be less likely to hear from supporters, which could compound the already-distorted picture members may be getting as a result of the Astroturf efforts to foment rallies. Time for the pro-reform side to redouble organizing efforts?
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“Time for proponents of reform to think about redoubling their organizing efforts?”
I think so – I think it’s time for supporters of health care reform to come roaring out of the box and overwhelm the opposition with sheer numbers.
Here’s the problem; the point of these town halls is to provide a place for constitutents to ask questions and voice concerns. Supporters of reform obviously have fewer questions and concerns, and so are less motivated to attend.
I fear that these thugs will drive away the few reform supporters who would otherwise have attended to ask questions. I doubt that very few “soft” supporters have the stomach for a shouting match with an angry mob.
It will be up to activists to take on the mob.
Of course they are. It’s because they are completely convinced that the President of the United States is a foreign born socialist Nazi enemy. Allowing the reform to happen is allowing the country to cease to exist. They believe themselves to be Freedom Fighters. Why can’t we just call it like it is? They aren’t reform foes, they are absolutely crazy.
“They aren’t reform foes, they are absolutely crazy.”
Yes, they are. They are Sarah Palin’s disciples.
Uhmm Greg
I had a long comment ready to go to talk about how people who are already convinced about Pres Obama’s health care plan probably wouldn’t want to go to a townhall because they are already sold and how maybe Dems should say rally rather than town hall
But then I looked at the CNN internals on that polling.
Dude check out the polling for this question.
In any health care system, someone must make tough decisions that affect individual patients, such
as which patients get certain treatments, when they get treated, and which treatments are ineffective
or too expensive. If you had to choose, would you rather have those decisions made by people who
work for insurance companies, or people who work for the government?
Check it out, 40% said they would want people who work for insurance companies to make those decisons. But an equal 40% said they would prefer Govt to make those decisions. The days of “big government” scaring people is evidently over!
http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/08/04/rel11b.pdf
Whoa! sgwhite – I’m gobsmacked. That questions was so loaded and yet people responded favorably for government – I can’t believe it. If the question had been fair, the number in favor of government probably would have been much higher.
SG — wow, that poll question is totally loaded.
Aren’t opponents of just about anything more likely to be motivated? If some people are against a war, aren’t we likely to see more anti-war protests than pro-war events, even if the anti-war people constitute a minority view?
This seems like nothing new to me. People unhappy with prospective action always seem more motivated to act. (Though I denounce the intentional disruption of reasoned discourse.)
Another poll with some “interesting” numbers:
http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1295.xml?ReleaseID=1357
The benefits of healthcare reform are as straight-forward and logical as the people who support it. When something seems so reasonable and necessary, it follows we feel it unnecessary to defend. But when aggressive guerilla town hall attacks are the only arguments being heard by politicians who already can’t decide whether to represent their constituents or Big Insurance, then it’s time to get motivated and learn to yell just as loudly, and if need be, viciously.
Our goal should be to cover all individuals through private health insurance. We need to be advocates for greater transparency in both quality and price information – place both the decision making ability and healthcare dollars in the hands of the consumer. http://www.friendsoftheuschamber.com/takeaction/index.cfm?ID=40 .
@ sbj, boo! Now run and hide.
Let’s have a look at the specific numbers. Rounding, let’s say 1/2 of opponents show up and 3/8 of proponents do. There will only be more opponents if the total population of opponents exceeds 3/4 the population of proponents. Polling shows it is more like 1/3. Jusayin…
You have to be about an idiot to support reform,WE HAVE THE BEST SYSTEM IN THE WORLD,EVERY govt’ run system in the world SUCKS!….euthinasia, govt suits telling you the operation you need is to expensive, long lines in a “clinic”,the govt dictating doctors salaries ,which in turn gives no incentive for people to goto college for a decade,even more care for illegals…….It is by far,the best in the world…. a power hungry group of thugs and crooks wants EVEN more control over the stupid ignorant sheeple
Obama is running us into the ground. Spend Spend Spend and its not working. Gov’t should be smaller not larger and intrusive.
chris: “WE HAVE THE BEST SYSTEM IN THE WORLD,EVERY govt’ run system in the world SUCKS!”
That’s a conspicuous disregard for the facts. Many of our peer nations get about the same health outcomes as we do while we spend nearly twice as much. If our system is so great, why do we spend so much more (and going up) while others do just as well? Check out this chart on other English-speaking countries for starters, then do some research. Statistically, we get very little if any benefit for our massive spending. http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2009/06/17/business/17leonhardt.graf01.ready.html
Moreover, no one is proposing a “government run” system. That’s just an opponent’s talking point. The only true “socialist” system is in Britain. The “euthanasia” charge has been refuted time after time. And the system in the US that gives you the greatest freedom to choose your doctor? Medicare.
Facts should matter. Get them first, then form an opinion.
It’s not true that “no one is proposing a ‘government run’ system.” Read the 1018 page document.You only have to get as far as page 5 to see that it “creates a new Health Insurance Exchange, with a public health insurance option
alongside private plans.” Read further and you’ll see that private plans will be regulated to the point of being driven out of business: they not only have to compete with a subsidized government plan, but they are required to provide whatever benefits the government requires and limit their profitability (see section 2714). If the average person has to pick between a private plan and one that costs hugely less, which do you think most people are going to pick? It’s the death of private insurance companies, and I don’t want to think what will happen when the government is the only choice. Read more deeply and you’ll find out that the government-run plan will be able to access your tax records (p.195 of plan) to determine how much you should pay. And yes, they will ration care, as is done in the UK: “a private-public advisory committee” will decide which benefits are offered and which are not (section 123). I really don’t trust the government to make those decisions. No, I didn’t see euthanasia in the bill, though there is a required discussion of living wills (section 1233) for Medicare recipients (aka old people)–but I see a lot that scares me. Do you really want your healthcare experience to be like your DMV experiences? It scares me more, though, to see people who question government-provided healthcare being characterized as Nazis and un-American. I don’t support those who disrupt instead of listening and asking pointed questions, but I have a problem with questioners and protesters being characterized as astroturf fakes or un-American. I also have a problem with ACORN hiring non-local pro-healthcare activists to go to townhalls (and this is on Craigslist–it’s not conservative propaganda–they’re really doing it). This is supposed to be a democracy, with public participation in these kinds of questions–and constituents should have a chance to speak and question. People are legitimately mad. A huge change is being proposed, and it should not be ramrodded through: people should have a chance to see exactly what’s being proposed, in intelligible form, and they should have a chance to decide what they want.
Why are a few people trying so hard to push something down our throats that will maybe help only a few people? In a country of 350 million the dems want to detroy our entire system to help maybe 10 to 15 million people. I know they say 40 to 50 mill but how many of that number are illegal, and how many make 30 to 40k per year and choose not to buy insurance because it takes away ciggarette and beer money? Plus you have to think about SS, Medicaid, Amtrac, and the post office…. all of which are federal boondogles! I don’t want to pay for all those folks who don’t have any brains….
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