WASHINGTON (CNN) - As President Barack Obama's health care proposals face opposition at town halls across the country, a new poll indicates American's opinions of how Obama is handling the issue have not changed.
Forty-three percent of people questioned in a Gallup national survey released Wednesday say they approve of how the president's handling health care, with 49 percent opposed.
The 43 percent approval rating is down just one point from a Gallup poll conducted in the middle of July. The 49 percent who oppose the president is also down a point from last month's survey. That's well within the poll's sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points.
The new Gallup poll was conducted August 6-9, as lawmakers were beginning their summer recess, and as coverage of people at town halls protesting the president's health care reform proposals increased across the media.
"The good news for the White House is that the town hall protests have not affected views of Obama," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "The bad news for the White House is that a plurality of Americans had a negative view of Obama on health care before the town hall protests began."
One thousand and ten people were questioned by telephone for the Gallup poll.
From CNN Politics
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If Obama and the Dems were smart, they'd drop this socialised medicine idiocy before it hammers them even worse.
So I guess the libs can just ram it through. I myself would like to know why there is no tort reform. $300 billion is lost through malpractice insurance and defensive medicine, yet the libs don't tackle this issue, why? Could it be so much of their support comes from bottom feeding trial lawyers or is it something else. Hussein has just not addressed this. Also, can Hussein and all the other libs stand up and tell us it isn't going to cost any more money (in taxes or premiums) when every credible source says it will. We are not getting answers to these questions, just being called names for asking them.
Let's take a look at the computers of the big mouths spouting their false accusations at the town hall meetings. My $ is on the fact that they have visited one of the numerous sites dedicated to disrupting and ruining any discourse. Their heroes (fat boy/Shammity/Levin/Coulter) have provided more than enough propaganda for the lemmings to absorb and with the tactics purported by the websites, they have all they need to go into the meetings and yell, stand up and posture, accuse and basically prevent any kind of real debate. All they want o do is to make the proposal look bad so other weak minded people will join in. Even though Palin's death panel, and the electronic surveillence rumors have both been completely busted, the sheep continue to use them as examples of the dangers of the proposal
just wait until the defecit continues to grow, states start going bankrupt due to his social policies and a second stimulus is needed. I'm betting his poll approval numbers drop to around 25%.
Victory for the American people WILL happen.It may not be perfect but it is the beginning of the end for the Corporate Fascists now cleaning our wallets and purses and leaving us to die.
The President's plan gets an A+++; the fact that he handed it over to Congress to create the actual bill gets an F – sorry to say, Congress always mucks things up. For health reform to get back on track, the President now needs to take control.
Note to republicans: "rammed down our throats" is the catch phrase this week. Be sure to use this phrase in any discussion of healthcare reform. Have a nice day!
How come I never get polled????????? I support President Obama on Healthcare Reform as a matter a fact I think the People who Voted for Barack Obama and Support him needs to UNITE, He needs us just like he needed us during the Campaign lets put a stop to the Fear mongering right wing lunaticts!
The question is misleading.
While I support how the President is doing, my avowedly socialist wife is mad that he's not doing enough. So, I'd say at least 1/3-1/2 of the disapprove people are folks like her who want single payer.
These "protestors" at the Town Hall events are the same lunatics that attended Palin rallies and screamed slurs at Obama. Giving them some new found respect as "people with real concers" is a bunch of crap on the part of the media.
These people are a bunch of "know-nothings" (and proud of that fact) and are in fact maybe a little crazy.
I suugest that CNN do some real journalism, not the lazy kind you currently practice, and do reports that expose these manipulated fanatics for what they are.
If they continue their craziness, I want dibs on the "Brown Shirt" booth at the next town hall.
I do not want to pay for any health care other than for myself and my family. If someone does not do enough work to buy health care, I did not cause his, or her, or her child's (to be PC and inclusive) problem.
Everyone who says they want their freedom back make me laugh. You have no idea how much freedom there is in this country. You are pathetic.
