White House Polling Memo Omits Numbers Showing Support For Public Option
Okay, so the White House is circulating an upbeat polling memo citing a bunch of public surveys showing that public opinion still tilts heavily in Obama’s favor on health care.
The memo, by Obama pollster Joel Benenson, doesn’t mention the public option (the White House may not be committed to it) and largely cites general numbers showing support for action and for Obama’s plan.
But here’s the funny thing: We went back and checked, and virtually every poll cited in this memo also found strong support for the inclusion of a public plan.
* The memo cited a CBS poll from September 1st, saying it found strong support for action. What does it say on the public plan? Sixty percent support, 34% oppose.
* The memo cited a CNN poll done through August 31st, saying it found deep public dismay with the system. What does it say on the public plan? Fifty-five percent support, 41% oppose.
* The memo cited a Kaiser poll from August 11th, saying it found overwhelming support for consumer protections. What does it say on the public plan? Fifty nine percent support, 38% oppose.
The White House memo did cite one poll that didn’t find majority support for the public option: This MSNBC poll that found only 43% support for it. But that’s the one that generated all that controversy because it didn’t tell respondents that the public plan was a “choice.”
To be clear, it’s not surprising that the White House wouldn’t include these numbers, since it’s currently weighing whether to ditch the public option. But the fact that the very same polls the White House is citing also show very strong support for the public option should tell the White House something, shouldn’t it?
Special thanks to our reporter Amanda Erickson for the research help.
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Hell I am wondering if President Obama is seeing the damn poll numbers on the public option himself. Maybe Rahm or whomever is creating such a bubble that Obama himself doesn’t realize the kind of support he has at his back. What I hope is that Rachel or somebody points this out tonight. Its like a d@mn gorilla in the room if they are sending around poling numbers but avoiding the ones that help the case for a public option!
I’ve about had it with this administration. They’ve systematically left the democratic wing of the democratic party out of negotiations, and they are being increasingly and systematically dishonest in their discussion of the health care debate. That is not what I voted for – there was plenty of dishonesty in the Bush years to last a lifetime.
sg, I forwarded this to the president.
I think those polls can be misleading in one respect. What really matters are the opinions of voters in the states of 10 or so conservative Democratic Senators, and in the districts of 50/60 blue dog House Democrats.
The Great Day by William Butler Yeats
Hurrah for revolution and more cannon-shot!
A beggar upon horseback lashes a beggar on foot.
Hurrah for revolution and cannon come again!
The beggars have changed places, but the lash goes on.
Liberals need to stop taking this stuff personally. The reason Obama is not highlighting the public option is easy–there aren’t even 50 senators who commit to voting for it. I don’t think it has anything to do with his own feelings on the subject or him “hating” progressives.
This administration is not going to put itself on the losing side of a proposition. You can call that cowardly but I call it politics. I have no doubt that Obama and the White House would want a public option, but so far the left doesn’t have the power to change the votes in the Senate. I want a public option badly, but I am not an all or nothing person.
If Obama fails on health care, his whole agenda is dead. The media will devour him and the Senate Dems will grow even more timid. If Obama scores a decent victory on health care we move on to energy, immigration, DADT, DOMA. Obama is a moderate, but he is far more liberal than the majority of Senate Democrats.
Thanks Greg! lol
The left does have the power to stop a bill, without a public option, dead in it’s tracks. They can do so in the congress, and filibuster is a two way street. There are enough progressive senators to filibuster a bad bill.
Greg – The Research 2000 weekly poll out today also shows strong support for the public option. Here is the data http://www.dailykos.com/statepoll/2009/9/3/US/358
Here’s the analysis: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/9/4/776930/-Public-option-still-polling-strongly
pathetically amateur “I know, let’s omit the numbers we don’t want to talk about; maybe no one will notice…”
@Lola: I see that as a chicken and egg-type question: Should we (or the WH) stop fighting for it if 50 senators haven;t committed? Or have 50 senators not committed because there’s so much waffling going on?
Lola: I don’t take stuff personally. My complaint: why isn’t anything showing that a majority want the public option to be one of the choices (NOT the only choice) out there with the rest of the stuff put out by the WH. Maybe we don’t have the votes. But if my side can’t fight for what is needed then I will sit on my hands in the next election. Incrementalism is great. I have family members who cannot afford the premiums now. How long do they have to wait?
Is a basic health care package impossible? Forgive me if I suspect that the lobbyists for big insurance and Pharma have Obama and his WH gang in a bind. I hesitate to be crude about grabism.
You’ve been great on this coverage–thanks so much. Looking grim.
The really bad news, that now has been revealed, is that the White House is being completely Poll driven. In other words, they have no convictions that they will fight for, if the polls are not in their favor. That is disgusting, and it is also validating the tactics of the fear mongers who shifted the polls. Now they know, that all they have to do is tell the Big Lie over and over, on any part of President Obama’s agenda, and he will fold.
the fact that the very same polls the White House is citing also show very strong support for the public option should tell the White House something, shouldn’t it?
Presumably it does, but it doesn’t tell them what they want to hear, namely that in the states where recalcitrant senators are located a majority want a public option.
