These poll numbers were released earlier today by Rasmussen Reports -- "an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information."
24% Say Democrats Should Pass Health Care Reform Without GOP Votes
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
If Democrats agree on a health care reform bill that is opposed by all Republicans in Congress, 24% of voters nationwide say the Democrats should pass that bill.
But a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 58% believe the Democrats should change the bill to win support from "a reasonable number of Republicans." Nineteen percent (19%) are not sure what congressional Democrats should do.
Republican voters overwhelmingly think the bill should be changed, and so do 62% of those not affiliated with either major political party.
However, Democrats are more conflicted. Forty-one percent (41%) of those in the president's party believe their legislators should pass the bill without any GOP votes, while 34% disagree and think the legislation should be changed to attract Republican support.
Most liberal voters (52%) say that Democrats should pass the legislation without the Republicans. Most moderates (55%) disagree.
In its question, Rasmussen Reports did not quantify what constitutes "a reasonable number" of Republican votes.
As is often the case, the divide between the Political Class and Mainstream America is even wider than that between voters in the two political parties. While 71% of the Political Class say Democrats should go it alone, the identical number (7!%) of Mainstream Americans say they should try to get some Republicans on board to produce a bipartisan bill.
If the Democrats decide to go it alone, public reaction may depend on how the discussions unfold from this point forward. If Republicans appear willing to support some reforms while resisting the more ambitious hopes of the president, it could create a difficult situation for the majority party. On the other hand, if the GOP appears unwilling to even consider any reform, the public reaction may be different.
Another factor, of course, will be the popularity of the legislation itself. Over the past few months, the health care reform legislation has been losing public support. Two weeks ago , just 42% favored the congressional plan while 53% were opposed. Rasmussen Reports is currently polling on this issue again and will release updated data later this week.
Voters believe they understand the health care legislation better than Congress . In fact, just 22% believe Congress has a good or excellent understanding of the bill.
Other recent polling shows that voters consider deficit reduction the most important of the budget priorities outlined by President Obama earlier this year. Health care reform is a distant second. At the same time, deficit reduction is seen as the goal least likely to be achieved by the administration.
From a fiscal perspective, 54% favor middle class tax cuts over new health care spending. That's largely because voters are looking for health care reform to cut costs rather than increase spending. Additionally, as the debate over health care reform has unfolded, confidence in the U.S. health care system has grown.
Shortly after the congressional town hall protests began, 41% of voters viewed the protesters favorably while 35% had an unfavorable opinion of them.
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To view the original report, please use this link: What Democracy?