Against Obama, McCain Has a Lot of Ground To Make Up on Health Care

The latest Washington Post-ABC News poll on health care should give John McCain reason to be concerned.

The early May poll asked voters, "Regardless of whom you may support, whom do you trust more to handle health care?"

The answer was Obama by 55% and McCain by 31%.

And this poll was done a few days after his much-publicized week long health care tour.

McCain also did poorly on the other economic issues--although not as badly. On gas prices, it was Obama 48% and McCain 28%. On the economy generally it was 48% to 38%.

McCain did better on the war on terror––55% to 34%. The two were tied over who would do the best in Iraq.

It is still early and polls are notoriously unreliable this far out.

But my sense is that McCain has some big work to do on health care. He has the most far-reaching health care proposal because he proposes the most fundamental change in calling for an end on the reliance upon the employer-based health insurance system in favor of a plan that builds upon the individual. That is in many ways to his credit. But the best health insurance people now have comes through the employer-based system. This can only be a hard sell for him.

But he also has a health care plan with some very troubling gaps in it. The biggest having to do with how those with a low-income, those with pre-existing medical conditions, and older people will be able to access a health insurance plan.

So long as he has these glaring health care gaps McCain can expect to run far behind Obama in health care voter polls.

Recent McCain posts

An Analysis of Senator John McCain's Health Care Reform Plan