AARP Poll: (79%) 8 in 10 Back Public Option

[kpete]

Source: My DD

AARP Poll: 8 in 10 Back Public Option

by Jonathan Singer, Wed Aug 26, 2009 at 02:49:10 PM EST

A new survey commissioned by the AARP asks respondents to what degree they support or oppose "Starting a new federal health insurance plan that individuals could purchase if they can't afford private plans offered to them" -- a public option, in other words. The results are interesting, though not necessarily surprising to those who have been closely following the debate.

All: 79 percent favor/18 percent oppose
Democrats: 89 percent favor/8 percent oppose
Republicans: 61 percent favor/33 percent oppose
Independents: 80 percent favor/16 percent oppose

Not only does a public option enjoy strong support (AARP finds 37 percent strongly supporting such a choice), it enjoys broad support -- a finding based not only in this new survey but also in SurveyUSA polling released last week. Indeed, a supermajority of even Republicans supports a federal program to provide individuals with a choice for their health insurance coverage, with just a third of the party membership opposing such a plan.

So why, again, are supporters of a public option finding such difficulty in Congress?


Read more: http://www.mydd.com/story/2009/8/26/131840/361

[ejpoeta]

1. who were surveyed?? aarp members??? a cross section of people in general???

[quiller4]

10. The poll commissioned by AARP surveyed voters at large across the country.

[ejpoeta]

32. ok. i was just wondering. i don't know why this can't get done then....

obviously most people WANT a public option. They may not want single payer, but a true public option would I think at the very least level the playing field and force this insurance cartel to actually compete.

[No Elephants]

35. Do you think Congress legislates for the people?

[ejpoeta]

36. you've got me there.

[No Elephants]

39. LOL. Sorry about that. I was not intending a "gotcha."

Sometimes, though, we look a things through a certain prism, which may or may not be the most revealing prism.

For whom does Congress legislate? I don't know. My best guess, though, would be that Congress triangulates between corporations and people, with a heavy emphasis on the former because most people don't vote, don't make them rich, don't stay up to speed, etc.

But, that's only my guess, not THE TRUTH.

[ejpoeta]

40. i know. it's just the sad reality. even if the vast majority of people want it,

it's not enough to get it done. in some cases that's a good thing, i guess. if we counted on public opinion for women's rights or civil rights... or an end to slavery, we would never have had those things. but at this point, most representatives aren't even voting based on what they say they believe... they are voting based on getting elected or re-elected. their excuse is that what good can they do if they don't get re-elected... i ask.... what good are you doing now!! what is it going to take to get these people to do their damned jobs!! they are supposed to be looking out for us, not corporations. campaign finance reform would be a start. they get public financing to run their campaign.... increase the amount and everyone gets the same amount. that way instead of spending half their term raising money for re-election, they can friggin do their damned jobs!! and also, they won't have contributors who they owe favors to.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[YOY]

2. Why? Corporate $$$s. THat's why.

This is an exercise showing just how much they are willing to forego to keep those shitheels happy.

[SteelPenguin]

57. We're not marching in the streets (enough) or voting them out (at all)

We don't hold them accountable. Yes we have demonstrations but they're honestly pathetic. WE should have a million people in D.C. every weekend with signs. We should be organized, with MONEY, to vote out any incumbent who doesn't vote for it. wE should be demanding single payer, and any senator that doesn't support it will be targeted for removal from the senate, any congressmen etc.

We dont' do that though. Most of us sit at home and bitch, and do dick, and when voting time comes around we pull the D level because 'it's better than the alternative' or we vote for the incumbent over their primary challenger because someone has convinced them that to vote for the challenger is a vote for the republicans.

So the people in congress have no real impetus to listen to what we want. Meanwhile they get millions from the insurance lobbies, which if they even verbally support a public option, or god forbid single payer, they will pull their money.

100% likelyhood of losing a million dollars vs a bunch of people who want something but won't do dick about it.

[NYC_SKP]

3. UPI Article confirms poll result but sez: "AARP poll shows divide over public option" ffs.

AARP poll shows divide over public option

Published: Aug. 26, 2009 at 12:43 PM

DENVER, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- While eight of 10 Americans say they favor a public health insurance option, fewer than four in 10 can define what that option is, an AARP survey indicates.

