Tax cuts were declared more important than new spending to overhaul the nation's health care system by voters surveyed by Rasmussen on Aug. 3 and 4.
In the telephone survey, 54 percent of respondents said tax cuts for the middle class outweigh health care overhaul spending, 34 percent disagreed and 12 percent said they were not sure.
Pollsters noted that the question asked about new government spending for health care reform rather than about the overall concept of health care ovheraul itself.
Breakdown figures from the poll showed 58 percent of Democrats believe new spending for a health care plan is the priority, while 80% of Republicans and 62% of uaffiliated voters favor tax cuts for the middle class.
Recent polling has shown 48 percent of voters now rate the U.S. health care system as good or excellent. That figure has increased significantly since the Congressional debate on health care began.
Wednesday's survey also indicated 76 percent of all voters believe it is at least somewhat likely that taxes will have to be raised on the middle class to cover health care overhaul costs, 59 percent say it is very likely, 18 percent say middle class tax hikes are not likely. Another 14 percent said tax hikes are not very likely and 4 percent think they are not at all likely.
Also, only 28 percent said they would be willing to pay higher taxes so that all Americans can have health insurance, which 60 percent are opposed, a figure that has changed little since May. Recent polling has shown that cost, not universal coverage, is the top concern about health care.
The survey covered 1,000 likely voters, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
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Reminder: the last Rasmussen Poll actually allowed me (a non-subcriber to their Premium Service) the actual demographics of who they polled. And if this is similar, then the only people they asked were those with Health Insurance, which really skews the data.
And of those respondents, 50% were not willing to pay a DIME to improve Healthcare in the USA.
Posted by: afisher
| August 5, 2009 7:50 PM
This is a stupid poll, as tax cuts are absolutely NOWHERE on the current horizon. And it's by Rasmussen, so it's a bit shaky, to be polite.
The question should have been do you or do you not support tax INCREASES on yourself to provide for government run (single payer) health-care in this country? This is the CHOICE the voters need to make.
But this is what Obama and Co. hope people do not realize until it's too late. That's what he means by "Hope & Change".
Posted by: NObama
| August 5, 2009 8:57 PM
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