Apparently the American people aren't as stupid as liberals think they are. While many may be overly magnanimous when it comes to the assumed deprivations of their fellow Americans, they don't want socialized medicine for themselves.
From Rasmussen Reports today:
A survey conducted September 29-30 found that 51% of American adults initially supported the notion that health care should be made available for free to all Americans. The survey also found that most Americans (52%) believed that such an approach would decrease the quality of health care in the United States. Just 29% thought it would improve the overall quality of care.
Forty-nine percent (49%) believe that making care available for free to everyone would increase the nation’s overall cost of providing care. Just 22% thought it would result in savings. Fifty-two percent (52%) thought that, when taxes were considered, the proposal would end up costing them more than they pay now. Just 28% thought their own costs would go down.
Despite these concerns, when asked to consider these impacts, 47% of adults continued to support the concept of providing health care for free to all Americans.
However, that support falters when people are asked to support a plan that provides coverage for all but requires everyone with insurance to “change their coverage and join a program administered by the government.” A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey conducted October 9-10 found that just 31% of adults would support that plan.
One big reason for the drop in support is that 68% of those who are already insured believe their own health care coverage would get worse. Only 18% think it would improve.
This poll is VERY revealing.
Americans in general have a recurring fault; it's one that seems benign on the surface, but can lead to great public follies. That fault is that while they usually know personally what a great country this is, what great opportunity they personally have, and how well off they personally are to live here...when it comes to their neighbor, they often buy into the sob stories and class envy promoted by the Left in their quest to get everyone worshipping at the Temple of the Government God.
For instance, back in April the Northwest Area Foundation released a survey built almost completely on how people in South Dakota perceive the poverty and needs of other South Dakotans. One claim of the report was "51 percent (of South Dakotans) know someone in their community who works two or more jobs and is struggling to make ends meet." How they know this, and the accuracy of their perceptions or statements, was not specified. At least one of the questions revealed that the aim of the survey was to prod government officials to dispense more of other people's money. This report wasn't built on facts, but perceptions. There was a lot of perceived need, but did it match up with reality?
Here's what I pointed out in the Rapid City Journal in response to the NAF survey:
In South Dakota, March unemployment was at 3.1 percent. USDL stats for 2005 say the average hourly wage statewide was $14.02, and was $14.18 for Rapid City. Those wages are undoubtedly higher now.
According to Investors Business Daily, in the past five years disposable income has risen 29 percent to $9.68 trillion and 69 percent of Americans own their own home.
Consider also the actual picture of poverty in America, where 43% of poor households own their own home, 80% have air conditioning, 97% have one color TV and more than 50% have two or more, 62% have cable/satellite TV, and more than 33% have an automatic dishwasher.
This Rasmussen report also sheds a lot of light on the chasm between perceptions and reality.
It seems that while many Americans are willing to acquiesce to imposing socialized medicine on their neighbor, when it comes to embracing it for themselves, they don't want any part of that.
THAT speaks pretty loudly, for those with ears to hear.
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