In the week since the House of Representatives voted to approve a health care reform package that is estimated to cost $940 billion over ten years and give health care coverage to 32 more millions of Americans, Democrats have flooded the airwaves to stress that negative public polls on the plan will switch once the public learns more of its benefits.
Since the general election is still over seven months away, they have substantial time to do so.
And they'll need it.
According to a Mason/Dixon poll published on Sunday, only 34% of Floridians support the bill, while 54% are against it.
Among independents, 62% are against, 34% support it, and amongst seniors, always a revered demographic in Florida politics, 65% oppose, with only 25% supporting it.
President Obama's personal opinion ratings are at a nadir in the Sunshine State as well, as Maxon/Dixon shows only 37% of those surveyed approving his current job performance.
And Florida's senior Senator, Democrat Bill Nelson, is definitely feeling the unpopularity of the landmark legislation in his home state. His popularity in the poll has dropped 18% from when he was re-elected in November of 2008, going from 54% to 36%, dropping below Obama's numbers. Brad Coker with Mason Dixon told the Tallahassee Democrat that its seniors who are leading the negative surge:
"Among senior voters, his unpopularity is even more serious," said Coker. Only 29 percent of voters over 65 viewed Nelson favorably, while 39 percent have an unfavorable opinion of him
"Among senior voters, his unpopularity is even more serious," said Coker. Only 29 percent of voters over 65 viewed Nelson favorably, while 39 percent have an unfavorable opinion of him.
This article appears in Mar 24-30, 2010.