If that information was out there it could be used to pressure precisely those senators, but national data can’t be used that way, and the unhappy majority in California isn’t able to vote for a progressive opponent to Blanche Lincoln, Ben Nelson, etc., so from the point of view of the reluctant senator the national data aren’t relevant.
I’m sure the White House is aware of all that, too.
If Obama punts this away, I’m staying home and he’ll need to work to bring me back out. The last president ruined so many things; Obama isn’t ruining anything, but he’s not really fixing anything. What’s the point of electing him if he won’t fix the problems?
“Change” became “atleast I didn’t break anything else” pretty fast.
Good Lord. This couldn’t possibly have anything to do with the likelihood that an official presidential polling memo highlighting public support for the public option would drive the WH press corps like catnip, taking it as a sign that the WH had signaled and endorsement of the PO for next Wednesday–before they have figured out what they’re going to do and how they’ll say it.
Regardless of how the final policy turns out, the WH has at least been consistent in not wanting the DEBATE about the public option to be the sole focus of the conversation. Having failed at that, with an assist in the blogosophere, I imagine they’d prefer to keep the left obsessed about it without seeing a different headline show up on the NYT.
Just an alternative read, since everyone thinks the first interpretation is so obvious.
Just watched an interesting video of the Pres. thanking his grassroots team post election. Some of them have started a petition directly to him to keep his promises.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-elk/i-am-a-former-staffer-of_b_277135.html
Obama doesn’t need recalcitrant senators to vote for the public option, he needs them to vote for cloture. And then he needs one more–either from Olympia Snowe or from the soon to be appointed Senator from Massachusetts. Getting Snowe to vote for cloture might be impossible, but he’s THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. If he can’t get members of his own party to cast a cloture vote, he’s either a wimp or a ***** to the insurance lobby. I suspect it’s the latter.
Liam:
“The really bad news, that now has been revealed, is that the White House is being completely Poll driven. In other words, they have no convictions that they will fight for, if the polls are not in their favor”
Why is this bad news?
All I’ve heard from you folks is how you’ve got the numbers…you’ve got the numbers…you’ve got the numbers.
If you REALLY believe that, you should be DELIGHTED that the White House is “Leading By Poll-Watching”.
Unless the “we’ve got the numbers” meme was just more glazed-eye group chanting from the sweat-lodge all along.
Obama & the Blue Dogs represent Corporate America. The Democratic party is a fraud. Recall the 8-yrs. of besiegement: “Just give us the entire Hill & the presidency. Watch what we’ll do.” Been watching, boys. You’re choosing Corporate America over the people who elected you. Your first self-inflicted reward will be the loss of the House in 2010. You might even manage to lose it all in 2012. Turn your back on your base & the will of the American independents and watch what happens. It ain’t going to be pretty.
It’s disingenuous to say that the reason Obama is dropping the public option is that he can’t find 50 senators to support it. The people who voted for him thought they were getting a leader. He was a popular new president, and he squandered his opportunity to lead.
Lola said:
—-
If Obama fails on health care, his whole agenda is dead.
—-
Actually, if he capitulates to conservative Dems and Republicans, his agenda is dead because they’ll know their current strategy works and Obama will fold like a cheap suit.
Obama needs to fight. Even if reform can’t be passed this go round, he’ll send the message he will fight for the change he promised and go to bat for his supporters and voters. If Obama won’t stand for something, he’ll fall for anything and lose their critical support.
- Tom
This administration needs to get its act together and show some toughness and acumen in responding to these off-beat attacks from the radical right. They don’t have any other way of fighting but to slant and tear and obscure the truth. We need a public option which can cover millions of uncovered households. Obama has to stiffen up and restructure the debate from the bully pulpit rather than let the right use their bull horns from the street.
Unhappy majorities in other states may not be able to vote against Blue Dogs directly but they can certainly make sure their name is mud across the Internet and provide support to primary challengers, third party candidates and general election opponents.
“If Obama scores a decent victory on health care we move on to energy, immigration, DADT, DOMA.”
Lola–I have no confidence that Obama will fight for progressives on any of these issues. Today the head of AFL-CIO admitted card check is dead. It’s being reported that cap & trade is not much better off. He’s going to push gay rights over Blue Dogs’ objections? I don’t think so.
Obama’s mom was right when she said the guy has no conscience. If Jimmy Carter had arrived in the Whitehouse last January with an enormous mandate for change we’d all be getting health insurance.
This is very disappointing and discouraging. Looks like another sell out to the right and a big win for the healthcare industry.
I just wrote another letter to the White House reminding them that the public WANTS the public option and requesting them to take progressives more into consideration instead of pandering to those who won’t give support anyway.
Why is it so hard for liberals, (or the pollsters), to say GOVENMENT RUN HEALTHCARE, instead of this deceptive “public option? If the latest Gallup poll shows 80% satisfied with health care, 61% with insurance, how does fit in with the claim that a majority wants a “public option”? Our government can’t even run the postal service without billion dollar deficits, and yet some think they can run our healthcare system?
Rovin;
Studies have also shown that the people who are satified haven’t used their insurence for a serious illness, but the people who have are definately not satified.
The Postal Service does not use taxpayer money, but is self-suffient. Email and the internet has lost them business big time.
Think, next time.