Just Asking

Thursday, July 16, 2009

New McClatchy-Ipsos poll

A new McClatchy-Ipsos poll (at http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/3272692)
listed the following huge polling margins (all are greater than 29 points but one) on these varied topics:

"On other health care questions, the poll found that Americans:
Support tax breaks to small businesses to help provide insurance, by 91-8 percent.
Want the government to have the power to negotiate drug prices, by 71-25.
Want to order businesses to offer insurance to employees, by 70-28.
Support mandating individuals to have insurance, by 69-26.
Want limits on malpractice awards against health care providers, by 62-31.
Support higher taxes on alcoholic beverages to help pay for health care, by 59-39.
Oppose higher taxes on soft drinks, by 51-42.
Oppose a national sales tax or value added tax, by 61-32.
Oppose taxing people on the value of their employer-provided health insurance, by 64-32."

I find this to be an odd mixture of limited government views (red font) and big government views (blue font). But with these huge poll margins, both Republican and Democrat elected officials ought to be listening, because I doubt that Americans are going to change their minds on any of these issues!