The poll, conducted by Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates for AARP, was presented Tuesday in Denver, the Denver Business Journal reported Wednesday.

While results suggest strong agreement among respondents that healthcare delivery and payment must change, it also indicated less agreement on whether the matter required higher taxes or insurance premiums, said Charlie Cook, a political analyst in Washington.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/08/26/AARP-poll-shows-divide-over-public-option/UPI-42171251305003/

For Fuck Sake!!!

:mad:

[Bozita]

4. iirc, UPI is owned by the Moonies

It's why Helen Thomas left UPI.

[Enthusiast]

59. Just another example of

a bought and paid for media. No real reporting of the facts.

[druidity33]

5. K&R for visibility... nt.

[mzmolly]

6. Apparently how the question is worded is key.

:hi:

[caseymoz]

20. Here's the actual report on the poll, it was more than a single question.

http://images.dailykos.com/images/user/6685/Topline_Report___AARP_Health_Care_Poll_FINAL_v2.pdf

A reading of it shows is that there is broad consensus that health care must be reformed, there is just a huge divide between Democrats and Republicans on what to do. In fact, it's clear that they mean two different things by reform.

[valerief]

7. Grasshatley wants an 80% vote in the Senate, so he probably wants a 99% vote for

the public option from the American public.

We're told healthcare is totally in his hands. In the Middle East, they chop off the hands of thieves, don't they?

:eyes:

[still_one]

8. and why is the MSM reporting it, instead of the distortions and lies? /nt

[unkachuck]

....see, there is no 'us and them' when it comes to Americans wanting, needing or deserving affordable healthcare through a strong government run Public Option....

....the only 'us and them' involved with healthcare reform are the greedy parasites profiting off the illness and misfortune of honest Americans along with their boot-licking, water-carrying stooges in Congress....

[2Design]

11. this is good since the MSM has been saying 50,000 left because

of the support for the health care reform - for some other organization - just BS

[Mr. Sparkle]

12. It is amazing that when people have the public option explained to them, they support it.

Thats says a hell of a lot about our media.

[pattmarty]

47. AND, about "our" side also. The Republican/conservative side.................

................"won" this battle of words hands down. With first their "teabag" events and next with their disruption of the "town halls". I am still sitting here at my keyboard wondering where or when we are going to get organized so I can actually get involved in a protest or march. I've called my congress people a number of times and signed "petitions" but the right has their troops on fucking call, and when they "call" they are fucking right there, like now. Where are our organizers???

[Enthusiast]

61. And that is why the M$M

has been so very careful in not allowing the public option to be explained properly. Coverage of town hall meetings has only served to obscure the value of a public option.

[RoccoR5955]

13. K&R This needs to be seen more.

It seems that the Repugs, and other corporatists are gonna go down massively on this one.

[lurky]

14. We need to beat them over the head with this.

And by them, I mean all the chicken-hearted Dems who are afraid of offending their corporate owners by giving the people what they need.

Of course, we can beat the Republicans silly with it as well, just for fun... :D

[GreenTea]

15. Most of the media ignores this truth - Just like the poll last week 77% support a public option...

Huffington Post: New Poll: 77 Percent Support "Choice" Of Public Option

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/20/new-poll-77-percent-suppo_n_264375.html

[lovelyrita]

29. This does not surprise me when I actually talk to people about

health care reform and explain to them about the public option and what a single payer system is, they tend to support it. There are tons of health care experts in this country that should be discussing this issue on the news and in newspapers, rather than pundits. I listen to a talk show on Sirius that has Dr. Aaron Carol on a few times a week, and people call in, he answers their questions in a reasonable way. People like that should be involved in the debate.

[lib_wit_it]

58. Let's make sure everyone knows what a Single Payer system would mean. Check out the

videos and share them with everyone you know:

http://www.grahamazon.com/sp/whatissinglepayer.php
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv4Aos-TBH8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jng4TnKqy6A

And check out this action group:
http://www.madashelldoctors.com/
same group on facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=115217378490

Support Senator Kennedy's vision.

