From Our Inbox

Republicans support Obamacare by any other name

 

For Republicans, nothing captures what they loathe about Barack Obama’s presidency more perfectly than Obamacare — it’s Big Government run amok and an existential threat to American liberty. But it turns out Republicans like what’s actually in the law.

The Reuters-Ipsos poll taken June 19-23 found that Obamacare remains deeply unpopular: 56 percent of Americans oppose the law vs. 44 percent who favor it. But the poll also found that strong majorities favor the law’s individual provisions — including solid majorities of Republicans.

I asked Ipsos for a partisan breakdown of the data. Key points:

• Eighty percent of Republicans favor “creating an insurance pool where small businesses and uninsured have access to insurance exchanges to take advantage of large group pricing benefits.” That point is backed by 75 percent of respondents who self-describe as independents.

• Fifty-seven percent of Republicans support “providing subsidies on a sliding scale to aid individuals and families who cannot afford health insurance.” That same sentiment is backed by 67 percent of independents.

• Fifty-four percent of Republicans favor “requiring companies with more than 50 employees to provide insurance for their employees.” That idea is backed by 75 percent of independents.

• Fifty-two percent of Republicans favor “allowing children to stay on parents insurance until age 26.” Sixty-nine percent of independents agree.

• Seventy-eight percent of Republicans support “banning insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions”; 86 percent of Republicans favor “banning insurance companies from cancelling policies because a person becomes ill.” Those points are backed by 82 percent and 87 percent of independents, respectively.

And one provision that isn’t backed by a majority of Republicans? The one “expanding Medicaid to families with incomes less than $30,000 per year.”

“Most Republicans want to have good health coverage,” Ipsos research director Chris Jackson told me. “They just don’t necessarily like what it is Obama is doing.”

Bottom line: Big numbers of Republicans and independents favor regulation of the health insurance system. But the law has become so defined by the individual mandate — not to mention the president himself — that public sentiment on the actual reforms has been drowned out. It’s another sign of the conservative messaging triumph in this fight and Democrats’ failure to make the case for the law.

These data also suggest that if the law is struck down, Democrats might be able to salvage at least something from the wreckage by refocusing the debate on the individual reforms they have been championing — and what, if anything, Republicans would replace them with.

Read more From Our Inbox stories from the Miami Herald

  • The one-sided story of gay marriage

    Back in March, when gay-marriage issues exploded upon the Supreme Court, National Organization for Marriage President Brian Brown didn’t appreciate how the media covered the news. His ideological brethren had to fight to get their views into stories in newspapers, online and on television.

  • For mayor of New York, lesser lights in the big city

    Anthony Weiner’s quixotic mayoral candidacy is clearly a bid for redemption, and just as clearly a way to sate his epic, boundless need to be noticed.

  • Clarence Thomas’ legal time machine zooms to 1789

    Don’t let the U.S. Supreme Court’s very contemporary cases on gene patenting and same-sex marriage fool you: At least one justice is still living in the 18th century and doesn’t care who knows it.

Miami Herald

Join the
Discussion

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere on the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

The Miami Herald uses Facebook's commenting system. You need to log in with a Facebook account in order to comment. If you have questions about commenting with your Facebook account, click here.

Have a news tip? You can send it anonymously. Click here to send us your tip - or - consider joining the Public Insight Network and become a source for The Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald.

Hide Comments

This affects comments on all stories.

Cancel OK

  • Videos

  • Quick Job Search

Enter Keyword(s) Enter City Select a State Select a Category