By Kathleen Gilbert
WASHINGTON, D.C., November 24, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A Rasmussen poll released Monday revealed support for President Obama's health care overhaul at an all-time low, with only 38% of respondents favoring the Democrats' plan, and 56% opposed.
The health care numbers were the lowest of the nearly two dozen Rasmussen tracking polls conducted since June, which had not dipped below 41% support. Rasmussen also reports that the survey, which was ongoing during Saturday's procedural vote on the measure in the Senate, showed a slight decrease in support following the vote.
As in previous polls, stronger feelings reside with those opposed to the health care overhaul: 21% said they “strongly favor” the plan, while 43% consider themselves “strongly opposed.”
While voters' concerns appear mostly to rest with the cost of the proposed overhaul, polls dealing with the bills' federal abortion funding have shown the majority consistently and specifically rejecting language any weaker than the Stupak amendment. The Stupak amendment, present in the House version of the bill, fully restores the traditional Hyde-amendment ban on federal funding for most abortions.
The National Right to Life Committee has compiled recent poll results showing broad public opposition to language allowing any government funding for abortion.
In addition, Rasmussen's daily Presidential Tracking poll Tuesday showed the lowest Approval Index Rating for President Obama's job performance. Only 27% of American voters said they strongly approved of Obama's performance, while 42% strongly disapproved, giving Obama an Approval Rating Index of -15.
45% of voters overall say they at least somewhat approve of Obama's performance, while 54% disapprove.