The new national poll from Quinnipiac finds that Democrats still have their work cut out to sell the new health care law to the public — though the fact of its actual passage has caused an immediate bounce.
The poll asked: “From what you’ve heard or read, do you mostly approve or mostly disapprove of the changes to the health care system just passed by Congress?” The result is only 40% approval to 49% disapproval.
The poll was conducted this past Monday and Tuesday, among registered voters, just after the bill was passed through the House of Representatives. In a poll taken in the days before the vote, 36% approved of the changes under consideration, to 54% against — so there has been an improvement since then.
The poll finds President Obama’s approval rating on the issue of health care at 44%, to 50% disapproval. While the number is in net negative territory, the pre-vote sample put Obama’s rating on health care even lower, at 36%-58%.
In a good sign for Obama, the poll also asked: “Who do you trust to do a better job handling health care – President Obama or the Republicans in Congress?” Here the answer is Obama 45%, Republicans 35%, up from a 42%-42% split before the vote.
Separately, a new Rasmussen poll — using the firm’s likely voter screen — finds support for repealing the bill at 55%, to 42% against repeal.
The Rasmussen poll also asked: “Will the health care plan passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama be good for the country or bad for the country?” The result here was 41% good, to 49% bad — not very different from Quinnipiac’s question on whether people approved of the changes.