[DPBismarckND]

16. SENATOR CONRAD CALLED OUT BY DEMS IN ND TOWN HALL

Real Democrats in North Dakota put the pressure on Senator Conrad over the public option! This video was taken in Center, ND on August 20th, 2009.

Links to Conrad Town Hall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtOs3J7VL5o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_CZ8qEtZo8&feature=chan ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBEjtirNHQ4&feature=chan ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqJ8dZM4uIQ&feature=chan ...

[FreakinDJ]

17. They forgot to add the RATpubliCON Propaganda factor

Death Panels - Death Panels - Death Panels

Geez - Everyone including the insurance companies knows Americans want a public option

Think it is any wonder why no other News Sources are covering this news story

[Bozita]

18. I googled looking for the actual AARP survey. Maybe I should have tried more queries.

I got nothing except for the Moonie-filtered UPI link.

Thanks, MSM.

[Odin2005]

19. Oh noes!!! 61% of Republicans are America-hating Commie-Nazis!!!

:rofl:

[LaPera]

21. There's no doubt there's a huge majority who favor a Public Option-Republicans are using their few

to agitate the masses, make a lot of noise make it seen they have big numbers (but they obviously don't) the insurance corporations are paying for all the bullshit, the ads, busing the few from place to place and then the Fox news, republican hate radio crowd show up thinking they are doing this on their own....but their numbers in reality are so very, very tiny.

It's such a pathetic joke and the idiots in the media are reporting these crazy uninformed republicans uneducated nutcase screamers, right on cue, like media robots they are...what fucking network clowns!!

[depakid]

22. Just goes to show how dysfunctional the US Senate has become

with its undemocratic representation and its arcane rules.

[caseymoz]

23. It looks to me like people, Republicans especially, don't know the public option if you describe it.

They like it if you describe it without the name.

It's pretty shocking to me; it means that all through Rush's hour-long tirades about how the Public Option is really communism and how he's out to destroy our capitalist system with it none of them know WTF he's even referring to. They just think that since Congress, Obama and the Democrats (who are, after all, Nazis) are doing it, then it's actually designed to send Mom to the gas chamber. Republican leaders, of course, will plan to give them no reform, or a failed reform.

[DesertFlower]

24. so why do they keept telling us

that the people don't want it?

[Enthusiast]

62. Senator Conrad said

in his town hall meeting that the American people do not want a public option.

[Sandrine for you]

25. A huge mistake in the question: ''purchase ''...in public option you are not suposed to purchase...

...Not a good question...

[FlaGranny]

30. Purchase is correct.

You would purchase it just like we do with Medicare. Medicare is purchased, although it is subsidized by the government, It costs retirees nearly $100 per month. Public option would be purchased also - if the person could not afford it, it would then be subsidized so that the recipient would pay what he or she could afford. At least that's how I read it. I wish everyone could buy into Medicare. It would be the next best thing after single payer, with expenses paid from tax revenue (the only completely fair way).

[No Elephants]

37. I agree, but Medicate is supposedly seriously under water and heading for worse.

[ejpoeta]

42. that's why expanding medicare would be the better option instead of starting something new.

Even if obama got his health exchange, if medicare were the public option expanded to allow everyone in.... then people would pay into medicare like they do now to their employer based plan. this would bring an infusion of money to the system. then, instead of starting from scratch developing a public option, we could focus on fixing the problems with an existing system. I would say we should look into having long term care covered as well as it sounds like this is a glaring issue.... but ultimately, if we shifted money going to the private insurers now from folks voluntarily choosing medicare as their public option, then that would be a lot more money going into the system. If we then work on being more efficient, like with digitalizing records and corroborating between doctors on tests instead of everyone ordering the same test multiple times and stuff like that... I honestly think this could be the best solution. Most people are familiar with medicare... it is not some foreign entity. they have family who are on it and are happy with it. it's not some big scary monster.

[caseymoz]

60. That's why any reform must control costs.

I wouldn't describe Medicaid as "under water." It's operating in the red because costs have been allowed to rise at 3-4 times the rate of inflation. The main reason why they are projected to go up 9 percent this year is that health care companies and doctors are trying to cash in prior to any reform that might slaughter their cash cow.

