Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
StumblePoll: Passing public option would lift Harry Reid’s re-election chances
Monday, Feb. 22, 2010 | 3:56 p.m.
Sun Coverage
One-third of voters in Nevada say they would be more likely to vote for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid this fall if he wins passage of the public option in the health care bill, according to a poll released today.
Reid continues to trail his potential Republican opponents by double-digit margins, according to the Research 2000 poll. But Reid could peel off 20 percent of support from Republicans Danny Tarkanian or Sue Lowden if he won passage of the public option.
“It looks like there is a path to salvation for him if he not only fights for, but wins, the public option,” said Adam Green of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which commissioned the poll with Credo Action and Democracy for America.
The polling comes as President Barack Obama unveiled a newly drafted health care compromise today in advance of a White House summit with bipartisan congressional leaders on Thursday.
The administration’s $950 billion proposal reignites the issue that has consumed Congress for much of 2009, and was all but dead after the surprising special election of Republican Sen. Scott Brown in Massachusetts which toppled the Democrats’ 60-seat majority in the Senate.
As the White House and Democratic leaders head into those talks with Republicans, the poll showed that bipartisanship may not be so important to voters. Fifty-three percent said passing the public option even with zero Republican votes would make them more likely to vote for Democrats this fall than bringing Republicans to the table (40 percent). The margin was wider among independent voters, who often decide elections in Nevada.
The administration has said it is up to Reid to decide whether to use the budget reconciliation procedure, which only requires a simple 51-vote majority – meaning no likely Republican support -- to pass the public option in health care.
Reid supports the public option, but eliminated it from the final Senate version of the bill that passed in a dramatic Christmas Eve vote when it was unable to get the 60 votes needed for support.
A Reid spokesman said last week that if a decision is made to use the reconciliation process, Reid would work to craft a public option that could secure enough votes for passage.
Overall, health care reform continues to divide Nevadans, with 58 percent opposed to the bill the Senate version of the bill.
The new bill from Obama largely mirrors the Senate bill, but makes several concessions to appeal to House Democrats who wanted more generous subsidies to help families pay for insurance.
The poll of 600 likely voters was conducted Feb. 9-10 by Research 2000.
Discussion: comments so far…
Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy. Additionally, we now display comments from trusted commenters by default. Those wishing to become a trusted commenter need to verify their identity or sign in with Facebook Connect to tie their Facebook account to their Las Vegas Sun account. For more on this change, read our story about how it works and why we did it.
Only trusted comments are displayed on this page. Untrusted comments have expired from this story.
No trusted comments have been posted.
Post a comment
Most Popular
- Viewed
- Discussed
- E-mailed
- Three dreams come true for Flamingo headliner Marie Osmond
- MGM results improve on Las Vegas Strip spending, China growth
- Federal agents join probe into fire at site of future Islamic funeral home
- Strip Scribbles: Shania Twain in town planning Caesars Palace residency
- Judge tosses out suit challenging motorcycle helmet law enforcement
- 15-month-old toddler tests positive for hallucinogenic drug
- Construction project — possibly for a mosque — damaged by fire
- Henderson man pleads guilty to kidnapping 7-year-old girl
- Mother left 3-year-old twins, 5-year-old alone prior to fire, Metro Police charge
- Highs to hit low 70s in Las Vegas
Blogs
The Kats Report
Post it: House of Blues tuning up for a Santana residency
In pursuing a tribute to Frank Sinatra, Robert Davi is no bad actor
High School Sports Scene
High School Basketball State Championship Picks
The Kats Report
Oscar Goodman goes Shecky as Mob Museum opening prompts a mob scene (2 Comments)
Elsewhere
MGM Resorts, Ameristar form marketing alliance to draw visitors
High School Sports Scene
High School Hoops Picks: Updated with Friday's regional finals (3 Comments)
The Kats Report
What a Whitney Houston residency in Las Vegas might have looked like (5 Comments)
The Sun
Locally owned and independent for more than 50 years.
A public option is the only solution that will work. The majority of the country wants a public option. Every other civilized country has a pulic option.
The insurance companies own our politicians, in BOTH parties. What a disgrace!
News update regarding the "Public Option." The otherwise medically uninsurable Dick Cheney is now reported to be "resting comfortably" in the hospital. His comfort no doubt enhanced by the serene knowledge that his care won't cost him one dime.
Facts about this poll:
- This poll was conducted for a "progressive" group that supports Sen Reid. (the group will be conducting robocalls to Nevadans in support of Sen Reid's inclusion of a "Public Option" in the Senate health care bill)
- 5% more democrats were polled than republicans
- 53% of people polled were Obama supporters
- 600 likely Nevada voters were polled over the telephone
Thanks Lisa for another biased article
"But Reid could peel off 20 percent of support..."
___________________
What a careless and biased conclusion to reach. In BOTH polls "Independents" rejected Reid by 58% and 59% which translates into defeat any way you cut it. That's at least a very solid 105,000 votes against Reid.
You should have shown the results of the poll - the questions asked and a little background on
who requested the poll.
To the comment:
"All the rest of the civilized countries have a public option"
You mean all those countries facing unsustainable entitlement programs?
Individual responsibility not government dependence is the answer.
The Sun always produces biased articles for the Progressives.
Obama stated that he is willing to eliminate government shown to be wasteful or ineffective: "there shall be no sacred cows, no pet projects." The Head Start program's effectiveness has failed to improve the outcomes of children who participated compared to others. Instead of eliminating or reducing it, what did they do? Congress passed legislation to create an $8Billion new preschool program. Spend, spend, spend! And this just one program.
AND YOU THINK WE WON'T HAVE HEALTH CARE? Reid and his Democratic progressives are going to shove it down our throats whether we like it or not. The middle class will pay for it. And those Congressmen who are not running for reelection in 2010 could care less...no matter which way they vote, it won't affect them, or their retirement or their healthcare! Well, America, start voting them all out. Change their entitlements: they should live the way we do.