Politics with Marc Ambinder

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Sep 1 2009, 11:17 am by Chris Good

Surprise: Americans Confused About Health Care Reform

A CBS poll cuts to the heart of the matter: people are confused about health care reform. When asked if they understand "health care reform ideas," 67 percent of the 1,097 respondents chose "no, they're confusing," vs. 31 percent who said "yes, [I] understand reforms." This should come as little surprise--the health care system is already confusing as it exists, before the slew of proposed changes are even considered. It depends on how specific one considers the term "ideas" to be--the broad stroke of introducing a public option to drive down private insurance prices is a basic concept, but it's complicated once you delve into the specifics. CBS does not say how many poll respondents were journalists, pundits, congressional staffers or political strategists.

It also stands to reason that health reform ideas are confusing because a final proposal doesn't exist yet, and some of those ideas aren't actually on paper. 60 percent (vs. 31 percent) said President Obama hasn't done a good enough job of explaining things...but from what Marc reported earlier today, that's about to change.

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Comments (5)

Qjake

Of course, the establishment media--and its groupies here at Ambinder's--bear no responsibility for confusing the public with mixed messages. No, it's the public's own fault for being too harried, too distracted, made to feel too uninvested to separate truth from falsehood. Isn't that right?

ApostasyUSA

Not one mention of the media and it's roll in educating the public on these concepts.

Maybe if we could get the media to stop proliferating the fake dramas being written for them by opponents of health care reform, our leaders would be able to have time to actually work on reform and not just constantly having to dispel the propaganda.

As our cursory main stream media fights to create sensationalism comparing facts to opinions the mission of the healthcare profiteers slowly comes to fruition as the R’s and D’s become divided through propaganda displayed for profit, in spite of the facts.

Hey Republicans!!! Where was your opposition orientation when we were spending twice as much as this health bill, killing 4300 Americans, 100,000 Iraqi's and leave millions of Iraqi's homeless?

Oh yea, you were applauding it from your churches.

Having an opposition orientation based on tragedian political rhetoric fed to you by the dumbest yet highest paid radio talking heads does not create a government of, by and for the people.

How many of you fake conservatives are collecting SS? Medicare benefits, VA pension? Tax dollars fund it all and I'd bet no one could find a Grandma anywhere willing who isn't rich whop would rip up those checks.

If you prefer a government that governs the least that's exactly what you are going to get. I don't believe there can be a intelligent debate with toe tapping Republican propagandists hacks. Hacks don't want to talk, they just want to be mad about something and government is an easy target. During the Bush days, the hacks were mad at Saddam, for the wrong reasons but it didn't stop them from supporting a two trillion dollar tax payer funded unjust war did it? Republican leaders said, "hey be mad at this", now they are saying, "hey be mad at this".

The fatalistic elderly of our nation fall in line. Real intelligent.

SublimeWoody

From all I've read of HB3200, it seems deliberately vague and convoluted - leaving it open to later interpretation by government committees, various "Czars", et al - which is now coming back hard to haunt Obama.

It is also unhelpful that the Stimulus Bill was rushed through Congress and signed by the President, without anyone actually reading or knowing what was in it. When the country woke up and realized that America is in hock over its head and heading straight into fiscal meltdown, it was far too late. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me. Obama's not going to get many strike two's, if any at all.

Shame, shame, shame on a lackadaisical Congress. The Democrats have opened a vein and are quickly bleeding to death. Suicide? Maybe. 2010/12 is just over the horizon and that will be proof in the pudding.

ApostasyUSA

What happened to the Republicans?

It's led and left now with a bunch of anti-intellectuals that seem to prefer our country to be run by an illegal plumber or a beauty queen that took 6 years to get a journalism degree. It's time the party abandoned the morons that want to teach our children the universe was created 6000 years ago. The conservative of today seems only conservative with three things, intelligence, reason and compassion. Opposition orientation is not a charter, or a policy position.

Hey! At least when Bush was in office I got my $600 economic stimulus check from China.

WordsInRows

67 percent are confused and 31 percent claim to understand. If these percentages hold true throughout the country, I guarantee that the majority of the 31 percent are followers of conservative pundits. These followers seem to be the only peope that believe they know what is going on within this debate and all I am actually sure of is that they are completely misinformed. Therein lies the bigger problem.