Public Still Doesn't Understand Obamacare

These charts were made with information from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Poll taken of 801 Georgia adults between September 12th and 17th (with a 5 point margin of error). Although this survey was just done in Georgia, I doubt its results are very different in any of the other Southern States -- and that makes it interesting, since that is the part of this country where the strongest opposition to Obamacare is (and where most states are controlled by Republicans).

What's immediately apparent (top chart) is that a large percentage of the population (62%) say they still don't understand Obamacare -- and that percentage is even higher than the percentage that disapproves (57%) of Obamacare. This actually makes sense, because it is natural for people to be afraid of (and oppose) changes that they don't fully understand. In fact, the biggest failing of Obamacare so far may be that the government hasn't adequately explained the program to the people (and allowed the Republicans to spread lies about it).

And considering that 62% of the population doesn't understand the program fully, the results shown in the second chart are pretty exciting. Even though the GOP has spread lies and tried to scare the population into believing that Obamacare would be a disaster, most don't want the program repealed. Only about 28% would like to see Obamacare completely repealed and another 21 would like for some of it to be repealed (and some of it kept as law). Meanwhile 14% would keep it just as it is and another 31% want to wait and see if it works out. Those are pretty good numbers for a red state.

And it gets even worse for the GOP in this very red state. It turns out that about 60% would like to see medicaid expanded as called for in Obamacare, while only 31% are opposed to that (bottom chart). And that's not the only part of Obamacare that people support. About 71% support allowing children to stay on their parents' insurance until they are 26 years old. About 50% favor limiting the amount insurance companies can charge older people. About 66% support eliminating pre-existing conditions. And about 58% support requiring insurance companies to cover birth control pills and contraceptive devices.

The only provision of Obamacare that people really oppose is the requirement to purchase insurance or pay a penalty. And that is probably because they don't realize how small a percentage of the population that provision would affect. This is the area where the Republican lies have been the most effective. They have managed to make many believe this provision would affect a large part of the population and amounts to a new tax on most people. Of course it isn't true, and once the law is fully implemented and the people realize that, I expect many more will support Obamacare.

The Republicans know that. That's why they are so desperate to repeal it right now. There's no way it could be repealed once most people know the truth -- that Obamacare is not perfect, but is a big improvement over the current system.