Taegan Goddard's
Political Wire is running with a finding in the latest
Quinnipiac opinion poll showing Congressional Republicans at their lowest grades since Obama's election on the following points:
- Voters disapprove 64 - 25 percent of the way Republicans in Congress are doing their job, with 42 percent of Republican voters disapproving;
- Only 29 percent think Republicans on Capitol Hill are acting in good faith;
- Voters trust Obama more than Republicans 47 - 31 percent to handle health care;
- Voters 53 - 25 percent have an unfavorable opinion of the Republican Party.
First, let us acknowledge this poll samples registered voters which would produce results that favor Democrats more than a poll that samples likely voters though it skews results less than a sample of adults. That said, the most glaring problem with this poll is the questioning such as we see here:
15. Who do you trust to do a better job handling health care - President Obama or the Republicans in Congress?
No such question is asked comparing Congressional Democrats to Obama's handling of health care. As such question 15 can only lead to an odious comparison between Obama and Congressional Republicans. Far more revealing however, clear majorities of Republicans and Independents do not see Democrats making a good faith effort to cooperate with Republicans as we see in the following response:
21. Do you think Obama and the Democrats in Congress are, or are not, making a good faith effort to cooperate with the Republicans on health care reform?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Wht Blk His
Yes/Making effort 41% 18% 69% 34% 38% 45% 36% 67% 55%
No/Not mkg effort 46 73 16 53 53 39 52 12 34
Those who oppose the Democrats reform do so because it is believed it will expand government and increase deficits. This is the real bad news for Congressional Democrats and Obama found in this poll:
On the negative side, voters don't believe 71 - 19 percent that Obama can keep his promise that health insurance reform will not add to the federal deficit, down from 72 - 21 percent disbelief August 5. Even Democrats believe 50 - 32 percent that health insurance reform will add to the deficit.
That a high percentage of Republicans are dissatisfied with Republicans in Congress reflects much different concerns than those who see Republicans not being cooperative. The overwhelming fear among Republicans is that they will be too
cooperative. Lest anyone forget however, Democrats control the government right now. That their proposals for reform have generated strong opposition is a secret the media would like to keep from voters. There is no easier way to hide that message than focusing on absurd comparisons between Obama and the minority party who don't have the votes to stop ObamaCare unless there is a groundwell of public opposition to the program. The Quinnipiac buries the notion in the last line of their report:
"They trust Obama more than congressional Republicans on health care. Yet there is no groundswell of support of his health care plan itself."
Political Wire buries it in the headline:
Ed Morrissey at Hot Air shows how the Pew poll that samples with a huge partisan split shows Obamacare rejected by a margin of 13 points. As Ed notes this portion of a poll released earlier in the week but was withheld from release until today. There is no easier way to lie to the public than through statistics. Nevertheless, the main stream media fall over themselves to invent new and creative ways to hide the sad truth, the public doesn't support this health care reform.
H/T:
Memeorandum
