Who says we can’t have nice things?

There are plenty of things the United States does better than any other country. Putting ice in our coffee. Fahrenheit instead of Celsius. Air conditioning. Okay, so maybe just temperature issues. But universal health care? Absolutely not.

Americans already spend far more than any other country on health care, despite having some of the worst rates of life expectancy and infant mortality among wealthy nations. And next year, health care prices are set to soar, while some ACA recipients will see their premiums more than double.

You don’t need to be an 84-year-old democratic socialist from Vermont to recognize that our health care system is YUGE-ly screwed up.

We find that a majority of voters (63%) support a Medicare for All system that would:

• Eliminate most private insurance plans
• Replace premiums with higher taxes
• Guarantee health coverage for everyone
• Eliminate most out-of-pocket costs like copays and deductibles

That includes 78% of Democrats, 64% of Independents, and even a slight plurality of Republicans.

We also find that support for Medicare for All is resilient — 58% of voters support the policy even after hearing arguments that the plan would “raise taxes and give the government too much control over health care.”

We love some friendly rivalries between countries. Not everyone can have the best women’s gymnastics team or the only flag on the moon. But when it comes to health care, we’re falling behind, and do y’all really want to come in second to the Europeans?? We’re better than that!

Read the full poll here.

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Here are some other highlights from DFP this week: 
 

Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky departed on time?

We’ve all been there — it’s December 23rd, you need to get home to help your mom with the ham, and American Airlines has decided to delay your flight by eight hours due to “unscheduled aircraft maintenance.”

Under a rule proposed by the Biden administration, airlines would have been required to compensate passengers for delays caused by the airline. But thanks to the Grinch in charge of our government today, the Department of Transportation said it would not move forward with the rule.

We find that 85% of voters think passengers should receive refunds for delays due to circumstances within the airline’s control — including 88% of Democrats, 84% of Independents, and 83% of Republicans.

It’s the holidays! You’re already sick of Mariah Carey, you need to somehow figure out what your 14-year-old cousin wants for Christmas, and your cat already pulled all the ornaments off your tree. The last thing you need is to spend all of your gift budget on rescheduling your cancelled flight.

Read the full crosstabs here. 


Taking it to the extreme

You know when you turn on the TV, forget you had the volume turned up to 75, and the speakers nearly blow a hole in your eardrums? That’s how a lot of voters have felt this year in the second term of Trump’s presidency, as he reminds all of us how truly horrible his governing can be.

As evidenced by Democratic overperformance in this year’s special elections and Trump’s enormously unpopular favorability, voters are really, really sick of this sh*t.

Our new poll finds that voters think the Republican Party is more extreme than the Democratic Party by a +7-point margin, including Independents by a +20-point margin.

Listen, we sure wish that margin was even larger — and we know Democrats have their fair share of problems. But unless Trump decides to change up some of his extreme policy positions (unlikely) or maybe a meteor lands on Washington D.C. (probably more likely), Republicans seem poised for a pretty bad year. 

Read the full crosstabs here.



DFP In The News

NPR Politics Podcast: Trump announces more restrictions on legal immigration after DC shooting

Evanston Round Table: Biss and Abughazaleh tied for the lead in first independent poll of congressional primary

Jacobin: Medicare for All Disappeared. Its Popularity Didn’t.

Fox5 New York: Will your Thanksgiving meal be cheaper this year?

Jacobin: The Right Can’t Figure Out What to Do With Zohran Mamdani

Meme of the Week