By David Catanese
Politico
January 20, 2010
Scott Brown’s opposition to congressional health care legislation was the most important issue that fueled his U.S. Senate victory in Massachusetts, according to exit poll data collected following the Tuesday special election.
Fifty-two percent of Bay State voters who were surveyed as the polls closed said they opposed the federal health care reform measure and 42 percent said they cast their ballot to help stop President Obama from passing his chief domestic initiative.
“I’m not surprised it was the top issue, but I was surprised by how overwhelming an issue it was. It became a focal point for the frustration that has been brewing with voters, and it’s a very personal issue that affects everyone,” said Tony Fabrizio of Fabrizio, McLaughlin & Associates, a Republican firm that conducted the exit poll of 800 voters.
According to Fabrizio’s findings, 48 percent of Massachusetts voters said that health care was the single issue driving their vote and 39 percent said they voted for Brown specifically because of his vocal opposition to the measure.
Massachusetts has had a law in place for the past four years that requires every resident to purchase health insurance, and reaction among residents to the mandate has been mixed.
But Fabrizio said that program remains controversial with voters who have not seen their medical costs drop significantly. “It is grossly over budget and causing the state severe fiscal problems. In short, Massachusetts voters know the shortcomings of government health care,” he said.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31708.html
And…
NBC News/Wall Street Journal Survey
Hart/McInturff
January 10-14, 2010
12. I’m going to read you two statements about the role of government, and I’d like to know which one comes closer to your point of view.
43% – Statement A: Government should do more to solve problems and help meet the needs of people.
48% – Statement B: Government is doing too many things better left to businesses and individuals.
6% – Some of both
3% – Not sure
30. From what you have heard about Barack Obama’s health care plan, do you think his plan is a good idea or a bad idea? If you do not have an opinion either way, please just say so.
33% – Good idea
46% – Bad idea
18% – Do not have an opinion
3% – Not sure
32. Thinking about efforts to reform the health care system, which would concern you more?
40% – Not doing enough to make the health care system better than it is now by lowering costs and covering the uninsured.
53% – Going too far and making the health care system worse than it is now in terms of quality of care and choice of doctor.
7% – Not sure
Comment:
By Don McCanne, MD
Oh no! Not another commentary on the significance of the Massachusetts special election for U.S. Senator.
This one will be brief, and include input from the current NBC News/Wall Street Journal Survey.
The election confirmed that there is significant opposition to the health care reform bill before Congress.
When expressed in generalities, people remain divided on the appropriate role of government in solving our problems. That conclusion cannot be extrapolated to specific programs and policies.
Question # 32 (NBC/WSJ) requires individuals to choose between “lowering costs and covering the uninsured” on the one hand and “quality of care and choice of doctor” on the other, when most individuals support all four concepts. The implication is that you can’t have it all, but an improved Medicare program covering everyone would achieve all of these goals.
We must be very careful to not misinterpret the rejection of the highly flawed reform proposal before Congress. It does not mean that comprehensive reform has been rejected.
There is overwhelming support for our Medicare program. If the public understood that all of us could benefit from an improved Medicare program for everyone, the political dynamics could shift. But we have much more work to do to deliver that message.