Fifty-five percent of U.S. adults trust Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) more than presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) to address the issue of health care, compared with 31% who trust McCain more than Obama to address the issue, according to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, the Post reports.
For the poll, conducted between May 8 and 11, TNS interviewed by telephone a random sample of 1,122 adults nationwide. The poll had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points (Washington Post graphic, 5/13). The poll found that fewer than 10% of adults cited health care as their most important issue in the election, compared with 36% who cited the economy and 21% who cited the war in Iraq.
In addition, the poll asked adults about their opinions on the direction of the nation and other issues, as well as which candidates they considered most able to address various concerns. The poll also examined who would win a general election between Obama and McCain or an election between Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and McCain (Cohen/Balz, Washington Post, 5/13).
Opinion Pieces
Summaries of an editorial and an opinion piece on health care in the presidential election appear below.