Posted on 08/20/2009 12:39:44 PM PDT by IbJensen
TALLAHASSEE -- Floridians like the town-hall protests over President Barack Obama's healthcare plan and disapprove more of the plan and the president himself, according to a new poll.
By big margins, Floridians say the protests are not ``un-American'' and they're far more worried about rising taxes and deficits than with the need for a healthcare plan, the new Quinnipiac University poll of 1,136 registered voters shows.
Since he began pushing the health plan, Obama's job-approval ratings have flatlined. For the first time in Florida, slightly more people disapprove of Obama's job performance than support it. The split: 48 to 47 percent.
Though that's well within the poll's error margin, it's a significant shift since June, when 58 percent of Floridians favored Obama's job performance in a Quinnipiac poll. Out of the five states Quinnipiac regularly polls, Florida is the first state to pan Obama's job performance.
By a large 71-23 percent margin, the poll shows, Floridians don't believe Obama's promise that his health plan won't add to the deficit.
``People were willing to give President Obama the benefit of the doubt. No longer,'' said Peter A. Brown, director of the Connecticut-based university's polling institute.
``Now there's not only more skepticism about the president,'' Brown said, ``there's almost hostility.''
Voters believe Obama's health plan will hurt the economy, raise taxes, increase healthcare costs and hurt the quality of healthcare they receive. Republicans are strongly united against Obama and independents are turning away from him, the poll shows. Those earning more than $100,000 were more inclined than other wage earners to oppose the president and his policies.
Voters said they trusted Obama on healthcare almost as much as congressional Republicans, who have mainly offered criticisms of Obama's plan rather than a proposal of their own.
Still, voters like Obama personally by a 51-44 percent margin. And they support subsidizing healthcare for the less wealthy, forcing businesses to provide health insurance and taxing those who earn more than $350,000 to pay for more healthcare.
Government-run healthcare isn't anathema, either. About 58 percent support it, while 34 percent are opposed. But Obama might be backing off that very option.
About 15 percent of poll respondents already receive government-run insurance, Medicare and Medicaid. Overall, 87 percent of those polled said they had insurance -- a big number that suggests a high number of Floridians don't see lack of coverage as a crisis.
Though Quinnipiac didn't survey the top concern of Floridians, a poll this week from the Florida Chamber of Commerce showed that healthcare ranked third in importance behind education and the economy, the top concern.
By a 46-42 percent spread, voters say Obama's policies will help the economy in the future, but 39 percent say they'll be personally hurt by his plans. About 33 percent say his economic plans will help them. And 25 percent are undecided.
About 55 percent of voters say they support the protests against Obama's plan, with only 35 percent opposed to the protests, some of which have been portrayed on television as shout-fests. By a 79-14 percent margin, voters say the protests are not ``un-American.''
``Voters approve of the demonstrations and they overwhelmingly disagree with the view expressed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that these protests are un-American,'' Brown said.
It's not really clear, however, if Pelosi actually called the protests themselves ``un-American.'' Here's what she and House Democratic leader Steny Hoyer wrote in a USA Today op-ed Aug. 10: ``drowning out opposing views is simply un-American.''
The Herald's editor probably gagged when he had to approve this article.
It seems most of the comments are anti-obamacare.
Nah, he got his little dig in in the last paragraph.
Interesting how the poll got high ratings by asking about “government insurance”...sounds like a lot of them thought that was Medicare.
You just can't fix stupid.
Disregard. I thought it said “THAN the president himself.”
These poor polls.
From the previous.
Administration."
“And they support subsidizing healthcare for the less wealthy, forcing businesses to provide health insurance and taxing those who earn more than $350,000 to pay for more healthcare.”
If I were a Democrat strategist, my resolve would be steeled by that statistic. The voters are still enamored with spending other people’s money.
We’ll do our duty at the voting booth! ENuff said!
Dr. Wm Summers, on radio Sat. 1550AM 8-9 am, will be sponsoring a “one Doctor” Protest in front of the Democrat Party of New Mexico Headquarters at 1310 San Pedro NE, Albuquerque, NM right after his radio show on Saturday 29 August.
“As I am a busy guy, and believe most productive citizens are, the protest will be for ONE HOUR only.”
Come one come all. Bring a sign (and Camera)
Hat tip: http://curmudgeonlyskeptical.blogspot.com/2009_08_20_archive.html
.
Yeah, but they got to slip this in:
” ...congressional Republicans, who have mainly offered criticisms of Obama’s plan rather than a proposal of their own.”
Yet, they voted for Obozo, thanks to high black turnout, the Puerto Ricans and braindead “independents” in the Orlando area, and angry folks who took on more house than they could afford throughout the state.
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