Polls Showcase National Divisions, Opinions About Health Reform

A year has passed and polls still highlight the steadiness in the public rift on the health law.

The New York Times' Prescriptions Blog: Polls Highlight Split On Health Care Law
One year after President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law, the public remains confused about the legislation, divided on its passage and unconvinced that it will improve health care. And a significant partisan rift persists as Democrats continue to have positive reactions to the law and Republicans remain negative about it (Connelly, 3/23).

National Journal: Breaking Down the Health Care Polling
CNN/ORC polls conducted in December and August of 2010 found public opinion to be very similar, with 54 percent opposing it in December while just 43 percent approved. In early August, 56 percent opposed the law while 40 percent favored it. In March 2010, as the bill was in its final stages in Congress, 59 percent opposed it and only 39 percent favored it. The divide between Americans who oppose the measure because it is too liberal and those who are against it because it is not liberal enough has also held steady: 43 percent oppose it because it is too liberal in the latest poll, while 13 percent oppose it because it is not liberal enough - a split largely consistent with the polls taken in December, August and March (Sullivan, 3/23).

Fox News: Studies, Polls Rain On First Anniversary Parade Of Health Care Law
Obama's campaign arm, Organizing for America, which has since been assimilated into the Democratic National Committee, arranged more than 100 events this week to laud the legislation while Health and Human Services Department officials, including Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, fanned out to town hall and advocacy group events. At the same time, House Speaker John Boehner and Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell slammed the law in an opinion article published in the Cincinnati Enquirer, and Republicans spent the day tweeting their intentions to return to the repeal mantle (3/23).