Political poisoning?
The Deseret News published an interesting opinion poll Sunday. Conducted by Dan Jones & Associates, it showed that a majority of Utahns support each of four key elements of Democratic health care legislation. But once the D-word enters into the question, as in, “Do you favor or oppose congressional Democrats’ health insurance reform plan that passed the U.S. House?” the support falls off the table. (Read the story here.)
Specifically, 87 percent said they at least somewhat agree that insurance companies should be required to cover pre-existing conditions, 57 percent feel that way about insuring the uninsured, 50 percent at least somewhat support requiring Americans to have health insurance and 53 percent at least somewhat support a public option.
But when asked directly about the Democrats’ House bill, 66 percent at least somewhat oppose it. The poll had an error margin of 5 percent.
What gives?
I have a couple of theories. First, while people may support those four basic things (I still have trouble believing they really support a public option and forcing people to buy insurance), the actual bill is so long, complicated and full of other potential mischief that it breeds distrust.
Second, health-care reform itself is complicated. The average person hasn’t really immersed himself or herself in the particulars. So people do the easy thing – they react to party labels and talk-show pundits.
The third theory is that many Utahns simply hate Democrats and don’t think much deeper than that once politics enters in. I’d like to believe that isn’t true, but I have had too many encounters with people who are just like that.
One thing is for sure, this poll shows how politics gets in the way of solutions in Washington and acts as a disincentive to finding real solutions. It works both ways, kind of like how President Clinton once leaned toward a private-market solution to the looming Social Security crisis but how George W. Bush was skewered by Democrats for trying the same thing.
What do you think?