Just hours before President Obama is set to address a joint session of Congress, a new health care opinion poll is giving his administration cause for concern.
President Obama’s disapproval ratings for health care have increased to 52 percent in a AP/GFK poll. His overall approval ratings have also taken a hit: 49 percent of those polled disapprove of his actions in office, a seven percent increase from July.
Obama’s health care disapproval has increased since July, when it bottomed out at 43 percent. 49 percent of people disagree with the health care overhaul being discussed by Congress, while 34 percent of those polled favor it.
In a CBS News poll, 54 percent of people polled agreed that “if there are no government reforms, the health care system will get worse.” 80 percent of the people in the same poll felt that they “see the U.S. health care system as needing major changes.” Another 80 percent told CBS News that feel insurance companies should cover “anyone who applies for health insurance regardless of whether or not they have a pre-existing medical condition.” The other 20 percent probably work for insurance companies or have some understanding of the economic consequences of that sort of policy.
In a Pew poll, 56 percent of Americans feel the President has the best interest of the people in regards to health care. But only 45 percent of Americans feel the same way about Congressional Democrats, who have been taking a barely legal pounding at town hall meetings in recent weeks.
Analysts predict that Obama’s speech tonight will impact, for better or worse, his disappointing poll numbers.
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