Well, this out to serve as a kick to the balls for supporters of a government take-over of healthcare. In a remarkable turn of events, a majority of Americans now say that it’s not the responsibility of government to provide for healthcare. Just three years ago, two-thirds of Americans believed that healthcare was the responsibility of Uncle Sam.
It’s a change of about 44% over a period of just three years. Forty-four percent. Over thirty-six months.
More Americans now say it is not the federal government’s responsibility to make sure all Americans have healthcare coverage (50%) than say it is (47%). This is a first since Gallup began tracking this question, and a significant shift from as recently as three years ago, when two-thirds said ensuring healthcare coverage was the government’s responsibility.
In fact, it was more than 2/3 back in 2006. A whopping 69% believed that healthcare was government’s responsibility and just 28% disagreed. Now, after a sky-high deficit and heated debate over government-run healthcare, 50% say government doesn’t have a responsibility to provide healthcare.
Why the sudden change? Americans are coming to a full realization of what government healthcare means. They understand that it leads to rationing of care, a degradation of our health system, bureaucrats coming between patients and doctors, higher costs, and programs such as Medicare getting gutted. All in the name of allowing Nancy Pelosi to take over the healthcare system.
It’s not an attractive scenario. And Americans understand that.
by Stephan Tawney on Fri, Nov 13, 2009