43% approve of Obama's handling of healthcare. Under his tax policies 46% of working people pay no income tax. I am sure all the people with no skin in the game don't care cause it won't cost them. I wonder how many of the 43% are trial lawyers who will not share in any pain if this bill is passed.
I think CNN is being lenient on the poll numbers. I think it is much higher against the Health reform. The "Staged" town forum that Obama had yesterday was a joke. What soft questions and it just irritates me his snub and mocking people's concerns. He definitely has this better than thou attitude. I thought he was suppose to be the man for all!! he sure is showing his true colors.
People are geniuinely upset and it obviously has the Democrats upset because people are finally questioning their motives, tactics and free all spending. Like i said before, you want to prove Health care reform is the way to go, have everyone up there in Washington enroll in the plan and then maybe i will start listening a bit. Until then, I will keep disagreeing with what the hidden agenda's are in this health reform bill. and just to put a thought in it, why did they have to change it from Health reform to Health INSURANCE reform. that should be the first clue to something "fishy" going on.
Keep up the good work people!!!
People, its quite simple. Health insurance costs so much money in this country because of LAWSUITS. Why won't the Dems support Tort reform? Oh right, because they have trial lawyers in their pockets. That's the reason, plain and simple
The media is sensationalizing the hostility at these town hall meetings. I attended one and to hear the media report about what occurred and what actually occurred was not only exaggerated, but, it was a flat-out lie. Nice journalism!
Your poll is not the right question. Many whom disapprove of the presdidents handling of the health care reform question are unhappy that enough reform is not being proposed (single payer advocates). To assume that are whom say they are unhappy are oppose to refrom is just wrong. I have seen this misrepresentation continually in the media. This is borne out by the overwhelming polls that show America wants reform. Ask the right question and represent it correctly.
IF you go back and look at history... the same debate occurred in 1965...about Medicare. You walked into a doctors office and the doctor had a pamphlet on the waiting room table that warned against t socialized Medicare... See historynet.com medicare 1965....Well we have Medicare now.. Where can you get a health insurance for under $100 a month that pays so well as Medicare and does NOT ask about pre exisitng conditions?.. Medicare is a bargain..
Do these 'protesters' realize that medicaid and medicare and social security and police and fire are all socialized programs? I didn't think so. You have to be seriously dumb and uneducated to be a republican.
The government promotion of health care reform continues to side step the need to explain specifics of the plan. Generalities lead to the confrontrations witnessed at the town hall meetings. First, the presenter, the Congressman running the meeting, needs to understand the plan. That means spending the time to read and digest the essence of the plan itself. Then the presenter must develop a simplified summary "bulletized" slide showing the benefits and the costs without sugar coating the information. What will I gain from the plan based upon age, level of income, medical conditions, etc. What will I have to pay based upon the same parameters. Ramming the plan through, as is the government effort to date, is not the way. Frankly, the value of the plan is illustrated by the Congress rejecting the plan for their own coverage. How hypocritical.
Maybe we can poll the people that OBAMA had shipped in on the BUS at his town hall meeting.
Listen people, when Social Security and Medicare first came out they were probably called socialistic programs too. They're run by the federal government, but I don't see the millions of recipients protesting their checks every month. Stop the hypocrisy!
I appeal to everyone..............join us please in destoying this guy
Oh my! CNN and MSNBC are in trouble! The candidate they supported seems to be in trouble....
I am so tired of these stupid polls. No has called me! One thousand and ten people were questioned by telephone for the Gallup poll. How many people live in the United States? Give me a break! As far as Health Care Reform goes something has to happened. Our insurance premiums are going through the roof. I have PPO insurance and it's very costly. I am tired of paying for those who are uninsured! Everyday the ER receivestons patients who are uninsured. Those patients are treated and sometimes admitted to the hospitals for days. This cost is past onto you and I. I see it everyday as a healthcare professional. Something has to happend! I think everyone should get the facts and stop getting it word of mouth or crappy talkshows. Find out the facts!!!