Health care and the youth vote
Michael Barone says that the group among whom Obama is most popular — the young — are also the least concerned about health care as an issue, let alone Obama’s massive restructuring of the American medical industry:
the segment of the electorate that did most to produce the Obama victory and give the Democrats large majorities in Congress is the least concerned and least informed about health care. That segment is the 18 percent of voters under 30. Young voters preferred Obama to John McCain by a 66 percent to 32 percent margin, according to the exit poll.
Voters 30 and over preferred Obama by only a 50 percent to 49 percent margin. Some 63 percent of the young voted Democratic for the House of Representatives. Only 51 percent of the rest of Americans did so. Without the young, the votes would clearly not be there for what the Democrats are trying to force through.
But what do the young know or care about health insurance? They have the fewest medical problems of the whole population. Their image of health care, at least until they become pregnant and have babies, is university health services. You come in if you feel like it, someone else pays, you get some pills or some counseling, or whatever.
As for the downside of government insurance, pollster Scott Rasmussen reports that the young favor capitalism over socialism by only a 37 percent to 33 percent margin. The rest of us prefer capitalism by a 57 percent to 17 percent margin.
Last July we said: “Imagine being governed by the media and the kids. They’ll take the car, spend all our money, and post the video of their party on YouTube.” And now it has happened. Good grief! (HT: Mickey Kaus)
June 13th, 2009 at 2:36 am
Awesome site, I just found you from a happy reader on HotAir!
I had never thought about the “youth health care” = “university health center” example. But I DO have something to add.
I’ve been to a few universities, as an undergrad and as a grad student, and I have to say, the same kind of “DMV” experiences exist at university health centers:
-LOOOOOOONG waiting lines regardless of severity
-rude administrative staff that doesn’t care about ‘customer service’
-you are forced to go to the health center FIRST before you go anywhere else if you have the grad student insurance….. and surprise, surprise, the health center is open only from about 9-5 M-F and three hours on saturday morning
My point is, most students i’ve known HATED the “health center”. drumming up the “long lines” argument would be a wise strategy for the gop and blue dogs fighting obama care.