http://blogs.ajc.com/cynthia-tucker/2010/09/28/just-26-percent-of-americans-want-to-repeal-health-care-law/?cxntfid=blogs_cynthia_tucker
Just 26 percent of Americans want to repeal health care law
11:53 am September 28, 2010, by ctucker
House Minority Leader John Boehner — perhaps the House Speaker-in-waiting — believes that Republicans have a sure-fire winner in his pledge to repeal the Affordable Health Care Act. He believes that the new law is so roundly unpopular that the GOP can only gain adherents by rolling it back.
Not so fast.
A new Kaiser poll has found that more voters like the law than not:
The tug of war for public opinion on health reform continues this month, with approval and disapproval staying in the same relatively narrow band each has occupied since passage even as favorable views regain a small upper hand, 49 percent favorable vs. 40 percent unfavorable. Opinion is more closely divided among this fall’s likely voters (46 percent vs. 45 percent), and opponents of the law continue to hold their views more emphatically than supporters. Overall, 26 percent of Americans believe the law should be repealed.
It’s true that confusion reigns about the new law, largely due to a relentless disinformation campaign by Republicans. But there is a lot more confusion than anger, as the following chart shows (h/t Daily Dish):
And here is where is gets more interesting. According to a recent Associated Press poll, many of the voters who are disappointed wanted the new law to do more, not less.
A new AP poll finds that Americans who think the law should have done more outnumber those who think the government should stay out of health care by 2-to-1.
“I was disappointed that it didn’t provide universal coverage,” said Bronwyn Bleakley, 35, a biology professor from Easton, Mass.. .
The poll found that about four in 10 adults think the new law did not go far enough to change the health care system, regardless of whether they support the law, oppose it or remain neutral. On the other side, about one in five say they oppose the law because they think the federal government should not be involved in health care at all.
It will be interesting to see just how far the GOP pushes the idea of repealing the Affordable Health Care Act.