Here's both a confirmatory and a fascinating finding from Gallup: A majority of Americans say the U.S. healthcare law that the Supreme Court recently upheld as constitutional will make things better for those who do not have health insurance and for those who get sick. At the same time, Americans say the law will make things worse rather than better for taxpayers, businesses, doctors, and those who currently have health insurance. Americans are about evenly divided on the impact of the law on hospitals and on themselves personally.Sure, you knew that, But ... look at that partisan breakdown. Perhaps it's true that "a majority of Americans say the U.S. healthcare law that the Supreme Court recently upheld as constitutional will make things better for those who do not have health insurance and for those who get sick." But that's true despite Republicans thinking the opposite.
Republicans think the law will hurt sick people. That's a +67 for Democrats, (i.e., those who feel the law will help sick people minus those who think it will make things worse.) It's a +22 for independents, who worry about the effects on taxpayers and businesses.
However, it's a -32 from Republicans, who are convinced that this law will make things worse not just for those groups, but for sick people. And they can't even bring themselves to say it's a good thing for those without insurance to actually get insurance. They break even on that one, their most positive opinion in the poll.
Bottom line: It is impossible to reach consensus or to expect majority support on issues where Republicans have chosen to use their own belief systems in place of facts.
Want to see that in action in a fun and informative way? Run the same poll in Massachusetts on Romneycare.
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