Poll: Obama Health Care Marks Hit New Low

(CBS)

President Obama's approval rating on handling health care is at an all-time low, according to a new CBS News poll, something that is helping to drag down his overall approval rating.

Just 36 percent of Americans approve of Mr. Obama's handling of health care, according to the poll, conducted from Jan. 6 – 10. Fifty-four percent disapprove. In December of last year, 42 percent of Americans approved of the president's handling of health care, and 47 percent approved in October.

Yet things could be worse: With Democrats in Congress continuing to negotiate the terms of their comprehensive health care package, both Congressional Republicans and Democrats receive even lower marks than the president on the issue, the poll shows.

About six in 10 Americans continue to disapprove of how both Democrats and Republicans in Congress are handling health care reform: 57 percent disapprove of how Democrats are handling the issue, while 61 percent disapprove of how Republicans are handling it.

CBSNews.com Special Report: Health Care

Approval among each party's own supporters is also low. Just 48 percent of Democrats approve of how Democrats in Congress are handling health care, while only 43 percent of Republicans approve of how their party in Congress is handling the issue.

Moreover, there is little consensus that the reforms under consideration represent the right approach. Only about one in five Americans thinks the reforms strike the right balance when it comes to expanding coverage, controlling costs and regulating insurance companies.

The public is divided on whether the reforms go too far or not far enough in providing health coverage to as many Americans as possible, and about four in 10 think the reforms do not do enough to lower costs or regulate insurance companies.

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CBS News Poll Database
Read the Complete Poll

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This poll was conducted among a random sample of 1,216 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone January 6-10, 2010. Phone numbers were dialed from random digit dial samples of both standard land-line and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups is higher.

This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

[amybritt122]

Obviously those who are against the health care plan have never had to sit by and watch a loved one suffer from a sickness and not be able to get the care they need because they don't have thousands of dollars for treatment or insurance. Well i have, and its heartbreaking.If you have insurance or can afford to go to the doctor, and get the treatments you need ,well great for you, but alot of people don't! when I get sick I have to call around to my friends and family to see if they have any antibiotics leftover that I can have,and I know other people that have to do tthe same thing.So all you know it all Republicans please tell me what are we supposed to do ? Republicans will waste the Government time and money trying to repeal healthcare when they should be worried about going forward with other pressing issues ,like employment and the like. if you don't want healthcare ,fine, but ruin it for the rest of us that desprately need it NOW !!!

[amybritt122]

Obviously those who are against the health care plan have never had to sit by and watch a loved one suffer from a sickness and not be able to get the care they need because they don't have thousands of dollars for treatment or insurance. Well i have, and its heartbreaking.If you have insurance or can afford to go to the doctor, and get the treatments you need ,well great for you, but alot of people don't! when I get sick I have to call around to my friends and family to see if they have any antibiotics leftover that I can have,and I know other people that have to do tthe same thing.So all you know it all Republicans please tell me what are we supposed to do ? Republicans will waste the Government time and money trying to repeal healthcare when they should be worried about going forward with other pressing issues ,like employment and the like. if you don't want healthcare ,fine, but ruin it for the rest of us that desprately need it NOW !!!

[jappenzeller2]

It's amazing how people are interpreting these polls. Most people want a public option, most people trust the dems more than repubs with healthcare and most people who are against the bill don't think it went far enough. Yet the conservatives interpet this as them winning elections in november.
Here's a simple question, if someone says the bill doesn't go far enough which party do you think they'll vote for?
The republicans are going to be hurting bad in november if they keep assuming everyone mad at obama is going to vote for them.

[bigsnugs]

if over 50% of the american people don't want heath care reform and its still a topic of discussion, rather dem, repub, or independent. you have to start to ask yourself, do i live in america or iran? that may seem extreme to some, but why the insistance to do this if not just for more control of the american people.

[pezmiztix]

an emphatic deny to obama, his drones, and the entire progressive ideology. karmic irony demanded that kennedy's seat be pulled out from underneath him by the people. as always, obama and his worker drones will claim that this amazingly awesome defeat has nothing to do with his policies.

[bobjimflys]

I know that 60%+ of US citizens do not want this health care Reform bill. If I say I do not like it, you have the worshippers say you do not know what you are missing. That is the problem I know what I do not want. This ill thought, written by the Apollo Group a bunch of loser Politicians with Grand ideas, with no meat on it to solve the problems. Pass this Bill now, you get a couple of things, something for Barack to say hey look I can hang my hat now, a bill that gives away medical care to some of the poplulation, but there is no one to play doctor for them, and then you have the self induced Crash of the US dollar as a result of this Straw that Broke the Camels Back bill. The dollar will lose 50% value by 2011 and this country will never ever be able to recover. So when I say no WE DO NOT want this BILL, I am SERIOUS, and please get the blind worshippers out of the way. We need to KILL THE BILL. Thank you

[velma179]

Get back to us in 2011....

