By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist
Like all presidents, Barack Obama says he won't let polls run his administration. Good thing, too. Because Monday's poll results were pretty grim stuff for Obama.
Summed up:
-- A USA TODAY/Gallup Poll said Americans disapprove of his handling of both the economy and of health care reform.
While the results were close to 50-50, especially given the margin of error, the positive numbers for Obama on the economy and health care issues are trending down.
-- The survey's overall approval rating for Obama was 55 percent, the lowest so far.
-- An ABC News/Washington Post poll said Obama's approval rating was 59 percent, again lower than in the past.
-- That survey showed 52 percent of people favored his handling of the economy, down from 60 percent a few months ago.
-- And only 49 percent of the people in the ABC News/Washington Post poll approve of Obama's job on health care.
Given the weakened state of the economy, poll experts continue to say Americans are just taking some of their frustrations out on Obama.
That's partly true. However, Obama also has created some of his own problems.
He was too optimistic on when the economic recovery would happen and how high unemployment would go (it's soared past his earlier prediction).
And Obama's health care reform has been plagued by worrisome cost estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office as well as cautious support from even some fellow Democrats.
Delicious
Digg
Can you say delusional
These post are impressive from reporting poll numbers no one else see's (would be interesting to view the underlying skew) to referencing cost problems with no background. One example for your test that didn't help health, an mri that shows a knee does not need surgery (this is one of the big costs). But it does start the day off with a laugh.
Let's have a govt program fully funded by the people who use it, if thier income is over $30K. Then track the cost/benefit in that program and see if there are any denied treatments (see aforementioned mri). This will prove all of you who want to tell me how to live and choose things in my life. One other thing the rules for the private companies remain unchanged. We'll see who jumps to the new program and what the costs are (since it's not insurance).
We'll see how all your opinions workout in 2010 and 2012.
health insurance reform needed
Time to get educated on health insurance reform - it's a complicated issue, and its passage or failure will affect us all.
Having big for-profit companies that make money by refusing care shouldn't be the only option.
I need more options than that. Is measuring drugs' efficacy a bad thing?
Private insurance and pharmaceutical companies have full time lobbyists and lawyers -- who do you have?
complexity = decrease
The Obama team has placed a long and complex list of interdependent issues upon the desk of the national conversation. I believe that the American people are skeptical because of the confusion and complexity of these programs. Granted, the new president has a great deal to face but it is past time when he should start effectively communicating the issues.
Likewise, the Republicans have an incredible opportunity to effectively communicate and I think they will over time.
-And Obama's health care
-And Obama's health care reform has been plagued by worrisome cost estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office as well as cautious support from even some fellow Democrats.-
A new 'incomplete' analysis by congressional budget experts of emerging House legislation said it would increase deficits by $239 billion over a decade.
CBO does not score any savings from prevention / wellness and the rest, even if Prevention / wellness is an actual and essential part of the savings.
Besides, the Times in a July 7 editorial argued “As much as 30 percent of all health-care spending in this country—some $700 billion a year—may be wasted on tests and treatments that do not improve the health of the recipients,” .
And I think the others such as increased productivity / CONSUMER CONFIDENCE, potential stem cell effect, decreased mental stress, and massive job creation considered, the reform might be within reach.
The report of stem cell research turned around the stock markets world-wide, and then what if the reform package clears the Congress ?
How can anybody expect
How can anybody expect vibrant economic activity / JOB CREATION ( faulted by the non-alternative naysayers to distract a series of scandals ) and housing boom in the context one in two Americans say someone in their family skipped pills, postponed or cut back on needed medical care due to the cost ?
In regard to the stimulus investment, my understanding is as follows:
1. The current surging fuel cost (World oil prices doubled during the last 6 months) is overwhelming the market rally.
And the pending clean energy bill might serve as a second stimulus package world-wide boosting private investments.
2. People are so worried about losing their job, coverage, denial of treatment, which seems to increase bank deposit latetly. That means stimulus funding mainly goes toward bank deposit for a rainy day increasing jobless rate. It proves again that a healthy society yields better productivity, prosperity.
It is time to 'Change' the notion of the public health as a fundamental human right and install 'a safety system for all' like all of the other industrialized nations, I think.
3. The stimulus funding begins to mobilize just 11%, meanwhile, the auto industry has undergone its restructuring with the massive job-related impact.
4. The pandemic swine flu has been hurting the global economy seriously.
And there have been many different polls that show the public is overwhelmingly in favor of Obama's version of reform, which includes a public option (for example, a CBS News/New York Times poll had 72% in favor and even a poll done by healthcare reform opponents showed 83% in favor of the public option).
Additionally, the post buries the news in the paragraph:
On health care, the poll, conducted by telephone Wednesday through Saturday, found that a majority of Americans (54 percent) approve of the outlines of the legislation now heading toward floor action. The measure would institute new individual and employer insurance mandates and create a government-run plan to compete with private insurers. Its costs would be paid in part through new taxes on high-income earners. There are sharp differences in support for this basic package based on income, as well as a deep divide along party lines. Three-quarters of Democrats back the plan, as do nearly six in 10 independents.
Thank You !