Sep 04 2009

Can’t Argue With The Numbers.

This poll, unsavory as it may be, seems to be teaching a very specific lesson. While the great debate has been whether or not Democrats will lose “the vital center” if they push hard for aggressive health care reforms, a greater debate which is being ignored is whether or not the Democrats lose their own base if they punt on the issue.

And there is no shortage of evidence to suggest that the base should be the Democrats primary concern. Our “generic ballot test” asks voters whether they would rather see more Democrats or Republican in Congress next year.

Democrats only hold 70% of their base on that question. The Republicans hold onto 85% of their base. This strongly correlates to the (growing) conventional wisdom that the Democratic base may do something as bad as vote Republican–they may simply choose not to vote.

And here’s a nickel’s worth of free advice to the Obama White House–ditching critical parts of health care reform to appease Republicans, over 90% of which don’t like you anyway, is not the magic elixir that will inspire Democrats to vote in mass numbers.

3 comments

  1. Duh.

  2. I’ve been saving this revealing piece about your favorite lady financial anchor, Maria Bartiromo.

    On tuesday (9/2) Thom Hartmann reported this tidbit on his blog:

    MSNBC’s Carlos Watson hosted Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) and CNBC anchor Maria Bartiromo for a discussion on health care where Bartiromo confronted public option supporter Weiner.”How come you don’t use it [Medicare]? You don’t have it. How come you don’t have it?”

    Rep. Weiner, who turns 45 this week, tried to walk Bartiromo through it. “Because I’m not 65.” But she was insistent. “Yeah… c’mon!” she exclaimed, laughing incredulously. Apparently Bartiromo, a big-shot financial anchor for CNBC, doesn’t realize that you have to be 65 in America to qualify for our single-payer Medicare system, or a veteran to qualify for our socialist medicine systems Tri-Care and the VA.

    Of course, when you’re making huge media salaries and your insurance is paid for by GE, it’s easy to miss such details that only afflict “the little people.”

    OMG…..

    • TMC on September 5, 2009 at 09:22
    • #

    convince the democrats in Congress to pass a health care reform bill that includes a strong government managed Public Option, the someone tell me what has changed from the last 8 years?

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