Private companies go under as well. However, you usually don't get years of warning before they do.

Any health care reform must control cost. The main reason for ever higher costs is that we have as many doctors today as we did in 1970, even though the population has grown from there. People who would have taken medical slots become medical techs or nurses. Doctors can then delegate more responsibilities. Hence, a bloating.

The AMA is behind limiting the education of doctors, leading to an acute shortage of General Practitioners, leading to mis- and under- diagnoses at the beginning of the process and errors and cost overruns as patients are then referred specialists.

Any reform to be effective has to break the AMA's stranglehold on the number of doctors. I don't care if we have to bring them in from overseas, that must be done.

[Enthusiast]

64. Just imagine an expanded Medicare.

Right now Medicare operates under the handicap of providing for only the old, sick and disabled. Imagine Medicare with a level playing field. Medicare would become incredibly efficient. There would actually be a surplus in short order because of Medicare's no-profit nature.

[No Elephants]

31. I thought it would work like this. People would purchase public or private

health insurance. However,those who cannotafford to pay would get government help to make the payment, via a subsidy. (If you cannot afford to purchase at all, you would be eligible for Medicais, which already exists.)

My hope is that the public option would offer such a good and affordable product that it would become the major insurer in the country over time, and thus be able to be even more affordable.

I cannot swear that I have it right, but that's what I thought.

[DCKit]

26. K$R for the hostile response. n/t

[comtec]

28. Gee... I wish a majority, perhaps a super majority of americans supported universal health care

but sigh... we only have 80%
Oh well the democan't in congress won't do anything...
:sarcasm: <-- really needed?

I heard on Steph miller that they would rather have reid in as opposed to a republican.... honestly, I am WILLING to even put a foaming at the mouth GoP freshman in reid's seat if that means we get RID OF HIM FOREVER!

a freshman won't have any power aside from his vote and im pretty sure we'll still be well over the 50+1 votes needed for um.. whatever it's called (brain fart).

We get a REAL leader in there, and we can start ramming through real reform legislation. I know our majority might go down a bit... but I don't fucking care at this point. We can bully enough senators for cloture when we need it just like the scum GoP when it was their turn.

it's time we started acting like the party in power god damned it!

[groundloop]

33. Maybe, just maybe the tide is turning.

I even saw a segment on CNN a few days ago (I believe it was Anderson Cooper) debunking the lies and misinformation being spread about healthcare reform and the public option.

[cascadiance]

34. Support the PEOPLE Congress!! NOT the "corporate people" you keep sucking up to!

This isn't a partisan issue any more! It is about doing what's right for the common man and woman, NOT the greed of you and your elite coconspirators that continue to steal away the wealth and health of this country!

[No Elephants]

38. To me, it could not be more obvious. Democrats need better " spokespersons."

[ejpoeta]

41. a spine wouldn't hurt either. some of them seem to be more concerned with upsetting the republicans

rather than doing what they were elected to do. people WANT something done. we can't keep going on like this. it's like sitting in a leaking boat that is starting to sink.... instead of trying to find the leak and fix it, we are just taking a small bowl and bailing out the water. it's coming in faster than we can bail it out.

[edhopper]

43. But they didn't poll

Insurance Company Executives, Lobbyists, Conservative Pundits and members of Congress. They are the only one's whose opinions matter.

[eyepaddle]

44. I am glad to see this poll. We largely knew this before, but it should

turn up the heat on the recalcitrant blue dog "democrats."

[bamacrat]

45. The minority in almost every situation feels the have to be the loudest and craziest.

Well especially when conservatives are the minority. Less intelligent people seem to think screaming makes up for a lack of facts.

[Enthusiast]

65. They have been encouraged

to be loud and disruptive by their "leaders".

[bamacrat]

70. Yes and the same people told their "followers" to be respectful of Bush at his town halls

It's jut sad that they trick the people who would benefit the most from government healthcare or any progressive cause to be the most against it. Fooling the uneducated and creating a party of closed minded gullible people will eventually seep in deep into our govt ruining our great country. We are a progressive country, at least we used to be before the crazies were given a voice and an outlet.

