Democrats like Medicare for All, but swing voters don't
Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios
New polling from the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Cook Political Report confirms that while Democratic voters like the idea of “Medicare for All,” it would be a risk in a general election.
Between the lines: This poll was conducted in the formerly “blue wall” states of Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
By the numbers: 62% of Democratic voters in those states say a Medicare for All plan that eliminates private insurance is a good idea — while 62% of swing voters in these battleground states say it’s a bad idea.
Yes, but: Our poll suggests that 2020 is a referendum on President Trump, not on health policy.
- By wide margins, Democrats and independents said defeating Trump was their main motivator. Keeping him in office was Republicans’ top factor.
The bottom line: If the Democratic nominee comes to be defined by the idea of Medicare for All, that could be a political problem in key battleground states.