Intensity Gap Closing in Health Care Debate

Worth Clicking: Blasts from the past wound Romney

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September 14, 2009

Intensity Gap Closing in Health Care Debate

After a summer of angry debate and protests, a new Washington Post/ABC News poll finds Americans remain almost deadlocked in their opinion of the Democrats' health-care initiative, with 46% in favor of the proposed changes and 48% opposed. There is also a clean split on Obama's handling of the issue, with 48% approving and the same number disapproving.

Key finding: "But since mid-August, the percentage 'strongly' behind the president on health care has risen to 32 percent, evening out the intensity gap that has plagued him on the subject."

Though 55% say they like the idea of a public insurance option in the health care plan, if that single provision were removed, opposition to the overall package drops by six percentage points. Backing away from the provision might hurt Obama among his base, but not dramatically so, as 88% of liberal Democrats support the reform plan as is, 81% without the public option.

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Taegan D. Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country, including the Washington Post, USA Today, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer and Christian Science Monitor.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

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September 14, 2009