If the dollar hasn't lost 50% of it's value as a result of health care reform -- or any of President Obama's policies -- will you please admit you are wrong.

You will be.

You're wrong in everything else you said -- but this comment was just so over the top gloom and doom, as if you WANT America to fail... I had to address it.

[velma179]

It amazes me that after almost an entire year... so many people still have no idea what the health care legislation offers. You have no idea what the actual "meat" of the reform is because you have been given little pieces of controversy to rail against. It's sad.

No, with many of you are so off base and misinformed, it is tragic. You've been fed some bad bulloney and you made sandwiches that you keep chomping on, regurgitating and chomping on again.

Sheesh.

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By the way -- anyone interested in a fact that has not been widely reported.

Ben Nelson withdrew his "deal" for Nebraska to have Medicaid paid for in full by the federal government. He said the states need to be treated fairly. Some of what is being debated now, is how to do that and not affect the deficit. The bill will go to CBO before it ever gets a vote -- that is standard procedure, by the way.

But my guess is that if many of you didn't hear about Nelson's move on Fox, Breitbart, Limbaugh's show, NewsBusters, Sarah Palin's FaceBook page or any number of places you get your "fair", "unbiased" information... you won't believe me.
Too bad. Truth is an awesome experience.

[iirishamerican]

I think it's you that have been eating obama flavored sandwitches that you sarted munching on when he opened his mouth during the campaign. You fell in love and convinced yourself that you will agree with him no matter how obsurd, underqualified, and inexperienced his and his administrations policies or attempted polices are. If truth is so awesome than why can't obama ever tell the truth. Oh but you wouldn't know about that bacause your so busy watching cBS and abc learning about obamas dog and his wifes haircut.lol

[velma179]

hahahahahaha...

by iirishamerican January 15, 2010 6:28 PM EST

You can't even come up with an original thought!

---------
The difference between you and I:

I am smart enough to know not to make absolute statements about other people who I can't possibly know for certainty are correct ( I say "But my guess is..." ).

You, on the other hand use your poor grasp of English language skills to tell ME what I do and think.

You use hyperbole and think you are funny... Obama most certainly can tell the truth, to imply he hasn't ever is ludicrous... and frankly ii... you aren't remotely funny.

You are the opposite.

[mary-miami]

Healthcare is a human right. Everybody has a right to have access to a doctor/dentist/optometrist...Good health is a right of all people not just the rich. All Democrats should unite in this effort to provide healthcare to all people of the United States...whether you are a liberal, moderate or an independent...we are the one party who cares about all people...the republicans created havoc to the economy and now they are trying to place doubt in the minds of people about how the economy will recover...The American economy will indeed recover...but it will take time to fix the disaster that Bush made.
We will get through this Depression just like we got through the first one. Remember that what benefits one American, benefits the nation. President Obama is a good President who truly cares about our country and it's people.

[justenough09]

your president has been in office for a year now and what he has done is lie to the American people.IF HE CARED SO MUCH FOR THE POOR PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY he would not have frozen S.S. benefits .No one got a cost of living raise this year are will receive one for 2011.this was done by the Obama adminastration.All so the Democrats have controled the house when Bush was in office.If you wont this government to control your life thats up to you but i am a free man and this socialist government will not dictate to me.

[velma179]

by justenough09 January 15, 2010 3:30 PM EST

The USA has only one president. He is OUR president.

People like you that don't know this are the problem in America, not the answer.

Our current president is NOT a socialist and neither is this current government -- but I'd much rather it actually BE socialist than anything an un-American, complainer like you wants!



PS -- You are complaining about your Social Security money in the same sentence as a complaint about socialism...?? You have no clue how fundamentally hypocritical that is, do you?

[stopcongressNOW]

Completely outraged with the back room deals in secret! Americans do not want any part of this and I am appauled that congress and the President are allowed to work in this manner! Everyone who knows someone in MA, call them and urge them to vote for Brown!

I pray that this will go to the courts and be found unconstitutional! I pray criminal charges also be brought against some of our so called elected officials!

[Stevenapoli7]

So we are getting this even thougth we don't want it, increases taxes, harder to get appointments. What am i missing?

[Mortar_29]

You got it.

[jwesel1]

So we are getting this even thougth we don't want it, increases taxes,

Having burned by private insurance companies, I do want public option, an no, my taxes are not going up because I make less than $250,000.

harder to get appointments. What am i missing?

You are missing the truth if you only watch Faux news