New CNN Poll Shows Public Supports Individual Health Mandate

The most often attacked part of the Affordable Care Act signed into law last year is the individual mandate.  The mandate requires almost everyone to purchase health insurance or pay a fine.  The law goes into full effect in 2014.  The mandate was recently upheld by a federal district appeals court last week, albeit a Republican-led court.  This week the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to take up the act.  A ruling is expected next summer.

There's no doubt in my mind even without the mandate tea baggers and make-believe liberty lovers would still oppose it and would still have protested against it during the 2009 Summer of Hate.  Any policy supported by President Obama will be opposed by Republicans.  That's just the era we live in.

One thing, however, such protesting and constant media attention from the most watched news channel in America did accomplish was to make the public entirely weary of the individual mandate.  It's always polled as unpopular even as other measures of the law generated high support.  But now the first major poll shows the individual mandate is gaining in popularity and has broad public support.  CNN reports public support of the mandate at 52%.

Though you gotta love how CNN portrays it.

Washington (CNN) - The public is divided over the idea of requiring all Americans to have health insurance, according to a new national survey. But a CNN/ORC International Poll also indicates that support for the proposal, a cornerstone of the 2010 health care reform law, has risen since June.

The public is divided?  If any Republican idea had 52% support by the public it would be the greatest and most popular thing ever.  Oh wait, I forgot.  The individual mandate is Republican policy from as far back as the early 90s.  They supported it right on through George W. Bush and right up until it was proposed by Barack Obama in 2009.

Now that it's polling with broad approval it can only mean the pollsters aren't asking the question properly or the fact that Obama is once again tricking everyone.