Public Policy Polling shows strong opposition to the health-care bill in two competitive North Carolina districts held by Democrats. In the second district, represented by Bob Etheridge, 53 percent of voters oppose the bill and 37 percent support it. In the 11th district of freshman Heath Shuler, the spread is 57–35.
According to the poll: While 60 percent of Democrats in each district support the bill and 90 percent of Republicans oppose, 68 percent of Independents in Etheridge’s district and 60 percent in Shuler’s district oppose the bill.
In both districts 56 percent of voters think that the bill will result in higher health care costs. In Shuler’s 55 percent think it will lead to a worse quality of health care and in Etheridge’s 54 percent feel that way.
The health-care debate could have adverse consequences for Etheridge and Shuler at the polls this year regardless of how they vote personally. 46-47 percent of voters say they’re less likely to support them if it passes, with only 26 percent saying they’re more likely to do so.
This might matter if anyone still cared about voters.
– Joseph D. Coletti is director of fiscal and health-care policy studies at the John Locke Foundation.