CNN poll: 57% oppose Obamacare, GOP gets blame for government shutdown
Opposition to Obamacare has hit its highest level since March 2011, according to the latest CNN poll, but Americans place the blame for the government shutdown largely on Republicans.
The poll of 803 American adults, conducted between Sept. 27-29, found that 57 percent oppose Obamacare, while only 38 percent support the law. Congressional Republicans have tried to delay the law through the Continuing Resolution, but have been met with resistance from the White House and Senate Democrats.
These policy disagreements have prevented President Barack Obama and House Republicans from coming to an agreement on the CR, resulting in a government shutdown.
But the poll, which was taken before the shutdown and released yesterday, found that 68 percent of Americans believe that a government shutdown will be a bad thing and 46% blame Republicans in Congress for the impasse. Just 36 percent blame President Obama.
It’s important to note that the share of blame Republicans received has dropped from a CNN poll earlier this month, from 51 percent to the current 46 percent. The blame President Obama received rose by 3 points.
Sixty percent (60 percent) of Americans said that the most important job Congress has is to approve a budget agreement that would avoid a government shutdown. Just 34 percent believe that Congress should block funding for Obamacare.
Take from the poll what you will, but it indicates that Republicans are still winning the messaging war on Obamacare, despite President Obama and his allies efforts to sell the law to a skeptical American public. It’s too early to guess what the ramifications will be or if Republicans will be able to turn the narrative around. But entering into the shutdown, Republicans have their work cut out for them.