Fewer people cite healthcare as country's most important problem following midterms, Gallup finds
Pollsters attribute the dip in part to decreased media attention in the weeks following the election.
Healthcare, along with immigration, were top concerns among voters heading into November's midterm elections. Many cited those issues as among the nation's top problems.
Now, though, concern over healthcare is down, according to a new poll from Gallup. Before the midterms, 11 percent of Americans cited healthcare as the nation's biggest problem, trailing only immigration and government itself.
Only five percent of Americans now say it's the top problem, a six percentage-point decrease. Immigration is down as well, from 21 to 16 percent, leaving government and its woes as the number one problem Americans feel is most pressing.
IMPACT
The pollsters took a stab at explaining healthcare's dip, attributing it in part to decreased media attention in the weeks following the election.
Healthcare was fodder for contentious debate heading into the midterm showdown, with the goals of both major political parties diametrically opposed: Democrats largely ran on the issue, pledging to preserve the Affordable Care Act, while the GOP has historically been an opponent of the law and has sought to repeal it.
With the passing of the midterm came a dip in debate and coverage, and healthcare's decline as a major issue now ties it, percentage-wise, with the environment and "lack of respect for each other" in the hierarchy of top problems.
That's below poverty (6 percent), race relations (7 percent), and unifying the country (8 percent). Government at immigration remained in the top two slots, at 19 and 16 percent, respectively.
The economy, unemployment and gun control ranked at the bottom of the list, all tied at 3 percent.
THE TREND
Democrats spent about half of their political advertising dollars on healthcare-centric ads, according to an October analysis from Protect Our Care. The analysis showed Democrats largely have the support of voters on the topic, due in part to Republican efforts to repeal and replace the ACA, efforts that thus far have been unsuccessful.
In September alone, Democrats ran more than 130,000 healthcare-focused ads throughout the country. And that's not counting the 69,000 ads that mentioned healthcare in some fashion.
Twitter: @JELagasse
Email the writer: jeff.lagasse@himssmedia.com
