More Americans want Democrats to focus on healthcare, not Russia, poll finds
More than three-quarters of Democrats say they want candidates to talk about universal healthcare "a lot," with economic opportunity listed second.
Healthcare is an issue that remains at top of mind for most Americans -- perhaps more so than an independent investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government in the 2016 election, according to a new CBS poll.
Democratic voters specifically rank healthcare highest when it comes to issues they want to hear about from their candidates. More than three quarters, 78 percent, said they want Democrats to talk about universal healthcare "a lot," with economic opportunity coming in second at 73 percent. Civil rights and social justice came in third, with 71 percent of Democratic voters saying they'd like their candidates to prioritize it as an issue.
When the focus is pulled back to account for the full scope of voters, healthcare is still a major issue. A full 66 percent of those asked about it said they want to hear about healthcare "a lot," while 27 percent want to hear about it "some." Just 7 percent said "not much."
Meanwhile, a relatively scant 23 percent of all voters wanted to hear the candidates talk about the Russia investigation "a lot." A slight majority, 51 percent, said "not much."
Zeroing in on Republican voters revealed healthcare is still a high priority, though it lags behind immigration reform and jobs. Almost two-thirds of Republicans said new immigrants have changed the area in which they live, and most say it's for the worse.
For Republican voters, 9 percent want to hear candidates talking about the Russia probe.
Generally, the poll showed that if the 2018 midterm election were held today, Democrats would win back a slim majority in the House. Honing in on healthcare may increase their chances, as Democrat Ralph Northam won the Virginia governorship last year largely on the back of promises to expand Medicaid, a feat the state recently achieved.
The poll results mirror those of a similar poll, conducted in January by the Kaiser Family Foundation, that showed healthcare topping voters' list of concerns. As in the more recent findings, there was a party divide, with healthcare a much higher priority for Democrats (39 percent) and independent voters (32 percent) than with Republican voters (13 percent).
Twitter: @JELagasse
Email the writer: jeff.lagasse@himssmedia.com
