Majority and Rising for Public Option

October 20, 2009

Public support for a public health insurance option is increasing, according to a new Washington Post/ABC News poll. 57 percent of all Americans now favor a public option, up from 52 percent in mid-August.

The poll also suggests, as pointed out by Greg Sargent, that a majority favors a public option over a bipartisan health care bill.

When this is explained clearly — and the WaPo framing is a far more accurate depiction of the choice the public and lawmakers face — a majority wants the partisan, Dem-only bill with the public option. Indeed, a majority wants the public option more than they want bipartisanship for its own sake. Okay?

In addition, the poll found that the majority of people — more than 60% — oppose a tax on benefits. See more charts and read more on the poll from the Washington Post.