[Enthusiast]

72. If our educational system

was up to snuff these crazies would have been taught that our founding fathers were progressives and liberals nearly to a man.

[Wabbajack_]

46. Republicans: 61 percent favor/33 percent oppose

!

[caseymoz]

63. They like it when its described without the name, but hate it when its called the public option.

It means that Repubs mostly don't know what the hell "the Public Option" means. They just know that if Rush rants so hard against it, then it must be really bad.

They also don't trust Obama or the Democrats in Congress to come up with a plan that really does this, because their favorite Conservative Media Hosts call them Nazis and say the plan will kill their mothers.

I'll hand it to the health care industry for marshaling the best, most unethical propagandists money could buy.

[kevsters]

48. Nazis and Right Wing Hypocrisy...

Am I the only one tired of Nazi references and right wing hypocrisy when it comes to the health care debate?

Here is an example.

http://progressnotcongress.org/?p=2694

[workinclasszero]

49. So why, again, are supporters of a public option finding such difficulty in Congress?

Because the reich wing republicans and the blue dog fake democrats are bought and paid for by the health insurance companies?

[treestar]

73. The bottom line there is they still think they will only get votes if they

have that $$ for their campaigns. They are certain that the voters are that shallow.

[earcandle]

50. As Teddy said, Healthcare should be a right, not a privilege. These opposers make money off the

current system and they are strong arming to keep it in place.

They could care less about the people of America. 

[McCamy Taylor]

51. Now can we lay to rest the notion that "mean spirited" Americans do not want a public option?

[caseymoz]

66. It shows how successful the disinformation and misinformation campaign has been.l

They are all for the public option when you describe it, but words "public option" have been poisoned. And Conservative Republican agiprop has also poisoned Obama and Democratic involvement in it. They don't trust the president or the Democrats to come up with a plan that really does what it says. Why? We're Nazis that want to send Mom and Grandma to the gas chambers.

However, the report also shows that they like the Public Option, as long as it doesn't cost them higher taxes or premiums to support the uninsured. Overall, 74 percent oppose higher taxes for the uninsured, and 64 percent oppose higher premiums for themselves. The public option isn't an option if the uninsured cannot afford it. Frankly, I think it should be supported by a general and highly progressive tax. You can't expect employers, insurance companies, or employees to afford it.

It hit me just now that one problem insurance companies might have is that it actually will provide better coverage than they do, at their expense, if they have to subsidize it.

[Kingofalldems]

52. Republicans posing as blue dog Democrats are in a state of shock

over this one. K & R

[Papa Boule]

53. "79% of us are now on the left of the left." -- Atrios n/t

[Texasbacksass]

54. Healthcare, choices, and the nitwit right wing extremists

Below is an email I sent my dear friend and DU subscriber sellitman on the third of this month concerning "the health care" situations. I think anyone sane will enjoy reading the copy of my email as much as I enjoyed writing it. Incidently I recommend everyone (that's an early morning riser)at least consider enjoining C-SPAN's viewer callin program Washington Journal where people of any political party or independent can call in and put their two cents worth in. The WJ, believe it or not, has the least bias of any other politically oriented television channel offering viewers to call in. So if you would like to speak your mind to any of their guest speakers, or just get thing off your chest by venting wbat's on your mind, the opportunity is at your dialing hand fingertips. I know because I have been calling in regularly for almost thirty years.

TP da Texasbacksass
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

The right wing extreme and Haltzheimers‏

Kev,

If it wasn't so serious all the goings on in the way out there right wing would be comedy of the highest order.

This morning on C-SPAN's W J program no less than three right wing opponents (including a senator from Nebraska) of "the health plan" whatever the hell it actually is, were guests, all of them talking down "The Obama Plan" as they love to label it....jibberjabbering the same old totally worn out way beyond we've heard it all before rhetoric....."Do you want a bureaucrat between you and your doctor." Of course there was a trailing herd of their lil RW IQ 84 sheep calling in, mostly from South Carolina today, bleating "baaditto" which of course caused the R. Nebraska Senator to slobber all over himself; self righteous complacency oozing out of him.

