Different Angles of Healthcare Polling

One of the most interesting things about the healthcare polling is the different aspects of the reform that the public is polled on. While many polls look at the popularity of the health care proposals, others look at different factors of the reform

For example, a Rasmussen poll from August 19 looks at how the support for the reform changes if the public option is not a part of the bill. According to the study, only 34% of Americans support the bill if it is does not include a public option. This is compared to the 57% of Americans who oppose the plan if it does not have the public option.

The numbers go further than this. The poll looks at the intensity of the issue, which is also telling. Nine percent of America strongly favors the plan without the public option, while 44% are strongly opposed to it.

Additionally, only 50% of Democrats support the reform without a public option. A week earlier, 69% of Democrats had said they were in favor of the bill without the public option, showing its slipping popularity.

I thought that this was an interesting study. While President Obama has said that healthcare reform will be passed this year, this shows that most Americans don't just want any reform passed. They want the right reform passed, and according to this poll, having the public option makes for the right kind of reform.