CNN does its best to promote the America-is-evenly-divided meme that sells copy with its "CNN Poll: Americans split on health care reform" title, but a more accurate and newsworthy title would have been:
Strong majority of Americans support progressive health care reform
The CNN poll breaks down like this on the House HCR bill:
(IF OPPOSE:) Do you oppose that bill because you think its approach toward health care is tooliberal, or because you think its approach toward health care is not liberal enough?
Nov. 13-15 2009 Favor (from Q.11) 46% Oppose, too liberal 34% Oppose, not liberal enough 10% Oppose, other reasons 3% No opinion 8%
In otherwords, 56% of Americans either support the House bill and its public option OR WANT MORE! Only 1/3 of Americans - in other words, a clear minority -- oppose the bill for being too liberal. Even if we give the conservatives the "other reasons" respondents, they still don't hit 40% in their opposition.
