Progressives (Liberals)

The only high road the GOP can claim is trying to keep babies safe in their mothers’ wombs,

I question whether she is getting any real traction. 70% is a bit too much. We don't want to penalize people for being successful in business.

60% would be much more realistic.

Traction. The public would support it if the congress could be persuaded to act.

Just shows that the public is more enlightened than the bunch sworn to govern for them.

For which, I blame the public.

The idea is also popular, according to the new Kaiser poll. Fifty-six percent of Americans “strongly favor” or “somewhat favor” the idea, compared with 42 percent who “somewhat oppose” or “strongly oppose.”

But it’s an open question just how strong or solid that support is.

When Kaiser asked respondents whether they thought they could keep their current insurance under a Medicare for all scheme, 57 percent said they could. In reality, the whole point of Medicare for all would be to wipe away current insurance arrangements and replace them with a new public plan.


Proponents of Medicare for all know this. They argue that the public plan would be simpler, more comprehensive and ultimately less costly for most Americans.

Kaiser actually tested to see how some of those arguments would affect public opinion and, sure enough, people were even more excited about Medicare for all when they heard, among other things, that it would eliminate premiums, copays and deductibles.

But Kaiser also tested some of the arguments that Republicans and other opponents of Medicare for all have made against such schemes ― and already are making now. When respondents heard that Medicare for all would eliminate private insurance, for example, support dropped dramatically, with just 37 percent favoring it and 58 percent opposing.

Kaiser also asked respondents about some other Democratic ideas that call for creating or expanding government-run insurance but without making it a system for everybody. These ideas include some relatively moderate steps, like opening up Medicare to people 55 and over ― or offering Medicaid to anybody without access to employer coverage.

Yet another idea Kaiser tested is a more ambitious initiative that would create a new government-run insurance plan open to anybody, on a voluntary basis. In this scheme, employers would have the option to keep offering their own plans, thereby giving their employees a choice.

In Kaiser’s polls, these proposals were even more popular than Medicare for all, although Kaiser didn’t test how these ideas held up to common conservative criticisms.

Another poll finding was about priorities: 51 percent of self-identified Democrats think it’s more important for their party to focus on improving and protecting the Affordable Care Act, while 38 percent think it’s more important to pass Medicare for all.

Another poll finding was about priorities: 51 percent of self-identified Democrats think it’s more important for their party to focus on improving and protecting the Affordable Care Act, while 38 percent think it’s more important to pass Medicare for all.