more about its results.
I ran across one example of the right-wing spin this afternoon while checking Google News. This is from John Fund at the Wall Street Journal:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704132204576285041082834676.htmlPolling Entitlement Reform
A CBS News/New York Times poll reports that a plurality of Americans approve of Rep. Paul Ryan's Medicare reforms.
By JOHN FUND
The CBS News/New York Times poll is thought to skew a little to the left due to its tendency to oversample Democrats. That's why Washington insiders sat up and took notice on Good Friday, when the poll reported that a plurality of Americans actually approve of GOP Rep. Paul Ryan's Medicare reforms.
A startling 47% approved of changing Medicare from a program in which the government "pays doctors and hospitals for treating seniors" to a program in which the government "helps seniors purchase private health insurance." Only 41% disagreed.
-snip-
This is the PDF file for the poll:
http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/86023/new-york-times-cbs-news-poll-april-2011.pdfSome numbers Fund doesn't mention.
From page 15:
41% of those polled give Bush most of the blame for the current federal budget deficit. Only 14% blame President Obama.
Only 29% think a major reduction in the deficit would help with job creation.
56% say providing health care coverage for the poor is the responsibility of the federal government.
76% say providing health care coverage for the elderly is the responsibility of the federal government.
58% would be in favor of reducing government spending on people like themselves, IF it meant raising taxes on people like themselves.
BUT -- on page 16:
45% would be in favor of cuts in defense spending to cut the deficit, as opposed to only 21% who'd cut Medicare and 17% who'd cut Social Security.
61% say Medicare is worth the cost of the program to taxpayers.
AND
72% favor raising taxes on those making more than $250,000 a year, to reduce the deficit.
On page 17:
56% would rather increase taxes to keep Medicare going, as opposed to 28% who'd favor reducing benefits.
The next question, question 54, asks: "If you HAD to choose ONE, which of the following changes to Medicare benefits would you prefer in order to reduce the federal budget deficit: 1. raising the age people start receiving Medicare benefits, OR 2. raising the premiums all Medicare recipients have to pay, OR 3. raising the premiums Medicare recipients who have high-incomes have to pay OR
4. covering fewer treatments?"
The overwhelming favorite was raising premiums for high-income Medicare recipients. 49% chose that.
And this was question 55, which John Fund latched onto:
"In order to reduce the budget deficit, it has been proposed that Medicare should be
changed from a program in which the government pays doctors and hospitals for treating
seniors to a program in which the government helps seniors purchase private health
insurance. Would you approve or disapprove of changing Medicare in this way?"
47% approved, 41% disapproved, and 12% didn't know.
Of course that question omits the fact that seniors would be left paying for much of their own health care and insurance costs, even with vouchers.
Anyway, THIS is what you're going to see those on the right trumpeting in the near future as proof that more Americans approve of the Ryan plan than disapprove of it.
I'd say the other numbers in that poll are more important. And they show clearly that Americans don't approve of Ryan's plan to cut taxes on the rich, and they think higher Medicare costs should be paid by those with higher incomes.
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