Letters: Obamacare and public opinion

Re “‘This is the line in the sand,’ House Republicans say,” Sept. 19

Paraphrasing Mark Twain, there are lies, damned lies and statistics. The Republicans are distorting the facts on public support for Obamacare.

The September Pew Research poll shows that 53% disapprove of Obamacare, while 42% approve. What Republicans are not saying is that, according to a May CNN poll, more than a quarter of those disapproving are opposed because the law does not go far enough.

The Pew poll also reports that about half of the 53% who disapprove of the law (27% overall) want Congress to make it work. So in fact, a minority of Americans want the law repealed entirely. Furthermore, Obamacare’s unpopularity can be explained largely by the unrelenting GOP campaign of misinformation.

One would wish that Republicans were as committed to complying with opinion polls regarding background checks for gun sales as they profess to be on healthcare.

Darrel Miller

Santa Monica

Both parties are using the GOP threat to shut down the government as a fundraising gimmick. If we end up with a shutdown, it will be because of our nation’s failure to control election campaign finance, which is at the bottom of this ridiculous drama.

The U.S. Supreme Court complicated matters with its Citizens United ruling in 2010, but perhaps we could all return to a sane and balanced state if we limited political solicitation to the four months prior to national elections.

Linda Kranen

Carlsbad

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