Of course I had to get in the act declaring "Hell no...of course we don't want a bureaucrat between us and our doctors!!"

"We much prefer to slit our own throats by having some third rate minimum wage earning private insurance company flunky that can refuse us health service or flat out cut us out of healthcare altogether by canceling our insurance for a jillion reasons, even lies, to be between us and our doctors." ThimK??????????????

Let's give the GOP Judas' and their sheeplets a big ole rousing DUUUH today shall we, because that polarizing thought cited above never even gets in one of their ears much less enter their heads and cross their motheaten Haltzheimers minds.

[Enthusiast]

68. My objection to Washington Journal

is their one sided programming. Like you said, "no less than three right wing opponents of the health plan" were on this morning. It is like that nearly every morning. And then the host will read from an article invariably reinforcing the right wing position. But like you said, they are still the most fair. But C-Span has an agenda, just like CNN and Faux News. They are just more sophisticated in hiding their agenda. Pathetic.

[Texasbacksass]

76. Re your objection

I don't know how long you've been watching the WJ program or how many days in a row you watch but after my watching in for almost thirty years I do believe you couldn't be more wrong.

Simple observations over a span of time states clearly that anyone with an open mind can easily see for themselves that the Washington Journal program has equal amounts of left wing/right wing, and independent guests balanced out as do they their viewers that call in on the three, liberal, conservative, and independent/others telephone lines answered in order. Obviously depending on their guest speakers and which position they represent for a particular day, both guests and callers to the program could be mistaken as biased one day and then appear equally oppositely biased in the other direction the next day. People that don't watch the program regularly often make that very mistake. The programs moderators offer no opinion of their own well over ninety five percent of the time and the program has on average "thirty four million viewers" weekly with only a fraction of them in either the left or right wing extremes, unsuccessfully, no matter how they biasedly hard they try are allowed to dominate the phone lines. However you have the right to think as you wish, state your mind, and stand by it as do your counterparts on the right and as do I.

[Enthusiast]

77. I watch every day.

I have become so angry at time that I turn it off, however. Sorry, my position is, they are one sided but skillfully so.

[victorybagels]

56. important fact, often obscured

stats like this are so important but so often lost in the media circus. the silent reform-hungry majority is getting drowned out by some loudmouthed nutters because of our media's obsession with controversy. i wrote a rant about it on the HuffPo if anyone wants to check it out:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stefan-sirucek/protester-does-shocking-t_b_268276.html

cheers,

stefan

[Enthusiast]

67. +1! That is a wonderfully written

rant, Stefan. Keep up the good work!

[victorybagels]

78. thx

thanks enthusiast! become a fan or leave a comment if you feel inclined - it all helps a post on HuffPo stay up for a while before it sinks into the pit of despair under all the new entries :P cheers

[Enthusiast]

79. Done! And you are "Buzzed up" nt

[progressoid]

69. Yeah, I just heard about this on Hannity's show....

[enviralment]

71. It lies in the fact....

That 24 hr. infotainment over-blows everything and reacts without any critical thought. "Ohhh people carrying guns and yelling, half the country must hate this thing"
Also the fact the insurance lobby groups round up people and ship them around like cattle to protest these town hall meetings might have something to do with it.

[and-justice-for-all]

74. I saw the AARP ad TWICE during The Daily Show...it is a good ad..nt

[Seldona]

75. 61% of republicans, and 80% of independants?

2010 is going to be an even greater political thrashing than '06 or '08 if we can get the message out that republicans could care less about what the majority want, even on their own side, and the side of independents.

Not a good time to be an obstructionist republican, regardless of what the media would have us believe. It is heartening that so many people are behind this despite the rhetoric. It seems to prove that much of it isn't working.

[Lagomorph]

80. So why, again, are supporters of a public option finding such difficulty in Congress?

It's not the "what', it's the "how" as far as I can tell.

The peoples don't vote on concepts, the peoples vote on laws.

I've been doing lots of listening.

When the questions have been answered, the merits of the debate will prevail.

After decades of protests and demonstrations, all this just looks like business as usual.