A Media General poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research during the past several weeks found that 49 percent of Virginians are against President Obama's health care plan, and that 80 percent fear that a public health care program would raise their taxes.
The data, released Tuesday in newspapers across the state, was collected through 625 telephone interviews with registered voters who said they planned to cast their vote Nov. 3. The results of the poll, according to reports, have a statistical error margin of 4 percentage points.
The poll's results might shed light on commonwealth residents' views about legislators' latest hot-button issue. Obama has advocated a government-run insurance program, noting that he wants to prevent private companies from capping lifetime benefits and denying coverage to those with pre-existing conditions. According to a 2008 U.S. Census Bureau report, as many as 47 million Americans are uninsured, and Democratic leaders have claimed Obama's plan could reduce this number to the benefit of many citizens in need of medical attention.
With 49 percent of Virginians surveyed against the proposal, though, Virginia GOP officials claim the plan does not have wide support - even after Virginia "went blue" in 2008 - and underscores potential problems with changes to the country's current health care structure.
"Virginians know that government run health care would be a disaster," Virginia GOP spokesperson Tim Murtaugh said.
Independent experts, though, cautioned against taking any survey without a grain of salt. Isaac Wood, assistant communications director for the University's Center for Politics and a former Cavalier Daily Opinion columnist, said poll results - especially those about health care - can be deceiving.
"The results depend on how the survey questions are phrased," he said. "It's nearly impossible to generalize the American public's view on health care."
Moreover, without a final version of the Democrats' health care bill available to the public, Wood said it would be difficult to gauge residents' support of it. What is clear, however, is that Americans care deeply about this potentially divisive issue.
With this in mind, law-makers' present focus should be on what Americans want in the health care bill, "not whether they're against this or that generality," said Jessica Smith, communications director for Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va.
Citing a letter written by Webb and a group of other senators, Smith said there is a movement among members of Congress calling for more transparency and public involvement in the reform process. Webb wishes for the bill's complete text and budget to be posted online three days before the Senate's first vote and again before its final vote, Smith added.
"We believe the American public's participation in this process is critical to our overall success of creating a bill that lowers health care costs and offers access to quality and affordable health care for all Americans," Webb's letter stated.
To create a bill that will earn the support of both legislators and the public, however, health care reform discussions will require bipartisan action, Virginia Democratic Party spokesperson Allison Jaslow said.
"Most Virginians agree that the status quo is unsustainable, and the need for real health insurance reform is urgent," she said. "While there are differing opinions on the best way to fix our current health care system, we hope that Congress can work together and pass bi-partisan reform this year."
The very bipartisan action desired by Democratic leaders has the potential to backfire, however, Wood said, as cooperation between both sides may mean very little - or even no - health care reform.'
"Many liberals aren't going to go for anything less than fully public [health care,]" he explained "and there are more than a few conservatives that won't vote for anything that includes a public option"
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