Health-care reform, in favor or opposed (per Rasmussen Reports)
The two most recent Rasmussen polls show rising opposition to the health-care reform proposals now pending before Congress, and a more favorable overall impression of the American health-care system as it now stands.
Yesterday, Rasmussen Reports released results showing that 49% of respondents now rate the American health-care system in general as good or excellent, the highest ratings it has had since polling began and a steady increase from its low of 29% on July 7, 2008. (And even in that poll, most Americans rated their own health-insurance coverage as good to excellent.)
In addition, Rasmussen, who has been polling on health-care reform proposals in Congress since late June of this year, found last Monday (November 23) that 38% of their sample were in favor of those proposals, while 56% were opposed. This is the worst showing for health-care reform proposals since the running poll began.
The chart above shows that support and opposition for Congressional plans has fluctuated since June. Support for the plan reached its previous low point in the poll taken in September 24-25. But the plan has never had the favor of more than 50% of respondents since the poll taken immediately after the "9/12 March on Washington."
The "Rasmussen Strong Feeling Index" for Congressional health-care reform now stands at -22, with 43% strongly opposed and 21% strongly in favor.
As might be expected, political liberals are displeased with the health-care system as it stands today and are most in favor of the current Congressional proposals. The reverse is, of course, true of political conservatives. The most remarkable finding is that political moderates, by a 44% to 26% vote, are now inclined to think well of American health care today.
This does not mean that most voters want no changes made to American health care. Right now, 53% would like to see some change. But the findings of the running poll on the Democratic Party's proposals strongly suggest that those proposals are not the ones that American voters would most like to see enacted into law.
In other health-care-related news, former Vermont governor Howard Dean publicly denounced the current health-care proposals on Bill Press' radio program on Air America. What his reasons might be, beyond those that he mentioned on that program, are not clear. Dr. Dean is said to have protested that too much revenue would "go to the insurance companies" under the current proposals.
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