Poll Reveals Voter Confusion Over Obama's, McCain's Healthcare Plans

Many recent election polls have shown Barack Obama leading John McCain on the issue of healthcare. But a survey released this week found that, when the question is rephrased, that gap narrows dramatically.

This is particularly true among two critical groups: independent voters and senior citizens. Since healthcare continues to be a top concern for voters, the findings could give the McCain campaign some comfort.

A Gallup poll in early September that asked which candidate could better handle the issue of healthcare found that Obama enjoyed a 12 percentage-point lead. But when voters were asked in a more recent poll which healthcare plan they thought would most benefit them personally, that lead slipped to 6 percentage points. Perhaps more important, 2 in 5 registered voters surveyed in the recent Harris Interactive and Harvard School of Public Health poll said they didn't know or didn't think there was much difference between the plans.

Independent voters were divided: 26 percent saw McCain's plan as better for them, while 24 percent said Obama's. With seniors, similarly, 46 percent didn't have a clear preference; those who did split evenly, with 27 percent for each side.

"These are not bad results for the McCain campaign," Harris Poll Chairman Humphrey Taylor said in a statement.

Although economic issues have taken the forefront in the campaign, healthcare has remained a consistently important concern for voters—including independents. A Quinnipiac University poll this week found that, in the crucial swing states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida, 6 percent to 9 percent of independents named healthcare as the "single most important issue" to their vote.

The candidates' plans would affect voters in very different ways. Both candidates believe healthcare should be structured around the private insurance market, but from there, their proposals diverge. McCain would give tax credits of up to $5,000 for families, encouraging them to buy insurance plans through the private market and across state lines to increase competition. Meanwhile, Obama would aim for health insurance for all, supported by encouraging employers' involvement, expanding the federal Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance programs, and creating a new insurance market that would offer both private and public plans.

The Obama campaign, perhaps sensing a soft spot regarding its healthcare message, is attempting to refocus. Its first post-debate statement hammered home the issue, and a new advertisement on the candidates' plans began airing this morning. The McCain campaign responded by calling the advertisement "dishonest and false."