A presidential preference poll three years before an election is only slightly more valuable than a copy of the newspaper three Mondays ago, but Rasmussen Reports has just released a very interesting, albeit gossipy poll. “If the 2012 presidential election were held today…” President Obama and Republican Mitt Romney would each receive 45 percent of the vote. Three percent are undecided and 7 percent were support other candidates.
Even the much press-maligned Sarah Palin is within shouting distance of Obama. In their matchup, Obama leads 48 percent to 42 percent. Here’s a link to the poll:
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/
A far more timely poll from the Washington Post and ABC News, show Obama losing support on his health care insurance reform initiative. What’s driving these lower numbers is increased skepticism of the presidents from self-described independent voters. These voters, usually the most fickle politically, are crucial to the president’s energy and health care initiatives. Here’s the poll:
If there is good news for the president from the WP/ABC poll, it’s that most Americans still trust him more than his opponents on most issues. His approval rating is still high in the WP/ABC poll (59 percent), although Rasmussen pegs it at only 51 percent.
I’m amazed, though, at how poorly the administration is pitching its major initiatives. Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag was just pathetic on TV Sunday defending ObamaCare. He was eviscerated by Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace. Orszag’s main argument seemed to be that since insurance companies already review what procedures patients should have, why not transfer that authority to a government agency? (Both the House and Senate proposals involve a federal Health Advisory Board; the Senate’s proposal would make the board’s decision binding) Transcript:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com
Orszag may merit points for crude candor, but a “Medical Advisory Board” is a bill-killer. Americans want relief on rising health care costs, but they don’t want the quality or availability of care harmed. Translation: Any health care reform bill that is perceived as lowering quality to bring everybody aboard or price-forcing many with private health care into a public option will fail.
And if it somehow passed, it would likely badly harm the Democratic Party in the next general election, a thought that is crossing the minds of many Democratic legislators right now.
Nicole
on Jul 20th, 2009
@ 1:47 pm:
Obama is discovering the hard truth that when it comes right down to it Americans prefer capitalism.
flatlander100
on Jul 20th, 2009
@ 2:34 pm:
No, Nicole. President Obama is discovering, as all presidents do, the hard truth that Americans want a very wide range of expensive government services provided for them, without their having to pay for them.
Michael Trujillo
on Jul 20th, 2009
@ 2:57 pm:
On July 10, 2006, the Rasmussen Reports had McCain edging out Clinton, McCain edging out Gore, Clinton beating Giuliani, or Gore beating Giulani in Massachusetts.
A lot can change in two years.
COACHEP » Blog Archive » Posts about Obama Health Care Failure as of July 20, 2009
on Jul 20th, 2009
@ 3:28 pm:
[...] [...]
Preston
on Jul 20th, 2009
@ 9:30 pm:
It is pretty shocking to read in the interview transcript, that a number of states would have cumulative tax rates higher than some of the most socialized nations in Europe, if Obama’s plans become reality.
Flatlander, Americans are not unique in wanting government services at no cost. They are unusual in the West, though, in being less willing to say “screw the rich” and pretend it won’t hurt them as well. Too many Americans do buy into the class warfare preached by Marxist professors, pundits and politicians, but enough of them understand grade-school math to know you can’t get more gold from a dead goose.
Perhaps the biggest reason they don’t go for European-style health care, though, is the fact that we didn’t do it when everyone else was doing it, and now we can see what happens as a result. You can’t get rid of nationalized health care once you get it, but since we held out and let other people do the experimenting, we’re less likely to embrace unproven promises of utopia.
Lori
on Jul 22nd, 2009
@ 11:51 am:
Obama is discovering that what he wants is irrelevant and what Congress wants is what will happen. But Obama gets to receive all the blame when his term is ended as have the Presidents before him. Presidents are merely scapegoats.